Serbian jazz singer Irena Blagojević recently released a music video for the song "Milo moje", which announces her upcoming third album, which will be released by the end of the year by PGP. The video for which Aleksandar Ivančević and Adrijan Milošev were in charge can be viewed on the YouTube service, and what makes this track special for Blagojević is that it was the first time she collaborated professionally with her talented son Relja Perišić.
"I have already extensively prepared the album, and before the corona virus I almost finished it and now I am waiting for the release, which should happen in the fall, for PGP. I'm just starting the realization, we just started with all those things related to the release of the album itself, and it's a process that lasts at least a month and a half", said the musician in an interview with "Vijesti", during which she talked about the mentioned and other collaborations, the upcoming edition, dealing with the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic and other topics.
How has the corona situation affected you?
Everything has slowed down a lot, everything is on hold, but I have hope that things will start to open up a little bit. I think that in the coming period the performances will be of a smaller type, with a smaller number of people. Just to get it going at all will be fantastic. I managed well, because it's really not easy. I also give singing lessons and do anything and everything related to music, and I believe that those who live only from gigs are really screwed up now because it's a very difficult period.
Why did you choose this song for the first single and screen version, is there any particular reason?
The special thing about this song is that my son Relja Pešić plays on it for the first time, he's a young guy who will surely be a rock hope, he's just creating his music and he's very young, he's 16 years old. I suggested to him that we try it and it really turned out that it really paid off. Of course, he is my child and I have influenced him a lot. I'm glad he recorded a song with me for the album. Even though he's young and doesn't have that much experience, he did a great job and that's exactly why I love this track. Apart from him on guitar and percussion, the song was played by Miroslav Tovirac on bass. Very nice collaboration and I really love this song.
What is it like working with a family member, were you particularly strict with them or lenient?
I try to recognize what his possibilities are, take the best from him that can serve my original songs, and somehow he has already gained enough experience to adapt to me. So, it's a kind of adjustment, since he's now in the phase where he prefers pop-rock, reggae, punk and so on, all these different styles, but regardless, he's fit in very nicely. I haven't been too strict, only when I see that things might get out of hand, but he is a very good child, so there were no problems.
What is your influence on his musical path so far, did you try to let him be independent or did you look to direct him somewhat?
Yes, and I admit it, I tried to guide him. I have a little anecdote. When he was very young, and you know how children are taught at that age, I told him when some folk music was playing: "Son, that's peasant music", and as soon as he heard it, he switched to the next channel. And so he himself, already at the age of two and a half, was switching channels and when he came across something like that he would say: "Country music". (laughs) In recent years, I've let him look for your style and it's quite natural and normal.
Did you combine multiple styles on the album?
There are eight songs on this album, and I did three covers of Old Town songs in swing, jazz and blues style. So, I covered each of those songs individually in those styles. I had a fantastic collaboration with our famous blues band Point Blank. In addition, I collaborated with other great artists, jazzers from Belgrade such as the aforementioned Miroslav Tovirac, Marko Nikolić, Goran Ljuboja Trut and various others, not to list them all, because I will forget someone. And those five other songs are my own. It can be said that this is a complete album of my own, conceptually speaking, from the first song to the last. I think that these collaborations are really interesting and I will definitely try as much as I can to present most of those songs through music videos, so that they all reach the audience.
How was the work on those songs, since you said that you did everything yourself as an author, did you have most of it already ready when you collaborated with people or did you give them a little more influence in all of it?
I did, of course. Especially when it comes to these covers, I did some of those songs with my pianist Bojan Cvetković. I did almost all of these other songs myself. Of course, I really like collaborations since the first album. I always say that it is very important with whom a person cooperates and that there are always those influences, because a person cannot completely do anything by himself. There is always someone who can give you some wonderful idea. In that exchange, something bigger than the original idea is created, and I think that's very beautiful, and that's why music exists, it's the artistic process that I love and appreciate the most.
It's not easy if you choose an artistic approach, but the choice is there
Of course, every artist wants to communicate with as many people as possible through their works. How difficult is it for you, since you often point out in interviews that you don't see yourself as part of the local variety scene?
I'm really not one to whine and ask other people for help in some wrong way. First of all, I always say to take life into our own hands, to get moving and to create something. Life will not give us what we did not give it, that is certainly a great truth. You should do what is best for you, give birth to something new and give something of your own, and then through perseverance and persistence reach the goal. But a person really has to have patience and a lot, a lot of love in order to see the light at the end of the tunnel, step by step. Because we are overwhelmed with a bunch of different information, wrong paths that a person can take. Starting with some "Cooperatives", "Farms" and so on, people's attention is diverted from some essential things that might interest us. That's why most people don't record those albums with us, because they simply see that there is no benefit from it, there is no material effect, but if a person like me could balance it, through various other ways, such as classes both live and online and performance and work at school, everything is summed up in one, then there is a possibility to fight and roll. And if it is easy, it is not easy, but it is always a choice
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