KULTURA / CULTURE
Vivaldi, and read the Bible every morning. Could you explain that kind of spirit- uality and maturity? “It’s easy to differentiate between the good and the not-so-good, for example we all know that reading a book is more beneficial than scrolling mindlessly through social media. The trick is just to force yourself to do it until it becomes a habit. I’m also fas- cinated by both modern and ancient thinkers, so I began to emulate their daily life in order that I might one day reach that level. I’m challenged and provoked when I read the writings of St. Augustine or Nietzsche and don’t understand what they wanted to say: that’s where I find the motivation to educate myself, to be able to one day understand their complex thoughts.” Are your stage persona, rock ‘n’ roll and passion some- how at odds with your faith, which is also very important to you? “I understand how contradictory it could be to imagine a believer liv- ing a rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle, but I don't live that way. Quite the contrary, no matter how ridiculous it sounds, I try to live the most peaceful possi- ble life. I’m not interested in vices. I also just stopped smoking after 11 years, while I drink wine or beer oc- casionally, but almost never to the point of inebriation. I’ve never taken drugs and don’t plan to do so, and I get annoyed if I see that our perfor- mance is after midnight, because I know that I’ll be awake until late in- to the night.” You’re definitely an original phenomenon in our lands, but let’s get back to music. Passions had just assuaged after Eurovision 2024 when Exit arrived. Where was bet- ter, more exciting, scarier...? “Definitely at Exit. It was scarier because people don’t know our other songs, so you don’t know how they will react. Furthermore, we’ve only existed as a band since the middle of May, and in July we were standing on one of the biggest stages in Europe. That’s really scary. Mihael (bass/key- boards) and I were shaking like two
leaves ahead of the performance at Exit. And that’s why the prize was bigger; it was a fantastic experience for us that I certainly won’t forget.” How will you enthral Bel- graders? How will you capti- vate us until the end of the concert? “I’m certain that the new songs will immediately work well, even if the audience doesn’t know them, and that the audience will enjoy them. The possibilities of designing the stage, lighting and pyrotechnics according to one’s needs further enriches the whole show, so I’m really not scared. Apart from that, we will have several solo concerts around Europe prior to the Belgrade concert, and we will cer- tainly correct any minor mistakes and put on a perfect show in your city.” You say that you’re not the best singer, but that you learn constantly. Are you satisfied with the current situation when it comes to singing? “Well, yes, I’m not a fantastic singer, but I have other qualities. I nonetheless think I’ve improved since Dora [Croatian Eurovision se- lection contest], because I simply had to. I’m happy and satisfied because I see progress, but I know that I still have a lot to do.” What do you have planned? Tours and an album in 2025? Which topics current- ly interest you? “Apart from private things, I have a lot in my plans: we have new songs, music videos, an album, major con- certs and collaborations. Everything is ready and just awaiting the right moment to see the light of day. The album will really include all sorts. Uni- versal heard the album just recently and one of the first statements was: “We are very interested in the pub- lic’s reaction, considering the multi- plicity of genres”.” And to conclude, how differ- ent are Baby Lasagna and Marko Purišić, and which do you prefer? “Baby Lasagna is much more ex- troverted and isn’t as afraid of peo- ple and opinions.”
BABI LASAGNA, ARTIST Exit was scarier than Eurovision for me I was shaking like a leaf in Novi Sad, but that’s precisely why it’s an experience I’ll never forget. We’ve fixed the minor mistakes in the meantime, and we’re ready to create a perfect show for the Belgrade audience
MARKO PURIŠIĆ DOESN’T LIKE LASAGNE, as he’d always rather choose pizza. And yet, during one walk, and for no specific reason, he gave himself the stage name ‘Baby Lasagna’. He came out of nowhere and delighted Europe at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song Rim Tim Tagi Dim. As though that was nothing, he followed up with a performance at Exit that went better than he‘d hoped, which is why he be- lieves that his upcoming Belgrade con- certs, scheduled for 27 th and 28 th Sep- tember at the Dom Omladine youth centre, will be a wonderful encounter with the audience. You’re not a typical young man. You’re very respectful and modest; you’ve donated money to humanitarian caus- es, love Dostoevsky, listen to
50 | Intervju » Interview
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