Predstavljamo / Introducing
S gitarom su krenuli bendovi i prve pesme. Sećam se te neopisive radosti kad god bismo uspeli nešto grupno da smislimo i odsviramo came the bands and the first songs. I remember those With the guitar indescribable joys whenever we succeeded in coming up with something as a group and playing it
T he Serbian rock’n’roll scene perhaps can’t boast of having the greatest production and media attention, but it can boast of having innova- tive and exciting music.This region has a long tradition of acting “in waves”, and Artan Li- li found its place in one of the most recent such intervals. As they work on completing their latest album,“New Deal”, frontman Bo- jan Slačala shares with us a part of his inti- mate of experience of rock’n’roll, populari- ty, concerts, traveling etc. What attracted you to rock’n’roll? - Probably the possibility of achieving a boyhood dream, which is to have the most beautiful profession in the world. Who is responsible for how your mu- sical expression formed? - Although my whole family nurtured a healthy taste in music, my older brother deserves the most credit. He was always a contemporary guy, conscious of the scene that surrounded us, and was of great impor- tance for the formation of my musical tastes. Do you remember how it all began? - The first instrument I played was a violin. I played it for six years at the lower music school, after which I grabbed a gui- tar, which has remained in my hands to this day. With the guitar came the bands and the first songs, which I honestly don’t remember well, as there are no surviving audio record- ings. I only remember those indescribable joys whenever we succeeded in coming up with something as a group and playing it. How would you describe the current happenings in the Serbian rock’n’roll scene to someone who isn’t from here?
- First of all, this is a scene with rich his- tory and heritage, which continues to evolve in accordance with modern music trends and always has something new and inter- esting to offer across all genres. This scene is actually really big and I’m sure it will be interesting to many who love music gen- erally, even though they don’t know any- thing about it. You’veachievedsuccesswiththegroup Artan Lili and even unexpectedly ap- peared in media outlets that aren’t in- clined to cover this kind of music. What would you attribute that to? - I attribute that to persistently work- ing to extend the boundaries of culture. It’s nice when a potential audience recognises your quality and becomes a regular at your concerts. This is mostly missionary work, but we love it and persevere in it. You travel and perform a lot. In which city or location in Serbia did the audi- ence surprise you the most and why? - There have really been a lot of con- certs, but the first that come to mind are the ones in Pančevo, Niš and Novi Sad. Those cit- ies have unique audiences, with which we have been building a relationship since the first concert and, to tell you honestly, it was love at first sight. As travellers, where would you spend the most time? - The gastronomic aspect of our guest appearances is very important, and I can say that every region and every city has some- thing to offer of their own. It’s just a mat- ter of whether you’re more in the mood for a spoon or a fork. In the case of a spoon, I
would primarily opt for Vojvodina and Šu- madija, while the winning combination for a fork is from Niš heading south. Having a band and travelling from concert to concert means sleeping a lot in a van. What kind of scenes do you wake up to? - We once travelled to Zlatibor for a con- cert. I woke up in the van just before our performance, surrounded by fans who lit- erally led me to the stage. That’s something you never forget. Has the internet made it possible for your music to gain listeners beyond the borders of Serbia and the region? - Of course. Although we only sing in our own language, that doesn’t seem to bother many foreigners who love modern rock’n’roll. You wouldn’t believe all the plac- es where they listen to us and how much they love us. You write songs for Artan Lili in the fe- male gender. Is that easier or is it per- haps just more comfortable to trans- pose yourself as an author in this way? - It’s just about it being a challenge, whether I’ve understood and learned some things about life well. In this way I seek con- firmation from my audience. In which of the world’s cities would you most like to perform with your band and why? - You won’t believe it, but every suc- cessive concert in Belgrade inspires me the most. The thought that instantly inspires you is...? - Love always!
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