The second evening of bARS at the "Barski ljetopis" was marked by the promotion of the double compilation CD "Barski pop-rock talasi", announced today from the Public Institution (JU) Cultural Center Bar.
"This is the first project of its kind in Montenegro, which presents the entire pop-rock scene of the city on one sound carrier. The editor and executive producer is Željko Milović, and the creative producer is Božidar Gagović. The project of the publishing house 'Mediteran Multimedia' was financially supported by the Municipality of Bar through a competition for the distribution of funds to non-governmental organizations, confirming its commitment to supporting the development of contemporary musical creativity," the statement states.
The Cultural Center of Bar added that the compilation showcases the rich and dynamic current pop-rock music scene of Bar, bringing new, unreleased or still current recordings.
"The range of performers ranges from Gula and 'Katapult', as constants of the bar scene for 40 years, to the first solo project of Ivana Janković, the recognizable singer of the group 'Grimm'. Through twenty-six songs by twenty-two performers of different generations and sensibilities, the release encompasses multiple genres, from pop music, indie-rock, to metal, mainstream rock, to ambient instrumentals. The two CDs feature songs performed by 'Katapult', 'AkademiA', 'Grimm', '9', 'Rikavac', 'VIS Bež', 'Solfira', 'Varya i žirafe', 'Bad Taste', Emir Plava, Vladimir Vanja Orlandić, 'Projekat Villanelle', Andrea Demirović, 'KU Music Team', Ivana Janković, Mitar Škuletić, 'Kapp', Ana Vukazić and Veljko Ivanović, Mirjana Rajčić, 'SpiralFrequency', 'Padrino Band' and Haris Babajić," the statement reads.
Speaking about the creation of this release, Željko Milović said that during the creation of the CD he was surprised by the freshness and diversity of the Bar music scene.
"As always when I do something, if I don't learn something, it's as if I didn't do it at all. I really discovered a few people who were creating without knowing they had created their own projects. I have to give credit to all the musicians who wholeheartedly stood behind the Bar CD project and for never thinking for a moment that it could be misused," said Milović.
As for the release preparation process, he emphasized that he wanted all the recordings to be of uniform quality, which is why he hired Veljko Ivanović as producer.
"He tweaked those recordings a bit, but that required the author's permission. One band debated for a long time whether to allow it, because they were thinking about whether to leave the original garage sound or the studio-cleaned one, but in the end they agreed to the changes. Everyone had confidence in us and I am very grateful to them for that," said Milović, emphasizing that he is proud of the fact that togetherness marked the entire project.
He added that it is commonly believed that bar musicians do not get along with each other and that, like all musicians, they are very vain.
"There is a dose of vanity, of course, but it is also noticeable that they help each other a lot. Especially Božo Gagović and Ivana, who are always ready to help their colleagues. Today, this cooperation is much more pronounced than before. When someone does not have the opportunity to hire backing vocalists or needs help, their colleagues step in and everyone is satisfied," said Milović.
The Public Institution Cultural Center Bar said that "the seriousness of the project is further evidenced by the support of the Municipality of Bar, which has shown sensitivity towards musical concepts for years."
"As far as I know, she's been behind five or six recent music projects. She's financed the production of videos for some, the studio for others, and she's been behind this compilation entirely. That's nothing new. The people who run the Municipality have an urban sensibility and support projects like this. In the last few years, they've supported quite a few CD releases and other music projects," Milović concluded.
The biggest challenge was to unite different musical styles into a harmonious whole, according to the project's creative producer Božidar Gagović.
"It was demanding to put together so many different musical expressions. Željko did a great job, and I just approved. I would like this project to become a tradition and be released every five years. This release shows how diverse the Bar music scene is and how much its authors love to collaborate," said Gagović, adding that both discs require careful and multiple listening.
He added that these are not compilations that win on first listen.
"These are real albums, full of different styles and authentic authors, which best represent what Bar is today when it comes to popular music," said Gagović.
Andrea Demirović, Ivana Janković and Slobodan Boban Mijović shared their experiences as musicians and participants in the compilation.
"Andrea Demirović closes the first and opens the second CD with her songs, which is a kind of curiosity of this release. For the creators of the project, the biggest challenge was resolving the copyrights for individual songs, including Andrea's 'I Believe'," the Cultural Center of Bar said in a statement.
Speaking about copyright, Demirović explained that performers are often not the owners of their songs.
"No one is stopping me from performing my songs, but when they need to be released for a release, it is necessary to obtain the consent of the rights holder. In this case, we had to seek permission from RTCG, because the song was written for Montesong. Fortunately, the response came very quickly and we received approval," said Demirović.
Speaking at the promotion was Ivana Janković, who is represented on the CD as a member of the group "Grimm", as a backing vocalist, and for the first time as an independent author.
"For a long time I was afraid to publish something of my own, but I finally decided that what I create deserves to be presented to the audience," said Janković, emphasizing that she will continue to develop her own authorial expression.
Željko Milović announced Boban Mijović as a "treasure trove of extraordinary songs", recalling that this year he returned to the stage with "KU Music Team" and two new original works, and the audience was then greeted via video link by Milić Šarović ("9"), who is currently sailing across the Atlantic on a cruise ship.
He expressed his pleasure at being part of a publication that permanently documents the richness of the Bar music scene.
"The evening was enriched by Elena Tomanović with a performance of Katapult's 'Htio sam noćas da ti pišem' and 'Slamka spasa' by the group "9", accompanied by guitar by Veljko Ivanović.
She also moderated part of the evening, leading a conversation with Milović and Gagović.
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