Boye (band)
| Company type | Rock band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1981 in Novi Sad, Serbia, Yugoslavia |
| Founder | Biljana Babić, Jasna Manjulov, Ljiljana Radaković, Klaudija Gavrilović |
| Defunct | 2000 |
| Headquarters | Novi Sad , Serbia, Yugoslavia |
Area served | Serbia, former Yugoslavia |
Key people | Biljana Babić (drummer and consistent member), Ilija Vlaisavljević "Bebec" (bassist) |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
Number of employees | Band members (varied over time) |
Boye (pronounced ; a play on the feminine form of boy and the Serbian word boje, meaning colors) was a rock ensemble from Serbia and the former Yugoslavia, established in Novi Sad in 1981. Originally formed as an all-female band, Boye later incorporated male musicians, with drummer Biljana Babić remaining the sole consistent member throughout their existence. Emerging from the Yugoslav new wave movement, their sound gradually transitioned into alternative rock with garage rock influences, culminating in four studio albums before their dissolution in 2000.
1980s
The band Boye came into existence in October 1981, founded by Biljana Babić on drums, Jasna Manjulov handling keyboards, vocals, and lyrics, Ljiljana Radaković on bass, and Klaudija Gavrilović playing guitar and providing vocals. Their first live appearance took place in December 1981 in Novi Sad, presenting themselves as a vibrant all-female new wave group.
By February 1982, Boye performed at the Novosadski novi talas event alongside notable local acts such as Kontraritam and Obojeni Program. Throughout that year, they maintained an active presence within clubs across Novi Sad and Belgrade, attracting media coverage. Following Klaudija Gavrilović’s departure, Vesna Branković joined the lineup as guitarist. In 1983, Boye expanded their reach internationally by participating in Vienna’s Frauen in der Rock Music festival alongside The Raincoats and Au Pairs, and they were the only rock band featured at the Frauen Avantgarde festival in Linz. During this era, lead vocal duties were taken up by Milica "Mica" Vezmar and later Milica "Maša" Žilnik.
Their growing reputation secured them a deal with Zagreb’s Jugoton label. In 1984, they recorded a synth-pop oriented debut album there; however, unhappy with the label’s stylistic direction, they chose to terminate the contract before any release occurred.
In 1985, with producer Dušan Kojić "Koja" from Disciplina Kičme at the helm, Boye adopted a more guitar-centered sound. That same year saw them collaborate with fellow all-female Yugoslav groups Cacadou Look and Tožibabe for a joint performance at Belgrade Youth Center and also perform at the Subotica Youth Festival. Midway through 1986, bassist Ljiljana Radaković departed due to pregnancy and was succeeded by Vesna Milović.
Demo recordings from this timeframe led to their initial single issued by PGP RTB: "Ja hoću te" coupled with "Kralj dosade." The single’s cover was created by Biljana Babić and promoted as embodying "The first true feminine sound." Radaković briefly returned to record bass parts since Milović was deemed stylistically unsuitable. This release marked the end of Boye’s all-female phase before Darko Matić joined as their first male bassist and Tanja Milović became vocalist.
Their debut album titled Dosta! Dosta! Dosta! (translated as Enough! Enough! Enough!), produced by Kojić and launched by PGP-RTB in 1988, preserved their foundational style while incorporating rap influences; Kojić also contributed guitar on three tracks. The record featured notable songs such as "Mama Kivi," "Gde se možemo sresti," and its title track, with cover artwork designed by Babić. It garnered favorable critical response and facilitated their inaugural solo tour across Yugoslavia.
In 1989, Ilija Vlaisavljević "Bebec," previously associated with La Strada, joined Boye as bassist, injecting new creative energy and becoming instrumental in shaping the band’s future trajectory.
1990s
In 1990, Boye unveiled their second studio album, 78, under the independent Zagreb-based label Search and Enjoy. Kojić took on production duties, wrote the songs, and appeared as a guest guitarist. The album featured the track "Ja sam radosna" ("I am Joyful"), which included lyrics by Sloboan Tišma, former frontman of La Strada, and incorporated a sample from La Strada's "Mlad i radostan" ("Young and Joyful").
The outbreak of political unrest disrupted the band's momentum; the promotional tour for 78 was cut short due to the Yugoslav Wars. Following this, members Tanja Đajić, Jasna Manjulov, and Vesna Branković departed from the group and retired from music altogether. Remaining members Biljana Babić and Ilija Vlaisavljević recruited new talent: vocalists Jelena Kajtez and Aleksandra Blažić "Caka", along with guitarist Vladimir Radusinović "Radule", formerly of Novi Sad’s punk ensemble Atheist Rap. This reformed lineup made their debut at the 1992 antiwar event Ne računajte na nas held at Belgrade’s Republic Square.
In 1993, Boye recorded their third album titled Boye se ne boje (translated as Boye Are Not Afraid) at Sing Sing Studio in the Netherlands, owned by Milan Ćirić. This release marked Biljana Babić’s debut as a lyricist. The album was produced by Vlaisavljević and included guest performances by trumpeter Zoran Erkman "Zerkman" and keyboardist David Gardeur. The song "Gleglegledaj!" was accompanied by a promotional video broadcast on Dutch national television. The album was issued in Israel by Doranit Enterprises Ltd under the title Boye Aren't Afraid, while domestically it was released through Music YUser and later Metropolis Records. It garnered favorable reviews from Serbian critics and earned the 1993 best release accolade from Ritam magazine.
Upon returning from the Netherlands, Aleksandra Blažić exited the band; they welcomed guitarist Miloš Rašković and trombonist Đorđe Todorović. Early in 1994, Boye performed three concerts in Athens and returned in 1995 for shows in Athens and Crete as part of the Za mir na Balkanu ("For Peace on the Balkans") initiative. During this period, Robert Telčer joined as guitarist. In March 1996, Boye appeared at the Balkans Art Festival held in Komotini and Xanthi, Greece.
July 1997 saw the release of their fourth studio album, Prevariti naviku (meaning To Trick a Habit), again recorded at Sing Sing Studio with Vlaisavljević producing. The album featured the single "Ludilo mašina" ("Machine Madness") and represented a move toward a more contemporary sound. That same year, Boye contributed to the Slovenian live various artists compilation V živo v Štuki, which captured their 1995 performance in Maribor alongside other regional musicians.
The band’s final live appearances took place in 2000 during concerts organized by Radio B92 alongside Darkwood Dub, Obojeni Program, and Voodoo Popeye. Following these events, Boye disbanded after Biljana Babić became a mother.
Post breakup
Following her departure from Boye, Jasna Manjulov published two poetry collections: Različite pesme (1988) and Lažno predstavljanje (1996), while also working professionally as a proofreader. Ilija Vlaisavljević collaborated with members of Obojeni Program to compose music for Aleksandar Davić’s 2004 film Party.
In 2023, the album Boye se ne boje was re-released on vinyl format featuring two previously unreleased bonus tracks: "Kuća i krik" ("The House and the Scream") and "Ti si taj" ("You're the One").
Legacy
In 2009, the Serbian alternative rock group Obojeni Program released a cover of "Ja hoću te" as a 7-inch single. That same year, the Serbian indie rock band Autopark included their rendition of "Gde možemo se sresti" ("Where We Could Meet") on their album Sve dalje. During the 2011 Belgrade Mikser Festival, the Serbian alternative rock band Jarboli presented a full live performance of the album Dosta! Dosta! Dosta!.
The album Dosta! Dosta! Dosta! was placed at number 71 in the Croatian edition of Rolling Stone magazine’s 2015 list of the 100 Greatest Yugoslav Albums. Additionally, in 2021, Prevariti naviku was ranked 95th among the 100 Best Serbian Albums Since the Dissolution of SFR Yugoslavia, as featured in the publication Kako (ni)je propao rokenrol u Srbiji.
In 2014, the cast of the television series Otvorena vrata performed a cover of "Dosta! Dosta! Dosta!" for the soundtrack of the episode titled "Idoli".
Studio albums
- Dosta! Dosta! Dosta! (1988)
- 78 (1990)
- Boye se ne boje (1993)
- Prevariti naviku (1997)
Singles
- "Ja hoću te" / "Kralj dosade" (1987)
- "Fudbal" / "Fudbal (Mix bez reči)" (1990)