Profile of Djordje Balasevic on Famous Like Me

Đorđe Balašević (Serbian: Ђорђе Балашевић) is a prominent Serbian songwriter and singer.

Balašević was born in Novi Sad on May 11, 1953. Although a high school dropout, he did manage to finish high school and study geography, but scored his first major hit in 1977 with a tango single hit "U razdeljak te ljubim" which sold more than 180,000 copies, a huge success by Yugoslav standards.

The next big hit came in 1978 with a song celebrating young generations as being the followers of the communist revolution for what it stood for, "Računajte na nas", which became popular with both, authorities and people, making the song a kind of a hymn for his and generations to come.

Following the path of success, he appeared on TV as an actor, comedian and singer in several shows and programs. But his real influence came from his songs and caring comments on the problems of his time, gaining huge popularity for his work throughout the former Yugoslavia. Even after the break up of his country, Balašević remained very popular. Many of his songs in the late 1980s such as "1987" and "Requiem", dealt with the controversial issues surrounding the breakup of the socialist Yugoslavia, where he openly criticized the negative and destructive aspects produced by the changes in the political and economic system, and the Serbian and Croatian nationalism. He refused to join the army in "brotherly" bloodshed, and was under house arrest for many years during the reign of Milošević.

Balašević has a particularly large group of fans in Croatia (he also has grandparents living near Koprivnica), and in Slovenia and Bosnia.

In 1996 he becomes the UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador for his antiwar statements during the Yugoslav Civil War in the 90's and held the first post-war concert in Sarajevo as the first Serbian Artist visiting wartorn Bosnia and Hercegovina.

Balašević has also written several novels and collections of articles and essays.

His rich narratives are marked by nostalgia and saturated in gentle moods. He was influenced by poets such as his native Mika Antić and songwriter Arsen Dedić, the latter being "debted" openly, as acknowledged by Balašević himself, (I am an Arsen-addict).

He is mostly well known for his love songs. In the present 28 years of his career it is difficult to single out his best songs. There are many in that category which mark each period in 80's, 90's and now in the new era.

So far he has cut 16 albums and numerous singles. His concerts are known to last for more than four hours at a time and his fans are extremely faithful to his work and his performances, following him wherever his concerts are held.

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