User:Vladabass

VLADIMIR SAMARDZIC

BASS GUITARIST, COMPOSER, ARRANGER, LECTURER

Born in 1970 in Novi Sad, Vladimir Samardic picked up the bass guitar at the age of 19, to become a member of the Big Band RTV Novi led by Josip Lorbek in 1993. The same year he started collaborating with Vasil Hadzimanov, and through performing intensively with domestic jazz musicians in many clubs of Belgrade and Novi Sad, his instrumental skills improved fast. From 1994 to 1997 Vladimir was a member of the famous EX-Yu rock group SMAK(CD"Bioskop Fox" Komuna/PGP RTS 1995). Although without formal music education, he received the Berklee College of Music scholarship and went to study in Boston, receiving a scholarship from the American Foundation Studenica as well. He has received the Bass Department Achievement Award and the BMG Jazz Award. During his studies in America Vladimir played and recorded as a bassist of the funk group Bryan Oliver Band, Latino ensemble Papa Loves Mambo and worked with singer Gabrielle Goodman, Romanian pan- flute player Damian Dragichi, drummers Marko Djordjevic (SVETI) and Ferenc Nemeth (Billy Childs, Mark Turner), sax players Wolter Smith III and Jaleel Shaw and Indian guitarist Prasana. As a versatile bass player he was chosen by the Berklee Academy to accompany at the music workshops the world renowned vibraphonist Dave Samuels and percussionist Jammey Haddad. In December 1999 Vladimir receives his degree Summa Cum Laude in Professional Music major/Bass Guitar in class of Professor Oscar Stagnaro and Anthony Vitti. Upon returning to Yugoslavia he became a permanent member of the Vasil Hadzimanov Band, with which he is to record four albums for PGP RTS: “11 reasons for …” (2001), “KAFANKI” (2003), “3” (2007) and “Zivota mi” (2009). He has collaborated with ensembles Mambo Stars, Novi Sad Big Band, and Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra, producer Mike Nilsen (Jamiroquai, Seal, Bjork), multi-instrumentalist Slobodan Trkulja (Balkanopolis, CD"Prizivanje kise" PGP RTS 2002), singers Bisera Veletanlic and Brankica Vasic Vasilisa (Goran Bregovic, Balkanica), as well as famous singer-songwriters Vlado Georgiev, Dado Topic and Saban Bajramovic. Since returning from his studies Vladimir contributed to many national music releases and has been active as private instructor and workshop lecturer for bass guitar. With the VHBand he frequently performs throughout Serbia, ex-Yugoslav republics, and at international festivals in Europe. The appearance at the WORLD EXPO 2005 in Japan with the VHBand as the only representative of Serbia and Montenegro is especially significant. As a member of the group Balkanopolis, Vladimir participated in a number of World Music festivals in Holland as well as the famous “North Sea Jazz Festival” in The Hague. At an invitation of his colleagues in 2006 he joined the international bass project - Quattrobassi, where he worked with great bass players Sanin Karic, Bodan Arsovski and Henry Radanovic. The same year he founded his own jazz quintet PANNONIA PROJECT, performing his original compositions and arrangements. Their first CD “The Bridge” is expecting to be published in Novmeber 2010 for "M Production" RTV Vojvodia. 2007 - 2008 Vladimir has organized and actively participated in Internatioal music workshops "Pannonian Bridge" which took part in Novi Sad. In the last couple of years he has had the pleasure to work together with great musicians such as Bojan Zulfikarpasic, Vlatko Stefanovski, Teodosi Spasov, Tony Kitanovski, Rosen “Rocco” Zahariev, Laki Akosh, Elvis Stanic, Karen Asatrian, Dusan Jevtovic, Nenad Gajin ‘Coca’, Leon Angel Rodriguez, Maxim Zettel, Mark Milan, Sean McGowan and Amar Cesljar.