EKV – Boys and Girls from the Water
The band Katarina II was formed in 1982 in Belgrade. After the breakup of the band Šarlo Akrobata, the group was formed by singer Milan Mladenović, guitarist Dragomir “Gagi” Mihailović, bassist Švaba Radomirović, and drummer Dušan Dejanović. The name originates from the name of Mihailović’s unrequited love, a girl named Katarina. In ’82, keyboardist Margita “Magi” Stefanović joined the band.
Radomirović and Dejanović soon left the group, and in early ’83, former Šarlo Akrobata drummer Ivica “Vd” Vdović joined as the drummer, and Bojan Pečar became the bassist, forming the final rhythm section of the band.
After the release of their first album, Katarina II, a tendency towards narcotics and then a diagnosis of a serious illness led to the departure of drummer Ivan Vdović. He was replaced by Ivan Fece Firči, and due to disagreements with Mladenović, guitarist Dragomir Mihailović left the band.
EKV
Mihailović took the name of the band with him, claiming that he held the copyrights to the name Katarina II. As a result, the remaining members changed the name to Ekatarina Velika (after Catherine the Great, the Russian Empress), or EKV, and performed under that name until the end of their career.
Over the years, many musicians passed through the band, but the most famous and successful lineup was probably the one where, alongside Milan, Magi, and Bojan, the drums were played by actor Srđan Todorović-Žika. The band released 7 studio albums (Katarina II, Ekatarina Velika, S’ vetrom uz lice, Ljubav, Samo par godina za nas, Dum dum, Neko nas posmatra), with Ljubav considered one of the best releases not only from the band but from the entire rock scene of Yugoslavia.
Breath of an Angel
In early ’94, Mladenović went to Brazil, where he worked on the album “Angel’s Breath” with his friend and musician Mitar Subotić Suba and a group of Brazilian musicians. Upon his return to Belgrade, the band continued with concerts and started working on a new album with the working title “Together Again.”
However, work on the album was soon halted due to Mladenović’s health issues. In August 1994, EKV had their final concert performance in Budva. The next day, Milan Mladenović was hospitalized and diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Just a few months later, on November 5, 1994, Milan Mladenović passed away in Belgrade at the age of 37. With his death, Ekatarina Velika ceased to exist.
Bojan Pečar died from a heart attack in London on October 13, 1998, at the age of 39. Margita Stefanović passed away on September 18, 2002, in Belgrade at the age of 44. The cause of her death was not officially announced, but it is believed to be related to long-term drug use. Ivica Vdović passed away in 1992 (he was the first registered HIV-positive person in the former Yugoslavia), and Dušan Dejanović died on November 16, 2000, in Belgrade.
Ekatarina Velika is considered one of the most important bands in the Yugoslav rock scene and undoubtedly one of the most influential, both on the audience and on other bands that emerged during and after its existence.
