Azra and Johnny Stulic
In January 1977, at the bar of the TD Theater in Zagreb, local anarchists were drinking wine and discussing politics, celebrating because Đoko, an anarchist (to whom the song “Jablan” is dedicated), had a daughter who needed a name. That’s when Džoni recited the verses of the famous Heine poem “Azra,” which, in the translation by Safvet-beg Bašagić, is sung as a sevdalinka:
“Tell me, merchant, where are you from, from which tribe are you? I am called El Muhamed, from the tribe of the ancient Azra, who lose their lives for love and die when they love.”
Legend has it that Đoko and Džoni, that same evening, decided that one of them would name his daughter Azra, while the other would take that name for the band.
Influenced by rock and new wave, Azra became one of the most popular and influential bands in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Led by Džoni Štulić, the band released nine albums and experimented with different themes and styles during their fourteen-year career. They were also known for touching upon important social and philosophical questions in their songs.
Early Years
In 1977/78, the group performed with the lineup of Štulić – Stublić – Pelajić – Novoselić – Juričić, but soon the rest of the group separated from Štulić and formed a new band called Film. Štulić briefly joined Parni Valjak but that collaboration didn’t last long. Upon returning to Azra, Štulić enlisted drummer Boris Leiner, who was then a member of Haustor. However, they struggled to find a suitable bassist, so for their first interview, they posed as a trio with a dog.
They released their first single in 1979 with Husein Hasanefendić – Hus (Parni Valjak) as the producer, who also played the guitar. They were assisted by Zlatko Miksić – Fuma (Parni Valjak), Mladen Juričić (Film), and Relja. The single featured the songs “Balkan” and “A šta da radim,” which received positive reviews. Bassist Mišo Hrnjak joined the band shortly after. That summer, the group performed in town squares and coastal areas, honing their skills through direct interactions with the audience, whether intentional or accidental.
Azra recorded their debut album in 1980 under the production of veteran Drago Mlinarec. The album is considered one of the strongest debuts in the local rock music scene, securing them a leading position in the domestic rock scene.
Ravno do dna
In 1981, as a prelude to their new album, Azra released the single “Lijepe žene prolaze kroz grad,” which was also produced by Hus. Shortly after, they released the new double album “Sunčana strana ulice” with more diverse themes. For the first time, Džoni introduced political commentary in songs like “Užas je moja furka” and “Kurvini sinovi.” In their love songs (“Između nas,” “Ne reci mi dvaput,” “Gospodar samoće,” “Sunčana strana ulice”), he incorporated brass instruments performed by Sedak-Benčić, Vlahović, Santro, and Juričić.
That same year, the band held seven concerts for their live triple album “Ravno do dna.” In addition to their old songs, the album included numerous new tracks such as “Ravno do dna,” “Nedeljni komentar,” “Ostavi me nasamo,” “Sjaj u kosi,” and “Plavo – smeđe.” This album was a recording of an entire concert at Kulušić in Zagreb in 1981 and captured the immediate energy of Azra during that period.
In 1982, they released the second double album “Filigranski pločnici” and the third single, in which Štulić transitioned from direct and energetic emotions to a portrayal of inner emotional states with a certain distance. The album featured political tracks like “Tko to tamo pjeva,” “68.,” “Pavel,” and “Gorki okus,” as well as love songs like “Kao ti i ja” and “Volim te kad pričaš.” Štulić also criticized societal norms in songs such as “Put za Katmandu,” “Strah od smrti,” and “Život običnog tempa.”
From Fazan to Zadovoljština
In 1982, Mišo Hrnjak left the group, and Lajner went off to serve in the military. The following year, Štulić recorded the album “Kad fazani lete” with drummer Srećko Antoniolić, and in 1984, he recorded “Krivo srastanje” with Leiner, delving into the depths of human thoughts and motivations (“Kao i jučer,” “Duboko u tebi,” “Flash”), challenging prevailing modes of thinking (“3N,” “Mon ami,” “No comment,” “Kad fazani lete”), and delivering heavy, full rock guitar sounds (“Anđeli,” “Štićenik,” “Nemir i strast”). The album also featured the first cover of a folk song, “Klinček stoji pod oblokom.”
Štulić then went to the Netherlands where he created new songs and translated old ones into English, aiming for international releases outside of Yugoslavia. In 1986, he released the album “It ain’t like in the movies at all.”
In 1987, with Leiner, Jurica Pađen, and Stephen Kipp, whom he brought from the Netherlands, Štulić recorded the new album “Između krajnosti,” which mainly featured cover songs (“Zadovoljština” – Satisfaction – Rolling Stones, “Adio mare” – Vlaho Paljetak), as well as some of his new compositions (“Izlazak iz kome,” “Vaše veličanstvo”).
In 1988, he released the four-disc live mega-album “Zadovoljština” with luxurious packaging and the same lineup. This album was a recording of almost the entire concert held at the Dom sportova in Zagreb in 1987.
The band finally disbanded in 1990 after a concert in Hvar.
