Daltoni
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1963 in Niš, Yugoslavia |
| Defunct | 1971 |
| Headquarters | Niš , Yugoslavia |
| Products | Music recordings, live performances |
Daltoni (in Serbian Cyrillic: ; meaning: The Daltons) was a Yugoslav rock ensemble established in Niš in 1963, widely regarded as trailblazers within the Yugoslav rock scene.
Originating from a group of high school students, Daltoni initially embraced beat music, quickly rising to prominence as one of the leading Yugoslav bands during the mid-1960s. Their only studio release, the EP Ruka od sna (1968), featured a title track that gained widespread acclaim across the country. By the end of the 1960s, the band transitioned toward a more modern sound but faced declining popularity, leading to their breakup in 1971.
1963–1971
Daltoni came together in August 1963 with members Branislav Cvetković (starting on guitar, later switching to bass), Žarko Stanković (guitar), Rista Trajković (rhythm guitar), and Nebojša "Kenedi" Stojanović (drums). All were sixteen years old at inception. Their debut public performance occurred at the Gimnazijada festival in Skopje, featuring vocalist Miodrag Rašić. Initially, their setlist consisted mainly of covers from The Shadows. Their first concert in Niš took place at the Index club in 1965, where vocal responsibilities intermittently shifted among Dušan "Čapa" Mitrović and Miša "Šolja" Tašić; Mihajlo "Mika" Paligorić briefly joined as drummer. Shortly thereafter, keyboardist Miodrag "Miško" Stojanović became part of the lineup.
In 1966, Rašić departed and was succeeded by Goce Nikolovski from rival band Rubinsi. This formation debuted on 29 November 1966 at Niš Faculty of Technical Science and rapidly gained a reputation for dynamic live performances. April 1967 saw them reach the finals of the Zagreb Festival of Vocal-Instrumental Ensembles, followed by winning first place at the inaugural Niš Gitarijada festival in September. On 30 October, Daltoni delivered their first solo show at Belgrade’s Youth Center, combining Beatles covers with original compositions.
By late 1967, Trajković and Cvetković exited and were replaced by Žarko "Baja" Bajagić (bass) and Dragan "Nune" Nikolić (rhythm guitar), both previously members of Rubinsi. This personnel change incited a physical confrontation between the two groups, resulting in Bajagić suffering a broken jaw. In 1968, Daltoni performed at the Skopje Fair and launched their debut EP Ruka od sna via Jugoton—the first rock record originating from Niš. The EP comprised four songs: "Petak," "Vraćam se ponekad u prošlost," "Volim našu istinu," and the successful title track. Post-release, they toured across SR Serbia, including gigs at Niš’s Park cinema and Belgrade’s Golden Guitar festival where they secured fourth place. Keyboardist Rade Radivojević joined during this era.
During summer 1969, Daltoni toured coastal Adriatic resorts, performing at events such as the MOC festival in Bečići. Upon returning, they appeared at Niš JNA Hall and on 8 March 1970 organized an extensive marathon concert at Niš's Sokolana hall lasting twenty-eight hours—surpassing Sarajevo's Čičak’s previous record—with over three hundred songs played. This marathon attracted international media coverage.
In 1970, after relocating their base to Belgrade, Daltoni participated in the Belgrade Spring pop festival with new keyboardist Josip Kolbert. They maintained steady performances at venues like Euridika club, Belgrade Youth Center, and near JNA Stadium entrance while updating their repertoire to reflect contemporary influences such as Jethro Tull, Family, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Sly and the Family Stone, and Blodwyn Pig. Later that year Radivojević returned; Stojanović left due to military obligations and was replaced by Mika Paligorić. This ensemble frequently played at Niš Faculty of Civil Engineering and recorded unreleased tracks at Radio Niš studios.
In May 1971 Daltoni embarked on an Istrian tour before officially disbanding upon returning to Niš in October. Some members sporadically performed under the Daltoni name at clubs throughout the 1970s.
Post-breakup activities
Following the dissolution of Daltoni, Žarko Stanković performed in clubs across West Germany. After his return to Yugoslavia, he became a member of Nova Dimenzija (New Dimension), which acted as a backing ensemble for Yugoslav pop artists during tours in the Soviet Union. Throughout the 1980s, he led the Niš-based group Dan po Dan (Day by Day) and subsequently collaborated with Frenky. In 1998, he released a solo album titled Između dva vremena (Between Two Ages), showcasing guitar instrumentals influenced by ethnic music traditions. His concert at the Niš National Theatre that same year was issued as a live album, Srbija između dva vremena (Serbia Between Two Ages), in 1999. As part of Žar Band (Ember Band), he produced the albums Live at Jazz Pub Orbit (2000), Žar Band (2001), and Oganj gori (The Fire Is Burning, 2006), with the latter primarily consisting of renditions of traditional songs.
Rade Radivojević developed a prolific career composing across various genres including pop, folk, instrumental, children’s music, theatre scores, and film soundtracks, contributing to over 500 released works.
Goce Nikolovski shifted towards pop music following Daltoni’s breakup. He tragically ended his own life on 16 December 2001.
Reunions and posthumous releases
Daltoni came together again in 1994 for the Rock 'n' Roll zauvek (Rock 'n' Roll Forever) concert held at Belgrade Fair – Hall 1. During this event, they shared the stage with leading Yugoslav rock bands such as Dejan Cukić, YU Grupa, Generacija 5, Bjesovi, Galija, Ekatarina Velika, Partibrejkers, Električni Orgazam, Van Gogh, Leb i Sol, Kerber, Zabranjeno Pušenje, Riblja Čorba, Toni Montano, Rambo Amadeus, and Babe.
In 1999, previously unreleased tracks along with portions of their performance at the Faculty of Civil Engineering and selections from their only EP were compiled into the album Anthology. Their song "Ruka od sna" was featured in 2005 on the Croatia Records box set Kad je rock bio mlad – Priče sa istočne strane (1956–1970) (When Rock Was Young – East Side Stories (1956–1970)), which celebrated pioneering figures of Yugoslav rock.
In June 2016, Daltoni reunited once more for a live concert presented as part of the Rok muzej uživo (Rock Museum Live) exhibition held in Niš.
EPs
- (1968)
Compilations
- Anthology (1999)