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Griva

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Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Griva, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 29 November 20254 sources
Griva
Company typeBand
IndustryMusic
Founded1982 in Novi Sad, Yugoslavia
FounderJosip Sabo, Zlatko Karavla
Headquarters
Novi Sad
,
Yugoslavia
ProductsMusic albums

Griva (in Serbian Cyrillic: Грива; translated as Mane) was a hard rock ensemble originating from Yugoslavia, established in Novi Sad in 1982.

The group was founded by guitarist Josip Sabo and drummer Zlatko Karavla, both previously members of Ibn Tup. The initial lead singer, Zoran Gogić, departed shortly after formation, leading Karavla to assume vocal duties. Their first album appeared in 1983, but the follow-up failed to replicate its success, causing a temporary disbandment. The self-titled 1987 release—primarily recorded by Karavla with studio musicians under label insistence—embraced a folk-inspired glam metal sound and achieved notable commercial acclaim. This success prompted the band's reunion and one additional studio album before dissolving in 1990 amid the turmoil of the Yugoslav Wars. A posthumous album was issued in 1992. In 2002, Griva reunited for an unplugged show in Novi Sad, which was subsequently released as both a live audio and video recording.

Origins: Ibn Tup (1973–1979)

Griva's foundation can be traced back to 1973 when Josip Sabo (guitar), Zlatko Karavla (drums), and Dušan Bečelić (bass) formed the band Ibn Tup.[1][2] Initially, they performed covers of Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, and Black Sabbath throughout Vojvodina,[2] before shifting towards a folk-influenced funk style following lineup changes that included Olah Vince and Rade Milošević "Kinez".[2] Their manager Milan Opsenica also contributed rhythm guitar and percussion.[2]

In 1977, Ibn Tup released their first single "Pašidov el Kaktus" / "Deda" through PGP-RTB,[1] gaining visibility by performing at the Youth Festival in Subotica,[2] the BOOM Festival, and opening for prominent Yugoslav acts such as Time, Bijelo Dugme, and Begnagrad.[2] The band toured alongside Buldožer in 1978,[3] issued singles with Jugoton and Diskos featuring new members Aleksandar Milošević on bass and vocalist Zoran Gogić.[1][4] Subsequent mandatory military service caused further personnel shifts as they toured Bosnia and Herzegovina.[4] By late 1979, with Sabo and Karavla conscripted into the army, Ibn Tup performed their farewell concert at the Novi Sad Faculty of Medicine.[4]

1982–1992

In 1982, Karavla and Sabo established Griva alongside former Ibn Tup vocalist Zoran Gogić, bassist Đorđe Jovanović, and keyboardist Laslo Novak. Originally called Bela Griva (White Mane), the band soon abbreviated their name to Griva. After Gogić's early departure, Karavla took over lead vocals while Janoš Kazimić joined as drummer. Griva made their live debut opening for Buldožer in Novi Sad and subsequently supported Divlje Jagode during a tour across Vojvodina.

Despite initial rejection from major Yugoslav record labels in January 1983 due to their unconventional style, Griva gained commercial traction with a heavy metal rendition of folk singer Lepa Brena's "Sitnije, Cile, sitnije," retitled "Sitnije, sestro, sitnije." This single was distributed alongside the comic magazine Stripoteka. Their rising popularity secured a deal with Jugoton, Yugoslavia’s largest label. Later that year they released their debut album Kog sam đavola tražio u tebi (What the Hell I Saw in You), produced by radio personality Karolj Kovač and featuring Nenad Milosavljević from Galija. The album sold over 250,000 copies earning gold status; several tracks received extensive radio play. Griva continued touring with Divlje Jagode and opened for Motörhead during their Belgrade concert in 1984.

The band's 1985 recordings were deemed noncommercial by major labels but were independently released as Nisi ni ti anđeo (You're Not an Angel as Well). This album included a cover of Joan Jett's "I Love Rock 'n' Roll," retitled "I Law Myroslaw." Drummer Kazimić exited post-release and was succeeded by Laslo Pihler followed by Nikola Džunja. After a brief tour in Austria and festival appearances, Griva went on hiatus.

In 1986, Karavla collaborated with former Divlje Jagode frontman Alen Islamović on the protest track "Kaljinka," inspired by the Chernobyl catastrophe; it faced censorship from some Yugoslav outlets due to pressure from the Soviet Embassy. Subsequently, Karavla recorded new material with ex-bandmates; Jugodisk insisted on releasing it under the Griva name. The resulting 1987 album Griva, also known as Vojvodino, Vojvodino, što si tako ravna, became their most commercially successful release featuring glam metal intertwined with Vojvodina folk influences. It included a Serbo-Croatian version of Hungarian band Omega’s hit "Gyöngyhajú lány," titled "Devojka biserne kose." The ballad "Još uvek mislim na nju" later gained popularity through a Hungarian cover. The album’s fluorescent logo marked a first for Yugoslav rock album artwork.

Karavla reassembled Griva with guitarist Zoran "Bale" Bulatović (formerly of Luna), guitarist Vojislav Vilić (ex-Amajlija), bassist Momčilo "Moma" Bajac (ex-Čista Proza), and drummer Predrag "Buca" Janičić (ex-Kontraritam). Bulatović departed prior to recording their 1988 album Što te tata pušta samu (Why Does Your Daddy Let You Go Out Alone), which featured guitarist Zoran "Zox" Maletić (ex-Pekinška Patka). Contributions included three compositions by Alen Islamović along with guest performances from Saša Lokner of Bajaga i Instruktori on keyboards, Ivan Fece "Firchie" from Ekatarina Velika on drums, and programmer Mitar Subotić. Notable tracks were "Ti u Sarajevu, ja u Novom Sadu" and "Nekad sam mogao triput na dan." In May 1988, Griva played at an international rock festival in Budapest followed by a concert in Novi Sad featuring guest appearances by Osmi Putnik, Viktorija, and Islamović. They embarked on their final tour across Yugoslavia before disbanding at the start of 1990.

Following Griva’s breakup, Karavla concentrated on studio production and songwriting for Serbian folk musicians. In 1991 he began work on Pij, jedi, veseli se... (Drink, Eat, Be Merry...), an album that took over a year to complete due to the ongoing Yugoslav Wars. Featuring former Griva members among others, it was ultimately released under the Griva banner by independent label Megaton in 1992 but attracted minimal media coverage or public attention.

2002 reunion

In September 2002, the Serbian label One Records issued the compilation Samo najbolje (translated as Only the Best), which included the previously unheard ballad "Gde sam to pogrešio" ("Where Did I Go Wrong"). Later that year, on 18 December, the band came together again for an acoustic performance at Novi Sad's Studio M. This event showcased most of the former members, accompanied by the Novi Sad Music Academy String Quartet and the folk rock ensemble Apsolutno Romantično. The recording of this concert was independently released in 2010 as both a live album and DVD titled Vojvodino, Vojvodino, što si tako ravna.

Studio albums

Live albums

  • Vojvodino, Vojvodino, što si tako ravna (2010)

Compilations

Video albums

  • Vojvodino, Vojvodino, što si tako ravna (2010)

External links

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named janjatović
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named mijatović120
  3. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named mijatović120-121
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named mijatović121
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