Born on September 6, 1951, in Šabac, Šaban Šaulić earned the nickname “the King of Folk Music” throughout his illustrious career, acknowledged by peers, audiences, and the media.
His first album was released in 1969 when he was just 18 years old. Until 1976, his songs were primarily written by Buca Jovanović, but from that year on, Šaban began composing a significant number of his own hits.
In 1985, Rade Vučković wrote the song “Gordana,” which Šaban dedicated to his wife. Songs like “Dođi da ostarimo zajedno” and “Dva galeba bela” are often considered some of the best-performed folk songs ever.
Apart from these tracks, Šaban Šaulić’s immense hits included “Uvenuće narcis beli,” “Sine,” “Danima te čekam,” “Snežana,” “Odlaziš, odlaziš,” “Pozn’o bih te međ’ hiljadu žena,” and more.
Despite lacking formal musical education, his extraordinary vocal abilities and immense talent earned him love and admiration from both folk music enthusiasts and rock fans. Even the renowned art-rock band LET 3 from Rijeka covered Šaban’s 1978 song “Dođi da ostarimo zajedno” in a hard-rock arrangement reminiscent of Deep Purple’s iconic “Child in Time.”
“Everyone who loves my music feels that there is something to believe in when I sing. That’s why I’ve always been careful to choose songs that are suitable for all people who appreciate good, authentic folk music,” Šaban would say.
In a concert held in Belgrade in 2018, he celebrated 50 years of his career.
Tragically, Šaban Šaulić lost his life on February 17, 2019, in a severe traffic accident in Bielefeld, Germany, at the age of 67.
