Zana (band)

Guitarist Radovan Jovićević and keyboardist Jovan Živanović "Kikamac" started to work together in 1976, playing in several high school bands.

[1] The band soon managed to get a term to record some of their songs in Radio Belgrade's Studio VI, where they were spotted by lyricist Marina Tucaković,[1] who had previously worked with Srđan Marjanović, DAG, YU Grupa, Bisera Veletanlić, Ambasadori, Dado Topić, Slađana Milošević and other acts.

[1] It was later revealed in the Yugoslav press that with "Leto" Zana plagiarized "Matador" by Garland Jeffreys, but it did not influence the song's success on the charts.

[1] The band's debut album, Loše vesti uz rege za pivsku flašu (Bad News Accompanied by Reggae for a Beer Bottle) was released in 1981.

[1] The December 1981 mini-tour across Serbia was ended when Aleksandar Ivanov left the band due to his mandatory stint in the Yugoslav army.

[1] In September, the same month when the album was released, Jovanović left the band due to his army stint, and was temporarily replaced by Aleksandar Radulović "Futa".

[1] Soon after, Bogdan Dragović left, forming the band Zamba with Aleksandar Radulović, guitarist Nikola Čuturilo and drummer Predrag "Bata" Jakovljević, the group releasing their only studio album, Udarac nisko (Low Kick), in 1983.

[1] The album's biggest hits were the duet "Jabuke i vino" ("Apples and Wine"), sung by Nimani and Željko Bebek (the band initially considered Daniel, Oliver Mandić, Jura Stublić, or Branimir "Džoni" Štulić for the song)[1] and "Mladiću moj" ("My Boy").

[1] After the release of her only solo album Noćas pevam samo tebi (Tonight I Sing only for You) in 1986, she married, retired from music and eventually moved to Canada.

[1] The album brought folk-influenced hit "Vejte snegovi" ("Fall Heavily, Snows"), which featured guest appearance by Boki Milošević on clarinet.

[1] The 1988 album Zana, produced by Tini Varga, featured Mladen Vojičić Tifa, Laza Ristovski and Miroslav Sedak Benčić as guests.

][1] Following her departure, other members also left the band, so Jovićević and Živanović reformed Zana with Nataša Živković (vocals), Zoran Jakšić (bass guitar) and Saša Al Hamed (drums).

[2] In 1990, to celebrate ten years of activity, Jovićević and Živanović released the compilation album Najlepše pesme 1980-1990 (Most Beautiful Songs 1980 - 1990).

[2] With Zana's fourth singer, Jelena Galonić, Jovićević and Živanović recorded the albums Zana in 1991, featuring the pop-oriented hit "Nisam, nisam (Devojka tvoga druga)" ("I'm Not, I'm Not (Your Friend's Girlfriend)"), and Tražim (I'm Searching), released in 1993, featuring the rock-oriented hit "Priča se, priča (Da Rusi dolaze)" ("They're Saying, They're Saying (That the Russians are Coming)").

[3] On 30 December 2013, the band's former drummer Pavle Nikolić, who spent last years of his life as the owner of the club Tropikana in Accra, Ghana, died in a car accident.

[2][4] In December 2016, Zana released the single "Stupido", a duet sung by Galonić and the group's former vocalist Nataša Gajović.

[2] Croatian and Yugoslav singer Tereza Kesovija recorded a French language version of the song "Dodirni mi kolena", entitled "Danse avant de dormir", in 1983,[2] The song "Mladiću moj" was covered by Serbian pop punk/power pop band Oružjem Protivu Otmičara on their 1996 album BarbieCue.

[2] The song "Vejte snegovi" was covered by Bosnian progressive metal band Heaven Rain on their 2012 album Second Sun[2] and by Serbian jazz duo Lidija Andonov & Andy Pavlov on their album Mlad & Radostan - Homage to Yugoslav Music from the 80s and Beyond (Young & Joyful - Homage to Yugoslav Music from the 80s and Beyond).

[citation needed] The song "Majstor za poljupce" was covered by Serbian jazz singer Lena Kovačević ON her 2013 album San (The Dream).