Crvena Jabuka
| Company type | Music group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1985 in Sarajevo, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia |
| Founder | Dražen Ričl, Zlatko Arslanagić |
| Headquarters | Zagreb , Croatia |
| Products | Pop rock music albums and performances |
Crvena Jabuka () is a pop rock ensemble established in Sarajevo, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia in 1985, relocating to Zagreb, Croatia in 1994. The group achieved widespread acclaim during their early years and has sustained success throughout the former Yugoslav territories since their reunion.
The band was founded by vocalist and guitarist Dražen Ričl "Para" alongside guitarist Zlatko Arslanagić "Zlaja", both inspired by British rock from the 1960s. They were joined by keyboardist Dražen Žerić "Žera", drummer Darko Jelčić "Cunja", and bassist Aljoša Buha. Their debut album, Crvena Jabuka (1986), quickly became a commercial hit. Tragically, a road accident on 18 September 1986 resulted in the deaths of Ričl and Buha.
Following this loss, remaining members Arslanagić, Žerić, and Jelčić persevered under the Crvena Jabuka name, releasing their sophomore album Za sve ove godine in 1987 without promotional activities. They fully resumed activity with the 1988 release Sanjati, featuring Žerić as lead singer and Arslanagić as the principal songwriter and band leader. Multi-instrumentalist Nikša Bratoš joined the lineup, contributing significantly to production efforts thereafter. Before the outbreak of the Bosnian War in 1992 interrupted their work, the band delivered two additional successful albums.
In 1994, Žerić, Jelčić, and Bratoš reassembled Crvena Jabuka in Zagreb. Collaborations with external composers such as Zlatan Fazlić, Saša Lošić, Miroslav Drljača "Rus," and Dino Šaran helped them produce numerous hits and reclaim popularity throughout the former Yugoslav region. Their later projects leaned more toward a pop-centric style, featuring duets with notable regional artists. Since Jelčić's exit in 2017, Žerić remains the only founding member active in the band.
Origins (1981–1985)
The roots of Crvena Jabuka date back to 1981 when guitarist Zlatko "Zlaja" Arslanagić and guitarist/vocalist Dražen "Para" Ričl, then high school students in Sarajevo, formed the power pop group Ozbiljno Pitanje (Serious Question). This ensemble included vocalist Saša Kontić, bassist Benjamin Levi, drummer Radmilo "Hare" Gavrilović, and keyboardist Dražen Janković. After disbanding in 1983, Ričl joined Elvis J. Kurtović & His Meteors. Both Ričl and Arslanagić were prominent figures within Sarajevo’s New Primitivism scene, contributing to comedic radio sketches on Radio Sarajevo’s Primus and satirical television productions like Top lista nadrealista. Arslanagić also played roles in several humorous rock operas associated with the movement such as Kemmy, Odisejo, and Bata brani Sarajevo.
Formation and rapid success (1985–1986)
Following the dissolution of Elvis J. Kurtović & His Meteors in 1985, Ričl and Arslanagić established Crvena Jabuka in May of that year. The initial lineup featured keyboardist Dražen Žerić "Žera", drummer Darko Jelčić "Cunja", and bassist Aljoša Buha (formerly of Kongres). Although they initially contemplated naming the band Mačak Fric (Fritz the Cat), they ultimately selected Crvena Jabuka ("Red Apple") as an homage to The Beatles’ Apple Records—Arslanagić’s key influence—and to parallel well-known Sarajevo bands Bijelo Dugme ("White Button") and Plavi Orkestar ("Blue Orchestra"), reflecting colors found on the Yugoslav flag.
Shortly after formation, Crvena Jabuka secured a contract with Jugoton, Yugoslavia’s foremost record label at the time, known for its high production standards. Their debut album was produced by Željko Brodarić "Jappa", former leader of Metak, who also recorded a duet with Ričl on the album. The cover art—a red apple painted on a female figure—was designed by Davor Papić, who continued collaborating with the group. Drawing inspiration from British music of the 1960s, tracks like "Učiniću sve da te zadovoljim" incorporated riffs reminiscent of The Rolling Stones’ "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," while "Bivše djevojčice, bivši dječaci" echoed The Who's "My Generation." The album met immediate commercial success; songs such as "Bježi kišo s prozora," "Neka se sanja," "Nek te on ljubi (kad ne mogu ja)," folk-tinged "Dirlija," and ballad "Sa tvojih usana" received extensive radio play across Yugoslavia.
During summer 1986, Crvena Jabuka engaged in promotional tours alongside groups like Đavoli and Električni Orgazam, appearing frequently on television programs. On 6 September that year, they performed at a major outdoor concert held at Belgrade’s Marx and Engels Square alongside other leading Yugoslav artists.
Automobile Accident (1986)
In September 1986, Crvena Jabuka revealed plans for their inaugural tour across Yugoslavia, garnering considerable media interest. The tour was scheduled to commence on 18 September at Kantarevac Stadium in Mostar. On the day of the event, the band and their team departed Sarajevo in three separate vehicles: Ričl, Arslanagić, and Buha traveled together in Arslanagić's Zastava 750, while keyboardist Žerić and drummer Jelčić were in Žerić's Volkswagen Golf Mk1, and representatives from Zenica's Atlas company, the tour organizers, rode in a Zastava 1500. Near Jablanica, a head-on collision occurred involving Arslanagić's car and a truck. Buha was killed instantly; both Arslanagić and Ričl were rushed to a hospital in Mostar, where local youths volunteered blood donations. While Arslanagić eventually recovered, Ričl’s critical head injuries deteriorated. He was subsequently airlifted to the Military Medical Academy in Belgrade but passed away on 1 October 1986 at the age of 24.
Second Studio Album (1987)
In the aftermath of the tragedy, Arslanagić, Žerić, and Jelčić decided to proceed with their work discreetly. Their sophomore album, Za sve ove godine (For All These Years), arrived in 1987 as a tribute to Ričl and Buha. Once again produced by Željko Brodarić "Jappa," this record showcased a more acoustic style with sparse arrangements focusing primarily on ballads. It incorporated compositions and some vocal parts derived from Ričl's demo tapes, while lead vocals were predominantly handled by Arslanagić and Žerić. The group refrained from conducting interviews or embarking on a promotional tour. The album received favorable reviews, featuring popular tracks such as "Tugo, nesrećo" ("Sadness, Misery"), "Uzmi me kad hoćeš ti" ("Take Me When You Desire"), and "Nema više vremena" ("There's No More Time").
Reemergence, Widespread Success, and Dissolution (1988–1991)
Crvena Jabuka made a strong comeback with their 1988 release Sanjati (To Dream), collaborating with multi-instrumentalist and former Valentino member Nikša Bratoš, who took on production duties for this and subsequent albums. All tracks were penned by Arslanagić except for a rendition of "Twist and Shout" retitled "Sviđa mi se ova stvar" ("I Like This Song"). To support the album's promotion, bassist Srđan Serberdžija and keyboardist Zlatko Volarević "Dilajla" joined the lineup and soon became permanent members. The album spawned hits including "Ima nešto od srca do srca," "Malo ćemo da se kupamo," and "Zovu nas ulice," contributing to sales exceeding 250,000 copies. Crvena Jabuka earned the title of Rock Band of the Year at the 1988 MESAM festival and were recognized as Pop Band of the Year by readers of Pop Rock. In 1990, Sanjati received the Ampex Golden Reel Award for achieving gold record status through analog recording.
In early 1989, they released Tamo gdje ljubav počinje (Where Love Begins), predominantly composed by Arslanagić except for the introduction to "Ples nevjernih godina," which sampled Hunter's 1977 track "Rock On." This album produced notable singles such as "To mi radi," "Neka vrijeme mijenja se," and its title song. In May of that year, they performed concerts for Yugoslav gastarbeiter children residing in Switzerland, drawing significant media attention since Western Yugoslav workers were typically entertained by folk artists. Guitarist/keyboardist Igor Ivanović replaced Bratoš who shifted focus to studio production. On 23 June, despite adverse weather conditions marked by heavy rain, they achieved a sold-out performance at Belgrade's Tašmajdan Stadium. Live recordings from shows in Sarajevo, Belgrade, Zagreb, Banja Luka, and Titograd were compiled into the 1990 double live album Uzmi me (kad hoćeš ti), which included four new tracks alongside a live cover of Sarajevo band Indexi's "Bacila je sve niz rijeku."
The band's fifth studio effort came out in spring 1991 titled Nekako s proljeća (In the Springtime), featuring exclusively Arslanagić's songwriting. Guitarist Zoran Šerbedžija took over from Ivanović. The title track included guest vocals by Sarajevo singer-songwriter Kemal Monteno. The song "Da nije ljubavi" incorporated elements from traditional music, while "Nemoj da sudiš preoštro o meni" alluded to Brian Jones's epitaph. That same year, Arslanagić composed music for Bora Kontić’s radio program Jazz Time, which was honored at Berlin’s Prix Futura festival.
The escalating political and ethnic unrest during the dissolution of Yugoslavia impeded touring plans to promote this album. Although they participated in the anti-war Concert Yutel for Peace held at Sarajevo’s Zetra Hall, the band ceased activities following the onset of the Bosnian War.
Band members' endeavors during the conflict years (1992–1994)
Throughout the wartime period, Arslanagić and vocalist Zlatan Fazlić collaborated on the track "Sarajevo će biti" ("Sarajevo Will Remain"), incorporating lyrics by Serbian and Yugoslav singer-songwriter Đorđe Balašević. They also penned "Pismo prijatelju" ("Letter to a Friend"), which was performed by Kemal Monteno. Arslanagić composed the score for Nenad Dizdarević's 1994 television film The Awkward Age. Meanwhile, Žerić recorded "Ostajte ovdje" ("Stay Here") featuring poetry by 19th-century Herzegovinian Serb poet Aleksa Šantić.
Reunification, subsequent releases, and resurgence (1994–2017)
In 1994, Žerić and Jelčić moved from Sarajevo to Zagreb, where they reassembled Crvena Jabuka alongside Nikša Bratoš. The reformed lineup incorporated guitarist Mario Vukušić, bassist Krešimir Kaštelan, and keyboardists Zlatko Volarević and Danijel Lastrić. Arslanagić, having relocated first to London and then Toronto, publicly expressed opposition to the band's revival. By summer 1995, the group embarked on a significant comeback tour throughout the former Yugoslav republics.
Their comeback album, U tvojim očima (In Your Eyes), was recorded in Bošnjaci under Bratoš's production and released in 1996. With Arslanagić absent from songwriting, Crvena Jabuka enlisted external composers such as Zlatan Fazlić and Saša Lošić "Loša". The album included unreleased compositions by Ričl and a rendition of "Denny," originally by Sarajevo band Cod. Notable collaborations featured Istrian vocalist Alen Vitasović on "Vraćam se tebi, seko" and Saša Lošić on "Bijeli Božić," with Lošić joining the promotional tour. Besides touring former Yugoslav territories, the band also performed in Germany, Austria, and Denmark.
Their subsequent studio effort, Svijet je lopta šarena (The World is a Colourful Ball), showcased material from Lošić, Fazlić, Jure Stanić, Karlo Barbarić, and Miroslav Drljača "Rus," produced again by Bratoš with new guitarist Džimi Kurfirst. In February 1997, Crvena Jabuka held two unplugged performances at Zagreb’s OTV amphitheatre introducing new member Zlatko Bebek on acoustic guitar; guests included klapa Nostalgija and violinist Emir Gabrić. Bratoš demonstrated his multi-instrumental skills during these concerts. The recordings were later released as the live album Riznice sjećanja ("Vaults of Memories"), which also featured a new track titled "Moj grad". That year marked their inaugural North American tour focusing on diaspora communities in the US and Canada. Žerić appeared at the revived Vaš šlager sezone festival in Sarajevo with "Proveo bih život ispod mostova," written by Fazlić. In 1999, fans compiled a book chronicling the band’s history.
In 2000, Crvena Jabuka released Sve što sanjam (Everything I Dream Of), featuring songs by Fazlić, Miroslav Drljača, and Dino Šaran from Letu Štuke. The song "Niko nije lud da spava" included a musical reference to the theme of the 1960s Yugoslav TV series Our Little Place, with guest vocals from klapa Nostalgija. Although produced by Bratoš, he was no longer a permanent member during this recording phase. A live album capturing their 1996 Zagreb concert followed in 2001.
The 2002 release Tvojim željama vođen (Led By Your Wishes) was composed entirely by Dino Šaran and contained a cover of Indexi's "Sanjam." This album introduced a refreshed lineup including Žerić, Jelčić, Kaštelan, guitarist Damir Gönz, and keyboardist Josip Andrić. It signified personnel changes as Bebek transitioned to Prljavo Kazalište while Lastrić pursued academic endeavors.
Marking their 20th anniversary in 2005 with a concert at Sarajevo’s Mirza Delibašić Hall, Crvena Jabuka issued their tenth studio album Oprosti što je ljubavna ("Forgive Me for This Song Being a Love Song"). Contributors comprised Fazlić, Šaran, Saša Dragić, and Asmir Spahić. Distinguished guests included singer-songwriter Arsen Dedić on "Znam" and actor Tarik Filipović on "11-ta Božja zapovijed." The album also featured bonus tracks revisiting earlier hits alongside covers. Guitarist Marko Belošević replaced Andrić during this period. Anniversary concerts across cities in former Yugoslavia featured former members as well as pop artist Severina.
Released in 2007, ...Duša Sarajeva ("...The Soul of Sarajevo"), co-produced by Žerić and former member Igor Ivanović, presented the hit "Tamo da putujem (Rastanak)," originally composed by Arsen Dedić with lyrics from poet Tin Ujević. The album also included covers like Uhuhu's "Znaš da nekad..." and musical nods such as Nino Rota's "Love Theme from The Godfather."
In 2009’s Volim te ("I Love You"), production was handled by Žerić alongside Branimir Mihaljević; Jelčić was replaced by session musicians during recording but participated in the promotional tour. Songwriters involved were Narcis Vučina, Boris Novković, Denis Dumančić, Mihaljević, and notably Zlatko Arslanagić contributing for the first time since 1991. Collaborations featured folk singer Halid Bešlić on "Godinama," incorporating Queen's "You Don't Fool Me," actor Enis Bešlagić and Ahmed Al Rahim on "Jazz.ba," as well as Dalmatian tamburica ensemble Lira on a traditional sevdalinka closing track. Their 25th anniversary in 2010 was celebrated with a concert at Skenderija Hall in Sarajevo alongside release of the four-disc compilation Da nije ljubavi, blending classic hits with updated versions featuring rapper Shorty and duets with Hari Varešanović. A DVD collection titled S druge strane sjećanja, compiling music videos, complemented these festivities.
The 2011 album Za tvoju ljubav ("For Your Love"), produced by Mihaljević using session musicians, included guest vocals from Željko Bebek on "Kletva" and Saša Lošić on "Ljubav je jaka." By early 2012, Žerić restructured Crvena Jabuka into a five-member ensemble adding guitarist Tomislav Skrak and keyboardist Igor Matković alongside core members. The 2013 album Nek' bude ljubav ("Let There Be Love") contained collaborations with Kemal Monteno ("Crveni poljupci"), Karlo Martinović ("Vjerujem"), Serbian band Neverne Bebe ("Ovo je kraj"), plus a live rendition of "Godinama" featuring Halid Bešlić from 2010. That same year saw release of an Original Album Collection box set reissuing their first five albums. Additionally, Žerić partnered with Narcis Vučina on the album Ručni rad – Sarajevo, showcasing Vučina’s compositions.
To commemorate their 30th anniversary in 2014, Crvena Jabuka issued the double live album Bivše djevojčice, bivši dječaci – Unplugged live u Lisinskom, recorded at Zagreb’s Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall. The event featured guest appearances by Saša Lošić performing Plavi Orkestar songs alongside the band and Željko Bebek delivering Bijelo Dugme’s iconic hit. Later that year saw the passing of former guitarist Džimi Kurfirst after an extended illness.
The double studio album titled 2016 included compositions by Zlatan Fazlić—who appeared as a guest vocalist on "Nostalgija"—Dragomir Herendić of Zabranjeno Pušenje among others; guest performers featured Halid Bešlić, Croatian band Gustafi, and klapa Puntamika.
Departure of Jelčić and Recent Works (2017–Present)
In July 2017, Darko Jelčić parted ways with Crvena Jabuka, leaving Dražen Žerić as the only remaining founding member. Jelčić attributed his exit to financial disputes and expressed dissatisfaction with Žerić's artistic direction, which had increasingly embraced folk elements. Žerić chose not to respond publicly to these remarks. Subsequently, Adrian Borić, known as the drummer for the hard rock group Divlje Jagode, stepped in as Jelčić's replacement. In 2023, Jelčić established Cunja Crvena Jabuka in Toronto, focusing on performing Crvena Jabuka’s repertoire from the years 1985 to 1991.
The band launched Nokturno (Nocturne) in 2019, featuring predominantly compositions by Mirko Šenkovski "Geronimo." The song "Grade moj" served as a tribute to the late Kemal Monteno. In 2020, a compilation titled Sarajevo 1985. – 2020. was released to honor Sarajevo, incorporating three new tracks. That same year marked the release of their seventeenth studio album, Tvrđava (Fortress), which included a duet between Žerić and Željko Samardžić, a guest vocal contribution by actor Josip Pejaković on "Moj brate," and a homage titled "Nebesko platno" dedicated to longtime collaborator Davor Papić.
December 2021 saw the inauguration of an exhibition named Crvena Jabuka: Za sve ove godine located on Štrosmajer Street in Sarajevo.
Their 2022 album Neka nova jutra (Some New Mornings) introduced guitarist Dragan Todorović into the lineup. The album featured a title track where actor Mirsad Ibišević recited Tin Ujević's poem "Vječni prsten," alongside a rendition of Novi Fosili’s song "Tonka." In 2024, the band unveiled Mirišu jabuke (The Smell of Apples Is in the Air), with lyrics penned by Dragana Kajtazović-Šenkovski and music composed by Mirko Šenkovski "Geronimo," who also co-produced the album with Žerić. This release included a cover version of Alen Slavica’s "Dao sam ti dušu."
Legacy
The track "Nekako s proljeća" by Crvena Jabuka was covered in 1999 by Serbian pop artist Zorana Pavić on her album Nežno & opasno (Gentle & Dangerous), which featured guest appearances from actors Dragan Bjelogrlić and Nikola Kojo. Additionally, Bosnian pop singer Selma Muhedinović recorded a version of the band's song "Ostani" ("Stay") for her 2005 album Moje Sarajevo (My Sarajevo).
In 2000, "Sa tvojih usana" earned placement at number 90 on the Rock Express Top 100 Yugoslav Rock Songs of All Times chart.
Lyrics from two songs written by Arslanagić—"Za sve ove godine" and "Ima nešto od srca do srca"—were selected for inclusion in Petar Janjatović’s anthology Pesme bratstva, detinjstva & potomstva: Antologija ex YU rok poezije 1967 - 2007.
The Dražen Ričl Award, named in honor of the band’s late founding member, is bestowed upon emerging composers by the Association of Composers and Music Creators of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Lineups
| April 1985 – 18 September 1986 |
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|---|---|
| 1987 |
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| Late 1987–1988 |
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| 1988–1989 |
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| 1989–1990 |
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| 1990 |
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| 1991 |
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| 1991–1994 |
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| 1994–1996 |
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| 1996–1998 |
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| 1997–2000 |
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| 2000–2005 |
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| 2005 |
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| 2007 |
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| 2012–2017 |
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| 2017–Present |
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Studio albums
- Crvena Jabuka (1986)
- Za sve ove godine (1987)
- Sanjati (1988)
- Tamo gdje ljubav počinje (1989)
- Nekako s proljeća (1991)
- U tvojim očima (1996)
- Svijet je lopta šarena (1997)
- Sve što sanjam (2000)
- Tvojim željama vođen (2002)
- Oprosti što je ljubavna (2005)
- ...Duša Sarajeva (2007)
- Volim te (2009)
- Za tvoju ljubav (2011)
- Nek' bude ljubav (2013)
- 2016 (2016)
- Nocturno (2018)
- Tvrđava (2020)
- Neka nova jutra (2022)
- Mirišu jabuke (2024)
Live albums
- Uzmi me (kad hoćeš ti) (1990)
- Riznice sjećanja (1999)
- Live (2001)
- Bivše djevojčice, bivši dječaci – Unplugged live u Lisinskom (2014)
Compilations
- Ima nešto od srca do srca (1993)
- Moje najmilije (1996)
- Antologija (2003)
- Zlatna kolekcija (2005)
- The Ultimate Collection (2008)
- Da nije ljubavi (2010)
- Najlepše ljubavne pjesme (2010)
- Christmas Limited Edition (2017)
- ''Sarajevo 1985. – 2020. (2020)
Box sets
- Original Album Collection (2013)
- 100 originalnih pjesama (2015)
Video albums
- S druge strane sjećanja (2010)