Denis & Denis is an electro-pop band from Rijeka, founded in 1982. They were one of the most popular bands in Yugoslavia.
After the breakup of the band Vrijeme i zemlja in the early 1980s, Davor Tolja formed the lineup Toljina funk-selekcija, which performed at Ri-rock in 1982. The band consisted of Davor Tolja and Marina Perazić, and they later formed the pop duo Denis & Denis in 1982. Marina had previously sung in the choir “Jeka primorja” and was a member of the multimedia band Sigma Tau while studying civil engineering at college.
Denis & Denis quickly achieved success, thanks to impactful demo recordings and Marina’s seductive vocals. They gained popularity overnight on major radio stations in the former Yugoslavia. Their first performance was at the end of 1982 in the Youth Hall in Rijeka, opening for the band Boa. In 1983, they garnered significant media attention.
The following year, they released their debut studio album titled “Čuvaj se!”, featuring the hit single “Program tvog kompjutera.” The material consisted of a collection of potential hit singles, making it difficult to single out one as they were all favorites. “Čuvaj se” was declared the best album of 1984 by the audience in the “Rock” magazine’s poll. Guests on the recording included Massimo Savić (guitar), Zoran Prodanović (vocals), and Edi Kraljić (vocals), with Davor Tolja and Andrej Baša as producers.
The following year, Tolja went for military service, and during his regular leave, they recorded the mini LP “Ja sam lažljiva.” The cassette version included two demo recordings Tolja made in 1982. This album further increased their popularity, with hits such as “Voli me još ovu noć,” “Ja sam lažljiva,” and “Soba 23,” for which an erotic music video was made. The video featured Marina Perazić and Edi Kraljić, who replaced Tolja during his military service. Alka Vuica, Domenika Vanić, and Mladen Popović were the lyricists for the songs. At the end of the year, they received numerous awards from the “Rock” magazine, including Best Video for the song “Ja sam lažljiva” and the declaration of Marina Perazić as the sexiest and most popular singer of the year.
Davor Tolja returned from military service in 1985, and the band performed as a trio (Tolja-Perazić-Kraljić), mostly at festivals. They appeared at the “Mirodrom” on the Poljud stadium in Split and later at MESAM, where they performed the notable song “Oaze snova.” Marina also received the award for the best singer of the year at MESAM. They participated in the Eurovision Song Contest qualifiers in Priština, where they secured third place with the song “Braća Grimm i Andersen.”
In September 1986, Marina Perazić left the band. Davor Tolja and Edi Kraljić continued as Denis & Denis, formed a concert lineup, and transitioned to rock. They released the album “Budi tu” in 1988, featuring tracks like “Miris krila anđela,” “Bio sam dijete,” and “Bengalski tigar.” The lyrics were written by Davor Tolja, Edi Kraljić, Bora Đorđević, and Mladen Popović. After a series of concerts promoting the album, Denis & Denis ceased to exist in the same year.
