Laza Ristovski

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Laza Ristovski

Lazar "Laza" Ristovski ( Cyrillic Лаза Ристовски; born January 23, 1956 in Novi Pazar , Yugoslavia ; † October 6, 2007 in Belgrade ) was a Serbian keyboardist , known for his membership in the rock bands Smak and Bijelo dugme , as well as for his solo career in which he covered many different musical genres.

Career

Early career

At the age of fourteen, Ristovski founded his first band called Bezimeni. The band only recorded the song “Maštarenje”, which was released in 1975 on the album Veče uz Radio , a sampler by various artists. When Bezimeni performed in Bečići in the summer of 1974 , the well-known clarinetist Boki Milošević was also present and became aware of Ristovski. At the invitation of Milošević, Ristovski moved to Belgrade to subsequently become a member of Milošević's orchestra.

Smak

In autumn 1974 Laza Ristovski began to perform with the progressive rock band Smak from Kragujevac , but only became an official member of the band in January 1975. Together with Smak he recorded their debut album Smak (1975), the EP Satelit (1976), Radomir Mihajlović's first solo album, RM Točak (1976) and several singles.

Bijelo Dugme & Laza i Ipe

In October 1976, Ristovski was moved by Goran Bregović to join the band Bijelo Dugme when they were ready to record their third album. Ristovski was a replacement for the keyboardist Vlado Pravdić when he had to do his military service in the Yugoslav People's Army . With Bijelo Dugme he recorded the album Eto! Baš hoću! (1976) and the live album Koncert kod Hajdučke česme (1977).

When Bregović had to do his military service in November 1977 and the band took a break because of it, Ristovski and Goran Ivandić decided to work on a side project. As Laza i Ipe they recorded the album Stižemo in February and March 1978 in London .

On September 10th, the day the album was scheduled to be released, Goran Ivandić, Goran Kovačević and Ranko Boban were arrested for illegal drug possession, ending the collaboration between Ristovski and Ivandić.

Return to Smak

At the end of 1978 Ristovski returned to Smak and in 1980 recorded the album Rok cirkus with the band . In the same year Ristovski released his solo debut, a 7 ″ single with the songs Tražiš oproštaj and Andželika , both composed by Tugomir Vidanović .

In 1981 he recorded another album with Smak called Zašto ne volim sneg . Shortly after the album was released, the band broke up.

Solo career

After Smak broke up, Ristovski took part in the recording of the solo album Iz profila by the former Smak singer Boris Aranđelović in 1982 . Also in 1982 he released his debut solo album Merge , which in 1983 became the best-selling instrumental album in Yugoslavia. By 1985 he published three more solo albums with the names 2/3 (1983), Roses for a General (1984) and Vojnički dani (1984).

Return to Bijelo Dugme

In 1985 he went back to Bijelo Dugme and stayed there until the band broke up in 1989. He released the two studio albums Pljuni i zapjevaj moja Jugoslavijo (1986) and Ćiribiribela (1988), as well as the live album Mramor, came i željezo ( 1987). On the side he also recorded the album Opera (1986) together with the drummer Nenad Jelić .

Osvajači & Smaks reunion

In 1990 Ristovski became the keyboardist for the band Osvajači and also produced their debut album Krv i led (1990).

In 1992 Ristovski took part in the Smak reunification and performed with them at concerts in Kragujevac and Belgrade . The first concert in Belgrade resulted in the live album OdLIVEno (1992). After the concerts, the band broke up despite plans to record a new studio album.

Solo career and Bijelo Dugme's reunion

In 1993 Ristovski released Quit, his first solo album since 1986. In 1994 he recorded the Naos album with Saša Lokner, the keyboardist of Bajaga i Instruktori . Some of the songs on Naos were inspired by Orthodox spiritual music. In 2003 he released the album Gondola and in 2006 the album Laza Ristovski Plays Simon & Garfunkel with instrumental versions of some songs by Simon & Garfunkel .

Although Ristovski was dependent on a wheelchair because of multiple sclerosis , he took part in three Bijelo Dugme concerts in Sarajevo , Zagreb and Belgrade in June 2005 , resulting in the live album Turneja 2005 - Sarajevo, Zagreb, Beograd .

death

Ristovski died in Belgrade on October 6, 2007 after a long battle with multiple sclerosis.

After his death in 2008 a posthumous album named Drvo života was released. The album that Ristovski was working on before his death included guest appearances by Dragi Jelić , Tijana Dapčević , Nikola Čuturilo and members of the Del Arno Band , Igor Lazić , Dado Topić , Saša Ranđelović and a few other personalities. In 2008 PGP-RTS released two compilation albums, one with Merge and 2/3 and the other with Vojnički dani and Roses for a General .

On November 9, 2016, a concert entitled Iza horizontala in honor of Ristovski took place at the Sava Centar in Belgrade . The concert included performances by Ristovski's former bandmates, employees and friends: Radomir Mihajlović "Točak" and Slobodan Stojanović "Kepa" (from Smak), Alen Islamović , Goran Bregović, Kiki Lesendrić and Piloti , Zana , Sašistra Lokner , Vasil Bžimanov , Neverne Bebe , Ognjen Radivojević , Kornelije Kovač , Nikola Čuturilo , Pera Joe , Bata Kostić , Dragan "Krle" Jovanović (from Generacija 5 ) and many more.

Contribute

Ristovski participated in more than a thousand albums of rock, jazz and folk music. He played keyboards on albums by Slađana Milošević , Zana , Oliver Mandic , Raša Đelmaš , Dušan Prelević , Vatreni Poljubac , Rajko Kojić , Bilja Krstić , Željko Bebek , Milić Vukašinović , Leb i Sol , Aska , silk Memic Vajta , Aerodrom , Boris Novković , Viktorija , Jura Stublić & Film , Nikola Čuturilo , Piloti , Bebi Dol , Galija , Balkan and many other performers. During his career, Ristovski worked with international stars such as Falco and Richard Palmer-James . In the early 1980s Ristovski was a member of the Alvin Lee Band and played on their tour of Yugoslavia and Hungary . He also worked with the RTB Jazz Orchestra .

Film music

Ristovski wrote music for the films Lazar (1984), Zaboravljeni (1988), Hajde da se volimo 2 (1989), Violinski ključ (1990), Pokojnik (1990), A Holy Place (1990), Hajde da se volimo 3 (1990) ), Velika frka (1992), Mrav pešadinac (1993), Napadač (1993), Osmeh Margaret Jursenar (1993), Obračun u kazino kabareu (1993), Pretty Village, Pretty Flame (1996), and Impure Blood (1997).

Impure Blood's music was released on the 1997 album Muzika iz filma Nečista krv . He was one of Goran Bregović's closest collaborators in Bregović's early film soundtrack projects.

Awards

Ristovski was voted the best Yugoslav keyboardist by Yugoslav music magazines for eleven years in a row. At the 1984 Sopot Film Festival , Ristovski was awarded for the soundtrack of the film Lazar . He also won the Gold Medal at the 36th and 39th Animated Film Festival in Belgrade.

Discography

Smak

Studio albums

  • Smak (1975)
  • Rok circus (1980)
  • Zašto ne volim sneg (1981)

EP

  • Satellite (1976)

Live albums

  • odLIVEno (1992)

Compilations

  • Ulazak u Harem / Plava pesma (1977)
  • Smak: Retrospective (1992)
  • The Best of Smak (1995)
  • Star? Mlad. Večan? (1996)
  • Istorija (2001)
  • The Best of Smak (2008)

Singles

  • Ulazak u harem / Sto ptica (1975)
  • Ulazak u harem / Epitaf (1975)
  • Ljudi nije fer / El dumo (1976)
  • Smak Super 45 (1979)
  • Rok cirkus / Hirošima (1980)

Bijelo Dugme

Studio albums

  • Eto! Baš hoću! (1976)
  • Pljuni i zapjevaj moja Yugoslavijo (1986)
  • Ćiribiribela (1988)

Live albums

  • Concert kod Hajdučke česme (1978)
  • Mramor, came i željezo (1988)
  • Turneja 2005 - Sarajevo, Zagreb, Beograd (2005)

Solo career

Studio albums

  • Stižemo with Goran Ivandić (1978)
  • Merge (1982)
  • 2/3 (1983)
  • Vojnički dani (1984)
  • Roses for a General (1984)
  • Opera with Nenad Jelić (1985)
  • Quit (1993)
  • Naos with Saša Lokner (1994)
  • Muzika iz filma Nečista krv (1997)
  • Gondola (2003)
  • Laza Ristovski Plays Simon & Garfunkel (2006)

Posthumous studio albums

  • Drvo života (2008)

Compilations

  • Svetlost u A-duru (Antologija) (1997)
  • The Best Of Instrumental Works (2000)
  • Platinum (2000)
  • Merge + 2/3 (2008)
  • Vojnički Dani + Roses For A General (2008)

Singles

  • Tražiš oproštaj / Andželika (1980)

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Ristovski, Laza
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Ristovski, Lazar (real name); Ристовски, Лаза (Cyrillic)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Serbian keyboardist
DATE OF BIRTH January 23, 1956
PLACE OF BIRTH Novi Pazar , Yugoslavia
DATE OF DEATH October 6, 2007
Place of death Belgrade