User:Rakija~enwiki

History
Rakija was formed in 2007 by Serbian and Norwegian musicians based in Oslo. The band has performed in most of the major cities in Norway, at festivals like by:Larm, Transform, Nordic Music Week, and at Balkan Express in Switzerland. In 2009, Rakija was one of the finalists in the prestigious competition for the best new world music band at Oslo World Music Festival.

In 2010, Rakija toured Serbia, getting a positive response from the audience and massive attention in Serbian media. They also performed live at RTS, the State Television Channel.

In September, Rakija starts a release tour in Norway, opening with a concert in Oslo on September 2nd. In 2012 the band is planning a tour in the Balkans.

Ojda!
"Ojda!" is the first studio album of the Norwegian band Rakija. It was recorded in April 2011 in Silvertone studio, Fredrikstad, with financial aid from the Fund for Performing Artists (Fond for utøvende kunstnere) and the Arts Council Norway (Norsk kulturråd).

The CD consists of eight songs, based on the ethnic sound of the Balkans. This sound echoes through all the songs, which are a mixture of traditional music, rock, and, here and there, classical music. Resembling, in that way, the musical background of the band’s members.

The title song "Ojda, Ojda!" is composed by Rakija’s frontman, Janko Radovanović, who also wrote four more songs for the album. However, closest to the songwriter’s heart are "Moja Sestra" (My Sister) and "Izgubljeni grad" (The lost city). Born in Priština, Janko left his city in 1999, without possibility of returning (ref. “Izgubljeni grad”/The lost city). Leaving behind not only the city, but the country as well, worries for his loved ones are expressed in the song "Moja Sestra" (My Sister).

The political views of the band are expressed in the anti-war song "Nema zemlje te" (No country worth dying for), which tells about the tragic consequences of war. "Nema zemlje zbog koje se umire” (No country worth dying for) says the textwriter, Jelena Popović, and Rakija adds: "Nema zemlje zbog koje se ubija” (No country worth killing for).

"Rakijina rukovet #01" singles out among the traditional songs on the album. Written as a tribute to Stevan St. Mokranjac, one of the greatest Serbian composers, Rakija tried to follow in his footsteps by bringing together motives from different traditional songs. It was made especially for the festival "The days of Mokranjac" in Negotin, Serbia, where it was performed for the first time in 2010.

Full and rich Balkan ethno sound can be heard in the new arrangement of the Serbian traditional song "Čije je ono devojče" and "Ela se vie", a wedding song from Bulgaria. “Ela se vie” was taught to Merete Fjeldbo, vocalist in Rakija, on her journey through the Balkans.

The album "Ojda!" will be released on 1. September 2011. The digital version of the album can be purchased or listened to at Spotify, iTunes, Amazon, Napster and others.

Band members

 * Biljana Dragisic - vocals
 * Merete Fjeldbo - vocals
 * Irena Banjeglav - violin, vocals
 * Janko Radovanovic - guitars
 * Atle Tømmervik - trumpets
 * Are W. Thoma - bass
 * Halvor Dahle - drums, percussions

Discography

 * A Story That Shouldn't be Told (2009) - released on Rakija Records
 * Ojda! (2011) - released on Rakija Records