"We are trying to face the reality of a modern world in change and tension and reply to it with freedom and responsibility." Darko Rundek
In the mid nineties, when Yugoslavia broke into pieces, Darko Rundek packed his bags and headed for Paris. As singer and lyricist of the legendary New Wave band "Haustor", he was a hero to his many fans. In Paris he had to start all over again. From his new base in an outlying banlieu, he began writing music for theatre and over the next few years released two solo albums until during the making of a third album, "Ruke", the Cargo Orkestar was born.
What began as a gathering of old and new friends quickly developed into a formidable creative unit, with each participant bringing their own special skills: Isabel, the French violinist with her wide experience of many musical worlds, who has worked with theatre director Peter Brook and Nina Simone; the electronic musician Vedran Peternel, with whom Darko Rundek broadcast radio transmissions to the main land from a cargo ship in the Adriatic Sea during the dark years of civil war; video artist Biljana Tutorov, whose projections accompany the Cargo Orkestar's concert performances; multi-instrumentalists Dani Pervan and Dusan Vranić; the trumpeter Igor Pavlica, Darko Rundek's old colleague from the "Haustor" days, plus Emmanuel Ferraz the French/Portuguese trombonist and the French double-bass player Bruno Arnal.
An international conglomeration making music of no fixed abode and carrying it across the borders in the hold of their imaginary rusty freighter: the Cargo Orkestar.
*copied from http://www.piranha.de/records/english/artists/art_darko.htm
Cult symbols of the Yugoslav New Wave era are the compilation albums Paket aranžman, Novi Punk Val, Artistička Radna Akcija and especially the movie Dečko koji obećava.
Important bands of the Yugoslav New wave were: Šarlo Akrobata; Idoli (famous for their song Maljčiki and its respective video in which they ridiculed the soviet soc-realism); Prljavo Kazalište (started as a punk unit; the title of their second album Crno bijeli svijet which means "Black and white world" holds a reference to the Two Tone movement); Električni orgazam (punk at the beginning, they moved towards post-punk and psychedelia later and were described as "The Punk Doors"); Haustor (mostly reggae, ska and similar influences, but with a more poetic and intellectual approach comparing to some danceable bands); Buldožer; Laboratorija zvuka; Film (one of the first Yugoslav New Wave groups); Lačni Franz and many others. Some of them genuinely started as New wave bands, while others previously adhered other styles (for example the members of Azra were previously into somewhat hippie style prior to becoming a New Wave band).
As the New Wave perished in the beginning of the 1980s, some of the bands split or took different musical directions. The period around 1982 is considered especially crucial concerning the decline of the New Wave in Yugoslavia. There were several other reasons why the Yugoslav New Wave started to fade beside the notable general decline of the New Wave around the world: the economical crisis in Yugoslavia in the first half of the 1980s and the political instability. Also, the musical genres such as post punk, darkwave and gothic rock, as well as New Romantic and synth-pop already saw a great expansion around the world, including Yugoslavia too.
Šarlo Akrobata changed from its initial ska and reggae-inspired period, embracing a deeper post-punk sound. They were also a support act of Gang of Four in Zagreb, before they finally split in 1981. Milan Mladenović, its notable vocalist and guitar player in 1982 formed the cult band Ekatarina Velika which was noted for its dark poetic post-punk style and intellectual attitude. In the same year, his bandmate Dušan Kojić-Koja formed the group Disciplina kičme, a band influenced by variety of music styles, which later rose to international prominence.
Idoli, Prljavo Kazalište and Film (the latter under the moniker Jura Stublić i Film) later became pop or pop-rock and all of them respectively achieved great mainstream success; During the 1980s Azra gradually moved to a more conventional rock with occasional use of folk rock elements. Johnny Štulić's poetic trademarks were still notable throughout their lyrics; Električni orgazam soon became a successful mainstream rock band inspired mostly by the 1960s including artists such as the Rolling Stones.
The Yugoslav New Wave period is still considered the "Golden Age" of pop and rock music in the countries that emerged after the breakup of Yugoslavia. The Yugoslav New wave scene gave birth to some of the most important Yugoslav acts ever and it was acclaimed by the Western media (notably by Melody Maker) for its quality and originality as well.
In 2004 Igor Mirković made a film named Sretno dijete ("Happy Child") named after a song by Prljavo kazalište. The movie covers the events in the former Yugoslav New Wave scene.
