Magazin

Not to be confused with Magazine.

Magazin
Background information
Also known as	Dalmatinski Magazin
Origin	Split, Croatia
Genres	Pop
Years active	1979–present
Labels	Jugoton/Croatia Records Orfej HRT Tonika Records
Members	Željko Baričić Nenad Vesanović Lorena Bućan
Past members	Tonči Huljić Ivan Huljić Miro Crnko Igor Biočić Zoran Marinković Ante Miletić Vocals: Majda Šoletić (1st singer) Marija Kuzmić (2nd singer) Ljiljana Nikolovska (3rd singer) Danijela Martinović (4th singer) Jelena Rozga (5th singer) Ivana Kovač (6th singer) Andrea Šušnjara (7th singer)

Magazin is a Croatian pop band from Split. Founded in 1979 under the name Dalmatinski magazin ("Dalmatian Magazine" in Croatian), the band quickly began to make a mark on local pop music festivals with its songs influenced by Dalmatian folk music. One of the most prominent bands in Yugoslavia and one of the longest lasting, with 45 years active in the music industry in Croatia and former Yugoslavia. The band currently consists of lead vocalist Lorena Bućan, guitarist Željko Baričić and bass guitarist Nenad Vesanović Keko. Baričić is the only active founding member even though Vesanović featured on every album to date.

History

Founding and first musical successes (1979–1986)

In 1979, the band Magazin, then under the name "Mladih batali", was founded by Željko Baričić, Zoran Marinković, Miro Crnko, Igor Biočić and vocalist Majda Šoletić in Split then Yugoslavia. That same year, they signed a record deal with the record company Jugoton and recorded their first LP singles, but also changed the band's name to "Dalmatinski magazin". At the end of the same year, the band gained two new members, Tonči Huljić and Nenad Vesanović Keka.

In early 1982, Majda Šoletić left the band, and was replaced by Marija Kuzmić. That same year, the band changed the band's name to "Magazin" and recorded their first album Slatko stanje (Sweet State), and performed at the Split Festival with the song "Dišpetožo moja mala", where they won the first prize of the professional jury. At the end of the year, they performed at the Zagrebfest with the song "Moja mala mila".

Their gradual rise in popularity continued in the 1980s with a series of prestigious festival victories. Their peak of popularity was reached when Maja Kuzmanić left the group and was replaced by Ljiljana Nikolovska who became the band's lead singer. The leader and songwriter Tonči Huljić began to insert elements of folk music of other European countries in his songs. On Split Festival '83 they performed Kokolo off of their album Kokolo which was released in December. The album was sold in 270,000 copies and was Platinum certified. Drummer Zoran Marinković left the band in 1984, and was replaced by Ante Miletić. The band performed at the Split Festival that same year with the song "Nikola", and then released their third album, O, la, la. In 1985, they performed with the song "Vrati mi, vrati sve" at the Split Festival, and with the song "Piši mi" ("Write to me") at the Zagrebfest, where despite receiving by far the largest number of audience votes, Magazin did not win due to a set-up. In protest at the ceremony announcing the winner, the band refused to go on stage and accept the second prize from the audience, and the outraged visitors left the Lisinski Hall in large numbers, with loud protests and whistles. Tonči Huljić started collaborating with songwriters from other parts of Yugoslavia such as Marina Tucaković who wrote many of Magazin's songs. In 1985 they released the fourth album Piši mi (Write to Me). The album 'Piši mi' reached diamond certification, when it was sold in 380,000 copies and it's considered their best album and their masterpiece of Croatian pop music. It was recorded in Zagreb at Janko Mlinarić's studio Truli. It was the beginning of a long-term collaboration with arranger and producer Mate Došen. At the Split Festival in 1986, they won the second audience award with the song 'Ne mogu da ga ne volim'. At the Zagreb Fest in 1986, the song 'Piši mi' received recognition for the most performed song from the previous festival. In early December of the same year, the album Put putujem (The path I travel) was released, for which they received the "Zlatna Ptica" ('Golden Bird') for more than 670 thousand copies of the album sold and it's considered to be one of the best selling albums in Yugoslavia.

In 1987, the band went on a major tour of Yugoslavia, and at the end of the year they released the self-titled album Magazin, which sold more than 500,000 copies and for which they received the "Zlatna ptica" award. In 1988, they released the seventh album Besane Noći (Sleepless nights), which got diamond certification, sold in 200,000 copies and the following year (1989) they released the album Dobro jutro (Good Morning), the last album with vocals by Ljiljana Nikolovska, which got another diamond certification and equivalent of 200,000 copies. At the end of 1990, a large compilation "Svi najveći hitovi 1983-1990" (All the greatest hits 1983-1990) was released with 26 of the best songs of the group Magazin, sung by Ljiljana Nikolovska. After this compilation, she left the group and went to the USA where she still resides.

Legacy

Magazin became one of the most popular and most influential music bands in Croatia and Yugoslavia. Their biggest hits are "Put putujem" (I'm travelling), "Ti si želja mog života" (You are the desire of my life), "Oko moje sanjivo" (My sleepy eye), "Sve bi seke ljubile mornare" (All girls would kiss the sailors), "Balkanska ulica" (Balkan street), "Istanbul", "Zna srce, zna" (The heart knows, knows), "Boli me" (It hurts), "Besane noći"(Sleepless nights) , and many more. Most of these songs are considered as classics in Croatia. The band won the first iteration of Dora in 1992. with the song "Aleluja" but Croatia was not eligible to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest. Later, they entered the 1995 Eurovision Song Contest with "Nostalgija".

Members

Current members

• Željko Baričić – guitar (1979–present)
• Nenad Vesanović Keko – bass guitar (1979–present)
• Lorena Bućan – lead vocals (2024–present)

Former members

• Igor Biočić – bass guitar (1979)
• Zoran Marinković – drums (1979–1984)
• Miro Crnko – keyboards (1979–1992)
• Tonči Huljić – keyboards (1979–2006)
• Ante Miletić – drums (1984–2013)
• Ivan Huljić – keyboards (2006–2014)

Former vocals

• Majda Šoletić – lead vocals (1979–1982)
• Marija Kuzmić – lead vocals (1982–1983)
• Ljiljana Nikolovska – lead vocals (1983–1990)
• Danijela Martinović – lead vocals (1991–1996)
• Jelena Rozga – lead vocals (1996–2006)
• Ivana Kovač – lead vocals (2006–2010)
• Andrea Šušnjara – lead vocals (2010–2024)

Discography

With Marija Kuzmić as lead singer:

• Slatko stanje (1982) ("The Sweet State")

With Ljiljana Nikolovska as lead singer:

• Kokolo (1983)
• O, la, la (1984)
• Piši mi (1985) ("Write to me")
• Put putujem (1986) ("The path I’m travelling")
• Magazin (1987)
• Besane noći (1988) ("Sleepless Nights")
• Dobro jutro (1989) ("Good Morning")
• Najbolje godine (1993) ("The Best Years")

With Danijela Martinović as lead singer:

• Da mi te zaljubit u mene (1991) ("If I Could Make You Fall In Love With Me")
• Došlo vrijeme (1993) ("The Time Has Come")
• Simpatija (1994) ("Sympathy")

With Jelena Rozga as lead singer:

• Nebo boje moje ljubavi (1996) ("The sky in the color of my Love")
• Da si ti ja (1998) ("If you were Me")
• Minus i plus (2000) ("Minus and Plus") singer Jelena Rozga
• S druge strane mjeseca (2002) ("From the other side of the Moon")
• Pa..? (2004) ("Well...")

With Ivana Kovač as lead singer:

• Dama i car (2007) ("Lady and Emperor")
• Bossa n' Magazin (2008)

With Andrea Šušnjara as lead singer:

• Mislim pozitivno! (2014) ("Think positive!")

External links

• Grupa Magazin – Official Fan Club on FaceBook
• Grupa Magazin Official YouTube