10.10.17

Old pop festivals: Opatija '70


One of the best years in a long tradition of this classy festival, Opatija '70 brings together past and present of than-current local music scene in one delicious LP album that actually still lives up to its reputation. For once, scattered singles and different versions of same material as recorded by other performers don't really matter because what is here is exceptional and worth hearing again. Naturally, it was all about mammoth orchestrations and sweeping strings but this is how it was back than. Arrangers and conductors were falling over each other in attempt to surpass each other with inventive ideas and there are some really stunning moments hidden along the way.


The album opens with young Krunoslav Kićo Slabinac blasting his way trough a solid ballad he wrote himself and almost everything that follows represents cream of best names in the business at the time. From Ibrica Jusić and Đorđi Peruzović to Gabi Novak and Zdenka Vučković, it appears everybody was excited and primed to show their new material. Composer Miljenko Prohaska had excellent, jazzy ballad "Zbog jedne davne melodije" that really stands out as one of the classiest offerings here, it was performed by both  Višnja Korbar and Zdenka Kovačićek but its less known that song was originally offered to Josipa Lisac who declined because she was more interested in something else - "Oluja" by composer Zdenko Runjić was a biggest shock and revelation of the whole festival and even though we had alternative as performed by Mladi Levi, Lisac put such a strong stamp on a song that it was forever since associated with her. It could be said that Lisac ushered rock under the guise of Trojan horse on this festival. It stand out like sore thumb amongst other performers and it could only be compared to Dado Topić roaring on equally sedate Split festival same year.

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