Olivera Marković

Seems that 1959. was a watershed year for Serbian actress Olivera Marković who recorded quite a few singles around that time and her work was so strong that it left a legacy up to this day. Just like her fellow colleague actor Vlastimir-Đuza Stojiljković who had himself an unexpected hit single (wonderfully hip, swinging "Devojko mala") just around the same time, Marković suddenly found herself amongst the most popular singers in the country and she wasn't even "going disco" - in other words, lady was doing completely different kind of music and was not competing with pop singers at all.

Post-WW2 Yugoslavia was just waking up from ruins and in the whole enthusiasm for re-building the new world, music scene was divided in two camps: traditional folk music had far stronger roots than pop that appealed to urban audience who could afford to listen radio or watch TV shows with than-new festivals. Recording companies like Jugoton and PGP RTB were also just starting, the whole phenomenon of "pop singers" was still something new and one had to pass trough rigorous, strict tests before being accepted to sing on the radio first, not to mention recording in studio. While there were many who optioned for folk and songs about village life (now disappearing under the boom of industries that grew in the cities and lured people to re-locate) a phenomenon of "Russian romances" came in the fashion and this was kind of music very much beloved in nightspots everywhere in Central Europe - from Budapest to Vienna, from Prague to Belgrade, this Russian/Gypsy fashion thrived successfully wherever violin played and drinks were served. It was embraced by urban audiences as a perfectly safe choice and Olivera Marković quickly became the queen of this music - not only she was young and pretty with a nice, yearning voice but the lady was also urban, actress and somehow everybody knew and accepted this was not some floozy but acceptable, talented young woman.

This, her first EP record with four traditional "Russian" songs, released under the title "Our popular singers" presented Marković with the same care like best of the new pop stars and under the mighty umbrella of Zagreb's "Jugoton" that guaranteed national visibility of the first order. Recorded with small orchestra and perfectly fine sound not unlike french chansons of Edith Piaf, these simple songs still tug the heartstrings decades after their release and cemented love between Marković and her audience that lasted far longer than her excursion in music. It is really interesting that this was our true, accepted vision of torch-singer and Marković was accepted and embraced as such.