Festival Omladina

The festival was founded by the members of Mladost (Youth) Society for Culture and Arts, as a competition of young popular music composers.[1] More than 120 compositions by composers from all parts of Yugoslavia were sent to the competition, 9 of which were chosen to be performed at the festival.[1] The festival was held on 4 and 5 December in Subotica National Theatre.[1] The songs were performed by young singers who were members of Mladost society.[2] The youngest of them was six-year-old Evika Stražarković.[2] The singers were accompanied by Mladost Brass and String Pop Orchestra conducted by Josip Kovač.[1] The festival was recorded by Radio Belgrade.[2]

Around 120 songs were submitted for competition with 10 of them chosen to be performed at the festival.[2] They were performed by budding singers.[1] The festival was held on 17 and 18 November in Subotica National Theatre.[1] The jury featured Radio Television Belgrade journalists Žika Dimitrijević, Stevan Markićević, and Aleksandar Korać, Mladost magazine journalist Gordana Jakovljević and Subotica city representatives Pavle Bačić and Josip Kovač.[2] Each song was performed in two versions, by two different singers.[3]

The festival was held during 13, 14 and 15 September[1] in Subotica National Theatre.[4] 224 compositions were sent to the contest, 16 of which were performed on the festival.[4] The performers were accompanied by Mladost orchestra.[4] Once again, every song was performed in two different versions.[4]

The fourth edition of the festival was held from 14 to 16 May, in National Theatre.[5] It was the first edition of the festival to be held in May, which would become a tradition in the following years.[1] Eighteen songs were performed at the festival, once again in two different versions.[5] The performers included some of the future stars of the Yugoslav pop scene, like Bisera Veletanlić, Zafir Hadžimanov and Zoran Rambosek.[5]

The fifth edition of the festival was held in Subotica National Theatre.[6] Besides the Mladost society and Mladost magazine, the Society of Jazz and Pop Musicians and Ritam magazine also took part in the organization.[6] The jury featured composers Bojan Adamič, Vojislav Simić and Aleksandar Korać and poet Miroslav Antić.[6]

The sixth edition festival, held in Subotica National Theatre, featured 18 compositions performed by 21 artists.[7] Once again, each song was performed in two versions, by two different singers.[7]

The festival featured the very first public appearance by 17-year-old Kemal Monteno who would later go on to become one of Yugoslavia's most notable singer-songwriters.[8]

The seventh edition of the festival, held in Subotica National Theater, was the first one to be broadcast by television.[9] Twenty songs were performed at the festival, each by two different singers.[9]

On the eight edition of the festival, held in Subotica National Theatre, 20 songs were performed, each by two different performers.[10] It was the last edition organized by Mladost Society for Culture and Arts.[10]

This was the first edition of the festival to include rock bands as performers, with the bands Džentlmeni and Zlatni Akordi performing songs by competing composers.[10] The band Zlatni Akordi featured then little known singer Josipa Lisac, which was her only appearance on the festival.[11]

The ninth edition of the festival was the first one to be organized by Subotica Culture Center and Radio Belgrade.[10] It was also the first edition of the festival which was not held in Subotica National Theatre, but in Subotica Sports Hall, from 2 to 4 May.[12] The jury consisted of former contestants, Kornelije Kovač, Lajoš Kurai, Jovan Adamov and Vojkan Borisavljević, and poet Petar Pajić.[12] Until this edition of the festival, only the composers came from all parts of the country, while the performers were predominately the members of Mladost society; the ninth edition gave the opportunity to perform to musicians from all parts of Yugoslavia, so the performers included established acts like Ibrica Jusić, Ivica Percl, Indexi, Delfini, Džentlmeni, Bele Vrane and others.[12] From this edition of the festival the songs were performed in one version only.[12]

As a part of the tenth anniversary celebration, the festival included a non-competitive part featuring performances by well known and less known rock acts.[13] It was the first edition of the festival to feature a non-competitive program.[13]

The Third Prize was awarded to Miodrag Cokić's composition "Kažu". On the final evening, during which the awarded compositions were performed once again, the performer of "Kažu", Dušan Prelević, went on the stage intoxicated.[14] Because of this scandal he was banned from Radio Television Belgrade programs for a year.[14]

In 1971, the festival was held in June.[15] Twenty-two compositions were performed at the festival.[15]

In 1972, the festival started on Youth Day (25 May), with a midnight concert.[16] This was the first edition of the festival to feature, besides musical program, art exhibitions and poetry evenings.[16]

The band Lutajuća Srca, who won the First Prize, Audience's Choice First Prize and the Best Lyrics Award, were unable to perform on the final evening, so, on their recommendation, at the time little known singer-songwriter Nenad Milosavljević performed instead of them.[17] The song "Mom bratu" was performed by sixteen year old Vesna Čipčić, who would several years later start a successful acting career.[18]

522 compositions were sent to the contest, more than to any of the previous editions.[19] The performers were accompanied by Radio Television Belgrade Big Band, conducted by Bojan Adamič.[19]

On the fourteenth edition of the festival the Union of Composers of Yugoslavia Award was introduced.[20]

The fifteenth edition of the festival was the first one organised by Subotica Youth Center and Radio Television Novi Sad.[21] It was marked by an unusual move: all 22 competing compositions were proclaimed the winning compositions.[1]

650 compositions were sent to the contest, from all parts of Yugoslavia, but also from Yugoslavs living abroad,[22] 24 of which were chosen to compete at the festival.[22] The festival was held in Subotica Sports Hall, in front of more than 5,000 spectators.[22]

The festival featured three parts: the competition, rock evening, featuring well known and less known rock acts, and the evening of patriotic songs, entitled "Mladi pevaju Titu" ("Youth Sings to Tito").[23] The organizers decided to include the evening of patriotic songs in every future edition of the festival.[1]

The eighteenth edition of the festival was held from 11 to 13 May, in Subotica National Theatre and Subotica Sports Hall.[25]

The performance of Rani Mraz on the evening of patriotic tunes remains one of the most memorable events in the history of the festival.[25] On this occasion, the band for the first time performed their song "Računajte na nas" ("Count on Us"), which praised the People's Liberation War from the perspective of the youth and which would soon become an unofficial anthem of the Yugoslav youth.[26]

The nineteenth edition of the festival was held from 17 to 19 May.[27] It was crucial in festival's transition from competition of young composers to competition of young rock acts. Prior to the nineteenth edition, unaffirmed rock bands were invited to perform at the festival, but only in the non-competitive part, with mostly pop, pop rock and soft rock acts competing for awards; in 1979, the organizers decided that from this edition all unaffirmed acts which were invited to perform would be competing for awards.[27] The competition featured 37 compositions.[27]

The bands Pekinška Patka and Prljavo Kazalište were the first punk rock acts to perform at the festival. These two bands did not apply for the competition, but, alongside progressive rock band Boomerang and jazz rock band Den Za Den, got special invitation from the festival director Vitomir Simurdić, who wanted the festival to move away from pop format.[28] Boomerang won the First Prize, Pekinška Patka won the Audience's Choice Second Prize,[1] and Prljavo Kazalište was disqualified from the contest after performing gay-related song "Neki dječaci".[29][30] Then little known musicians Robert Funčić and Vesna Vrandečić, who performed Funčić's song "Veruj mi" and won Audience's Choice First Prize, would two years later form the band Xenia.[31]

Due to the death of Josip Broz Tito on 4 May, the twentieth edition of the festival was, instead in May, held in October.[1] Twenty-four compositions competed for the awards. All three prizes by the jury and all three by the audience were given to rock bands.[33] The festival anniversary was celebrated with performances of numerous artists who received acknowledgment after appearing on the festival: Bisera Veletanlić, Dalibor Brun, Kemal Monteno, Tomaž Domicelj, Lutajuća Srca, Miladin Šobić, Jadranka Stojaković, Leb i Sol, Boomerang and others.[33] On its anniversary, the festival received numerous accolades: the Seven Secretaries of SKOJ Award, the Liberation of Subotica Award, the Radio Belgrade Golden Microphone Award, the PGP-RTB Silver Plaque, the FIDOF Award and several others.[33]

The twentieth edition of the festival is notable as one of the most important moments in the history of Yugoslav new wave scene, as it included performance of some of the most notable new wave acts from Belgrade and Zagreb: Šarlo Akrobata, Idoli, Električni Orgazam, Film and Haustor.[1][32] As on the previous edition of the festival, young bands did not apply for the competition, but got special invitations from the festival director Vitomir Simurdić.[28] Other bands which got the invitation were the progressive rock band Na Lepem Prijazni and ska band Kontraritam.[34] Film would be Awarded the First Prize, Šarlo Akrobata the Second Prize and Idoli the Audience's Choice Third Prize.[33] The organizers initially did not take Električni Orgazam into consideration, but were persuaded to include the band into the program by Riblja Čorba leader Bora Đorđević. Električni Orgazam caused a scandal with their performance, which included damaging microphones and cymbals and destroying colored light bulbs which were part of the scenery, and were disqualified from the competition.[35]

On the twenty-first edition of the festival the Journalists' Award for Best Lyrics was introduced.[36]

The competitors included young new wave bands Petar i Zli Vuci, Stidljiva Ljubičica, Modeli, Lačni Franz, Buldogi, Piloti, Termiti, Čista Proza and La Strada, all of them later becoming notable acts of the Yugoslav rock scene.[36]

On the twenty-third edition of the festival, held from 19 to 26 May 36 compositions were competing for awards.[38] On this edition, rock compositions and pop compositions were finally separated. Two separate competitions were held: Rock Evening and Schlager Evening.[38]

The hard rock band Kerber, which won the Rock Evening First Prize, would two months after the festival release their debut album and become of the most popular bands on the Yugoslav hard rock scene.[39] The best Interpretation Award was won by little known young singer Mladen Vojičić of the band Top, who would a year later gain nationwide popularity as the singer of Bijelo Dugme.[38]

The twenty-fourth edition of the festival was held from 17 to 20 May.[40] A smaller number of awards was given than during the previous editions, partially due to funding problems.[40] On the Rock Evening, for the first time the award was given to the band for their complete performance, not for one composition.[1]

The First Prize on the rock evening was won by the band Automobili. The prize included the recording of a studio album. As they were already working in studio on their debut album, they decided to give up on the prize in favor of the runner-up, the band Beta Centaury.[41] With the release of their debut album later that year Automobili would rise to popularity.[41] The band Zabranjeno Pušenje was invited to perform in the non-competitive part, but refused due to the fact that their applications from the time when they were an unaffirmed band were regularly refused.[42]

In 1986, the concept of competition of composers was officially abandoned, the festival was renamed to Festival pop i rok muzike (Festival of Pop and Rock Music) and became a competition of young unaffirmed bands.[1]

The 1987 edition of the festival was marked by the jury's decision that all the bands which entered the finals – KUD Idijoti, Indust Bag, Mizar, Tužne Uši and Grad – are the winners.[43] With the exception of Tužne Uši, all of the bands would rise to prominence, KUD Idijoti becoming one of the most notable punk rock bands and Mizar one of the most notable dark wave bands on the Yugoslav scene. The alternative rock band Center Za Dehumanizacijo, which would later also rise to prominence, also competed, but did not manage to enter the finals.[44]

The non-competitive part included notable rock acts – Električni Orgazam, Gast'r'bajtr's, Kerber, Bambinosi, Autopsia, Tutti Frutti Balkan Band – as well as acts which would rise to fame in the following years – Zijan, Dr. Steel, Let 3, Blues Trio, Vrisak Generacije, Grč, Cacadou Look.[44]

Both the First Prize and the Audience's Choice Award were won by the band Zijan,[43] which, a year later, also won both the First Prize and the Audience's Choice Award at the Zaječar Gitarijada Festival.[1]

As Yugoslav Wars started in 1991, this edition of the festival would be the last before the anniversary edition in 2011.

In 2011, in order to mark the festival's 40th anniversary, a concert was held in Subotica Sports Hall, featuring numerous artists who gained first acknowledgements after their appearance on the festival. The performers were accompanied by orchestra led by Gabor Bunford.[45] The bands Lutajuća Srca, Suncokret and Rezonansa all made reunions just for this occasion,[46] while the band Generacija 5 reunited in the original lineup.[47]

• List of historic rock festivals

• Official website