“Musical Slide” entertained and helped generations of children grow up throughout the former Yugoslavia, and the show, aside from being fun, had an educational character. Composing children’s songs and the iconic show, which aired from 1980 to 1998, marked the career and life of its creator and host, Minja Subota.
To the first notes of the opening theme, all the kids would be spellbound, staring at the TV and singing along loudly:
“Music is the way to happiness,
Field, forest, river, meadow,
The way to her heart when she won’t want you,
Music is the other of the verse.
Music is everything that moves,
Music is around us…”
They listened to children’s songs, watched performances by boys and girls who had probably practiced their routines for who knows how long, but they were also eagerly waiting to see which popular music stars would appear on the show and sing the famous “Hit of the Slide.”
None of this would have been possible without Joca Adamov and the RTV Novi Sad dance orchestra. Minja and Joca were constantly competing in verses.
And then came the games, scoring, and the famous Bambi points. “Five Bambis for…” Minja Subota would say after one of the games where the kids competed, and then applause and joy would follow for the earned points. This sentence is still often repeated by all of us who grew up watching this show.
