That the verses are close to him, Braco Subotic The leader of the Montenegrin bands Qutera and Vrpac was discovered a long time ago thanks to the music he creates. And then, about ten years ago, he dared to publish his first collection of poetry, "Prostor zaposijeda tišina".
A new one is coming soon called “Prošavši tobom”, under the auspices of the Ouroboros publishing house, whose promotion, as Subotić reveals, will probably take place at the end of February. The title suggests a journey through someone, and the journey through someone or something itself will bring many changes. Braco openly talked to Vijesti about how much he himself has changed thanks to the verses that have been created since the beginning of writing until today:
"I changed through changes in narrative. I grew after every fall or slump. That's immanent to a human being. The instinct for self-preservation. Unwaveringness. In that way, I think I was going through myself, getting to know myself anew," says Subotić at the beginning of the interview, who when it comes to music brings a new energy and a new sound with every project and has a unique and recognizable creativity, and when asked if he is unique through his lyrics, he answers:
"It's up to others to judge and evaluate. I paint within words, a friend told me. I liked that. I guess that says something about personal style. I try to do as much as I can for the verse when the hand takes the pen and goes to the paper."
Many people expose themselves through their lyrics. Through the music he has been creating for decades with the bands Qutera and Vrpac, people perceive him as a rebel, while through his poetry Braco is not ashamed to show a more gentle side of his personality.
"It's inevitable. Like the story of the two wolves, which one we feed more and which one we feed less. The wild spirit exists in civilization as well. It functions smoothly, but it follows some rules. Poetry is by default for a smaller number of people because its role is to pass on. What it expresses and what it deals with. There's tenderness there, I guess. To share it with others. Those who want to hear and see. Once it's written, the poem becomes everyone's," believes Subotić, whose poetry is completely independent of his musical creativity. As he says, he sometimes uses just a few verses for one of his songs, and as to whether those are the verses that leave the biggest impression on him that he wants to further refine them, or if he lacks inspiration, he uses what he's already written, he reveals:
"No, I hear the music at that moment. It's just that way. Like when you get an insight, a certain deeper reflection. Our third single from the album 'Oko sfere', the song 'Srećan vječan', began its life within poetry. And that's the moment when I create after listening. There's no shortage of inspiration, really," claims the Vijesti interviewee.
His music is socially engaged, and he is recognized as an author who shoots “straight to the heart.” And so is the poetry he creates, although it is sometimes personal therapy.
"Creation can always move oceans if people gather around it. It is absolutely direct and points to phenomena in society. It points to the failures of the system. It starts from within, of course. But it shapes the field of action, as if it is spreading its arms and inviting. In poetry, I do not condemn, but rather seek a way out. Salvation from imposed shackles and dogma," explains Subotić.
Poetry and music should be closely related, but that's not the case. Although here in our country the audience pays much more attention to the lyrics, many performers do not think about the messages that the verses they interpret carry. In the past, music critics analyzed every detail of an album when it was released. In the absence of music critics, today anyone can do music and everything is called music. However, about how much this attitude towards creativity has damaged the music scene, Braco says:
"Whoever deals with lyrics in music should bear some responsibility. To think about what kind of message they are sending. Who they are actually addressing. A lot has been damaged here, without dramatizing it. It's just the way it is. Whether it is some external dictate or a metaphysical necessity, I don't know. But it's not good. If the industry is forcibly pushing you underground because it doesn't recognize you as a competitor, you certainly won't solve it by force of any kind. Although you won't shy away from it either. There's no need for anyone to compose music or write lyrics for you, after all. There must be a catch, the old one. Some people enter the game out of conviction, others out of whim."
Poetry was once a powerful expression, and Braco reflected on how it is understood in contemporary society today, and as someone whose musical projects are classified as underground, he reveals how elitist the poetry he creates is:
"I don't think every project I'm involved in is underground. But that's okay. We don't have a mainstream here either. Everything is born slowly here. But it happens, it unfolds. Elitism, never in my life. I write precisely for the everyday man. To overcome fear. Only what is happening now is always important. The past and the future are abstract concepts," the artist is sure.
Today, thanks to social media, we often see many people quoting not only excerpts from books, but also poetry. Whether the digital age is shaping the way people write and experience poetry today, Braco tried to figure out:
"Digital cannot harm anyone who is from the last century. Just assisting is good. Those who are not skilled can create something new. Absolutely. But the situation tells us that the unskilled are taking a 'safe bet'. Talent is always there, but without work, it's no use," concludes Subotić.
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