Bele Višnje
| Company type | Rock band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1962 in Čačak, Serbia, Yugoslavia |
| Defunct | 1973 |
| Fate | Disbanded, reunited in 1990 and 2010 |
| Headquarters | Čačak , Serbia, Yugoslavia |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
Bele Višnje (in Serbian Cyrillic: , ) was a rock ensemble from Serbia and the former Yugoslavia, originating in Čačak in 1962. They are acknowledged as trailblazers in the Yugoslav rock movement. Their main period of activity spanned from 1962 until 1973, during which they achieved regional recognition but did not produce any official recordings. In the early 1990s, several original members regrouped to record an album featuring their compositions from the 1960s.
1962–1973
The band Bele Višnje was formed in the fall of 1962 by Aleksandar Slaviković "Gušter" on guitar, Ljubodrag Jovanović "Borovac" handling bass, Zoran Sokić "Sole" on keyboards, Mišo Ilić playing rhythm guitar, Dragan Maksimović on drums, with vocalists Slobodan Pajić "Pajo" and Muhamed Hukić "Hujo". By the end of 1963, Stevo Radović replaced Ilić on rhythm guitar and vocals, Predrag Radonjić took over the drums from Maksimović, and Sokić transitioned to bass guitar. This lineup is regarded as their most successful formation. Their early repertoire consisted mainly of covers from artists such as Little Richard, The Shadows, and The Beatles, but they gradually shifted focus towards original songs predominantly written by Radović.
They frequently played at dance events in Čačak and neighboring towns, notably organizing weekly performances at the Učiteljski dom venue. On 8 March 1964, they shared the stage with prominent performers during the Fifth Anniversary celebration of Belgrade Gymnasium. At the inaugural Belgrade Gitarijada festival held on 9 January 1966, their folk cover earned them seventh place, which opened doors to larger concert opportunities. Later that year, Sokić and Pajić departed to concentrate on academic pursuits.
The group earned considerable acclaim with their track "Plavokosa" ("Blond Haired Girl"), which was later recorded as "Plavuša" by Kićo Slabinac—a singer who had served alongside Radović during military service and subsequently gained nationwide fame. After recruiting bassist Miki Vukadinović, Bele Višnje secured third place at the second Belgrade Gitarijada festival in January 1967 by performing a mix of folk-inspired and original songs.
In the following years, the band underwent multiple personnel changes involving musicians such as Slobodan Rabrenović, Jovan Matijašević, Vladimir Šunjevarić, and Zoran Branković. The ensemble ultimately dissolved at the close of 1973. The subsequent year saw Radović release a single under the name Bele Višnje via Diskoton featuring "Čips hit" ("Chips Hit") and "Čarobne oči" ("Magical Eyes").
Post-breakup
After his time with Bele Višnje, Slaviković became part of groups including Studenti, Plamenih 5, and San. Throughout the 1970s, he performed as a backing musician for artists such as Đorđe Marjanović and Miki Jevremović, participating in multiple tours across the Soviet Union. He retired from performing in 1980 and passed away in Belgrade on 23 October 2017.
In the same decade, Zoran Branković contributed to rock bands like Vatra and Krvna Grupa as well as folk ensembles O đila and Novi Spomenari. His solo career includes three albums focused on ethnic music: Brankovići s kolena na koleno (2005), Solunac (2016), and Lefterija (2023), along with a children’s album titled Uspavanke (2018). Branković is also an author of two publications documenting Čačak’s rock heritage: Kako je Čačak zavoleo rokenrol (2013) and Dečaci sa Morave (2019).
1990 and 2010 reunions
Bele Višnje came together once more in 1990, featuring Stevo Radović (rhythm guitar, vocals), Vladimir Šunjarević (guitar), Slobodan Pajić (vocals), Jovan Matijašević (bass), and Predrag Radonjić (drums). Despite not having any recordings from their original period, they issued Pesme naše mladosti (Songs of Our Youth) in 1994—a compilation of earlier tracks produced by Radomir Mihajlović "Točak," the guitarist from Smak—under the Zvuci Galaksije label. This album was later re-released on CD in 2005. The group came together once again in November 2010 to mark half a century of rock music history in Čačak.
Later developments
Radović died in Belgrade on 13 December 2017.
Studio albums
- (1994)
Singles
- "" / "" (1973)
External links
- Articles with short description
- Articles containing Serbian-language text
- Serbian rock music groups
- Serbian folk rock groups
- Yugoslav rock music groups
- Beat groups
- Musical groups from Čačak
- Musical groups established in 1962
- Musical groups disestablished in 1973
- Musical groups reestablished in 1990
- 1962 establishments in Yugoslavia
- 1962 establishments in Serbia