Unfortunately, due to the current coronavirus situation, travelers around the world are facing various restrictions. That also means fewer guests at popular destinations and reduced frequency of travel. We are all doing the best we can to protect our health and the people around us. In such circumstances, we all have a bit of extra free time. And what goes well with the free time? Of course, that’s music. Hence, we prepared this article to motivate you and to give you some great playlist ideas for this summer. Today, we are going to introduce you to the most famous Serbian remakes of popular songs.
Music as a part of our culture
Serbian music and performers are very famous in Europe. Together with the development of the music industry here, Serbian people have always been interested and informed about current hits in the world. The music has always been very important in Serbian history. And today, the number of bars, nightclubs and concert venues tells you enough about our love for music and dance.
But did you know that there are Serbian and ex-YU remakes of popular world hits? Of course, they are created as tributes to the original artists. Here, we will present a few of these songs to you, and hopefully give you some playlist ideas.
Playlist ideas for this summer
Start from the song by Ksenija Pajčin – “Mene ne zanima to”. How does it sound? Well, exactly like popular “That don’t impress me much” by Shania Twain, right? Check out the lyrics – they are pretty similar, too! Ksenija Pajčin (Xenia) was a superstar – singer and dancer, who produced many pop-hits during the 14 years of her career.
Dino Merlin, the most prominent Bosnian songwriter, producer, and singer, released “Mjesečina” in 1989. His inspiration was the song by UB40 – “Where Did I Go Wrong”. Dino Merlin’s concerts in Sarajevo were record-breaking, with an audience of 80,000 fans. Any playlist without Dino’s hits is simply incomplete!
And just for our nostalgic readers – the playlist absolutely has to include Riblja Čorba – “Kad sam bio mlad”. It is influenced by The Animals and their “When I was young”, and the topic is, of course, the longing for the youth. The band Riblja Čorba was formed in 1978, and in these 42 years, they have been an integral part and foundation of the Yugoslavian rock scene.
Let us take you around the world!
Everyone danced at least once to the famous beat of the song “Mas Que Nada” by Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66. But did you know that there is a Serbian tribute to that song? Our talented singer Madam Piano recorded the song of the same name – “Maškenada”. Check it out, and if you love ethno and jazz, listen to some of the other songs by Madam Piano.
Fans of ex-YU music, you must have heard for Plavi Orkestar! Just play their “Ljubi se istok i zapad” and let them take you to the journey, to sunny California! They sing about “East and West kissing”, inspired by the planetary hit of The Mamas and The Papas – “California Dreaming”.
Did you know that Serbia had its own chanteurs? Dragan Stojnić, with his chanson “Bila je tako lijepa” paid homage to Alain Barrière and his song “Elle était si Jolie“. Thanks to him, the chansons and French music gained popularity in the entire Yugoslavia in the 1960s.
And for the end, let’s not forget the famous Algerian song “Ya Rayah”, and its popular performance by Rachid Taha. It has many regional renditions, and one of them is, of course, in the Serbian language: Zdravko Čolić and his “Jako, jako slabo srce zavodiš”. Zdravko Čolić has an impressive scope of work. Entertaining the generations since 1967, he is a true legend of the Serbian and Yugoslavian scene.
We hope that with our selection of songs, we made you feel like you are on a journey around the world, including Serbia. If you need further inspiration for your playlist ideas, just check out the works of artists we mentioned above. Let’s appreciate the high-quality music together, until the time comes to dance to its beat in one of our famous clubs. Until then, stay safe and follow all the precautions. And we will be here, waiting for you.
Truly yours,
More Than Belgrade