Initially, the band performed as Zabranjeno Pušenje, but ultimately changed the name to Emir Kusturica & The No Smoking Orchestra when renowned filmmaker Emir Kusturica (who had previously played with the band in 1987) re-joined it in 1998.

Lately, the band has also fond much success deep into Eastern Europe (Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Armenia).

The highlight of the mini-tour was the outdoor concert in the streets of Montreal in front of some 60,000 spectators as part of the city's jazz festival (Le Festival International de Jazz de Montréal).

The Belgrade-based band's live repertoire includes a homage to convicted war criminal Radovan Karadžić (a.k.a.

He called organizers to "Stop the propaganda for war criminal Karadžic on the Munich concert stage!