Boba Stefanović

Serbian singer Boba Stefanović passed away at 69 and this is my little heartfelt tribute to him.

Of course I never met the guy, in fact I was not really familiar with his music until way too late - his peak happened in early 1970s when I was still just a toddler and I discovered him some twenty years later, as sudden enthusiasm for old Ex-Yu music coincided with my move to Amsterdam. I am not sure would this happen otherwise (and it might, since I really always loved those old pop festival records even before I moved) but from a safe distance everything sounded far more interesting than I remember and suddenly I was really into those old single and EP recordings that otherwise my generation considered terribly tacky, kitschy and uncool. 

I clearly remember when I heard Stefanović for the first time: via Internet I had ordered some compilation of 1970s pop singers (I still have it somewhere) and he was one of them, gently and seductively crooning "Živim tako sam" and "Kažu mi da još si uvek sama" which truly hit me like a brick - not only that music was sophisticated and well arranged, but the guy sung like a dream and it was so sincere, gentle and seductive at the same time that knees buckled. Than I asked around and found out that this was typical reaction on his voice way back than when he was popular - because of this voice, he was kind of sex symbol in his time. Even now, every time I hear these songs, something inside me is moved profoundly although I am trying to rationalize this and remind myself this is just a funny old-fashioned pop music and why would I get so wobbly suddenly, but it does floor me every time no matter what I say.

Boba Stefanović - according to informations on Internet - was one of those early 1960s enthusiastic Rockers who played in beat band (""Zlatni Dečaci" who played surf instrumental cover versions of classics) before turning to serious job & family. Except that actually serious job became a hobby (painting) and hobby (music) became serious - for a time in early 1970s he-who-was-skinny-as-mosquito-but-sang-like-a-lion truly became Serbian biggest music heartthrob. His well worn out singles from roughly 1970-1975 sound like a product of their times, lavishly orchestrated, always balancing on verge of kitsch, often weeping in self-pity (heartbreak, loneliness and such) but oh voice, you don't even care for lyrics as long as Boba sings. I know that this sounds ridiculous but he might be only singer in the world who makes me feel like infatuated teenage girl.

There's not much of his discography - handful of singles and two LP records to my knowledge - and he seems to live dreamer's life, not overtly ambitious or running after either fame or money. Listening to this CD compilation brings back all the emotions and memories - real, imagined - not just for me but for the several generations of music lovers who are dangerously close to being middle-aged at this point: as we age, our idols are getting older and the realization that everything - music, fame, success, our lives - is a ripple in time slowly looms over everything. Never more than when we find out that our beloved music Gods had passed away - what actually stay behind and would future generations care at all? Stefanović's music was much loved and heard in his time but he was just a short chapter on ever-changing music scene and he never achieved or continued that first early 1970s flush of success (Zdravko  Čolić quickly replaced him as poster pin up pop star) - thankfully there is some irresistible, romantic music left behind (along with some duds, but never mind) and you know, it might be nostalgic but is also darn enjoyable listening. Approximately half of disc is lost to weepy, waltzy ballads of its time but thankfully the voice raises above the 1970's production.