Zdravko Čolić facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Zdravko Čolić
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Čolić performing in 2007
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| Born | 30 May 1951 |
| Other names | Čola, Zdravko, Dravco |
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| Years active | 1967–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Aleksandra Aleksić
(m. 2001) |
| Children | 2 |
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Zdravko Čolić (born May 30, 1951) is a very famous pop singer from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. Many people believe he is one of the greatest singers and cultural icons from the former country of Yugoslavia. Music critics often compare him to famous singers like Paul McCartney and Tom Jones. He is known for his strong, emotional voice and exciting stage performances. He has released many popular albums and songs.
One of his most famous songs is "Ti si mi u krvi" (meaning "You are in my blood"). It is considered one of the most popular ballads from the former Yugoslavia.
Contents
Early Life and Interests
Zdravko Čolić was born in Sarajevo, which was then part of Yugoslavia. His father, Vladimir, was a police officer, and his mother, Stana, was a homemaker. He grew up with his younger brother, Dragan.
When he was young, Zdravko was very interested in sports. He played as a football goalkeeper for FK Željezničar's youth team. Later, he switched to track and field, where he was very good at the 100 metres race and the long jump. He even ran 100 meters in just 11.3 seconds! However, he decided not to pursue a sports career because he felt he didn't have the strict discipline needed.
Growing up, Zdravko went to elementary school in Sarajevo. He also attended music school, where he learned to play the guitar. As a hobby, he performed in school plays and recitals at a youth theater.
Starting His Music Career
First Steps in Music
From a young age, Zdravko was interested in music. He and his friend Braco Isović would play guitar together in parks. They became known locally as 'Čola and Isa from Grbavica'. At this time, Zdravko tried to sing pop songs that were popular at festivals in Yugoslavia and Italy.
His first important public singing experience happened in 1967. He was 17 years old and on vacation with his family in Baošići, Montenegro. A friend convinced him to join an amateur singing competition in nearby Bijela. Zdravko won second prize by singing "Lady Madonna" by The Beatles.
This success encouraged him. Soon after returning to Sarajevo, Zdravko joined his first band, called 'Mladi i lijepi' (Young and Beautiful). After graduating high school in 1969, he joined a more established band called Ambasadori. He stayed with them for about two and a half years.
With Ambasadori and Korni Grupa
When Zdravko joined Ambasadori, it was a unique band. Most of the musicians were officers in the Yugoslav People's Army. They mostly played cover songs by artists like Chicago and Otis Redding. Because the army musicians were not always available, Zdravko and the bandleader, Slobodan Vujović, decided to form a new version of the band called Novi Ambasadori in 1970.
In 1971, Novi Ambasadori performed at the Vaš šlager sezone festival in Sarajevo. They sang "Plačem za tvojim usnama" and finished in 7th place. This performance was important because it was their first time on television. A famous musician named Kornelije Kovač saw Zdravko sing and was impressed by his clear voice and stage presence.
Later in 1971, Kornelije Kovač invited Zdravko to join his band, Korni Grupa. This band played their own original songs and had a more serious approach to music. Zdravko moved to Belgrade to join them. However, his time with Korni Grupa was short. He found it hard to fit into their progressive rock style. After only six months, Zdravko and Kovač agreed it would be better for Zdravko to start a solo career. He returned to Sarajevo to do just that.
Solo Career Begins
Early Successes and Eurovision
On April 15, 1972, Zdravko Čolić made his first solo appearance at the Vaš šlager sezone festival in Sarajevo. He won third prize from the audience and an award for his singing. He sang "Sinoć nisi bila tu," a song written by Kemal Monteno.
With Kornelije Kovač's help, Zdravko quickly became a popular solo artist. He appeared on a popular TV show and performed at several festivals.
His big break came when he won the Opatija festival with the song "Gori vatra" (The Fire Is Burning). This win meant he would represent Yugoslavia at the 1973 Eurovision Song Contest in Luxembourg City. The song didn't place very high, but it became a big hit back home.
Over the next two years, Zdravko continued to enter and win many festivals across Yugoslavia. He won with songs like "Ona spava" (She Sleeps) and "April u Beogradu" (April in Belgrade). He also signed a deal with a German record label, WEA, and released two singles there. The German producers called him Dravco because his name was hard to pronounce. However, Zdravko decided not to move to Germany and continued his career in Yugoslavia.
First Album and Growing Fame
Zdravko's first solo album, Ti i ja (You and I), was released in 1975. It included popular songs like "Vagabund" and "Loše vino." The album cover was designed by Dragan S. Stefanović, who would work with Zdravko for many years. Zdravko's image, especially, became very popular with girls and women.
His fame grew quickly. In 1976, after a concert in Belgrade, so many girls rushed to get his autograph at a store that they broke a window!
In 1977, he performed at the Festival of Patriotic Songs in Zagreb, singing "Druže Tito mi ti se kunemo" (Comrade Tito, We Swear to You). This song was released as a single and sold an amazing 300,000 copies.
Massive Popularity and Tours
His second album, Ako priđeš bliže (If You Come Closer), released later in 1977, was even more successful. It caused huge excitement among his fans. The album sold 50,000 copies in just two weeks! It featured some of his most loved songs, such as "Glavo luda" (Crazy Head), "Zagrli me" (Hug Me), and "Pjevam danju, pjevam noću" (I Sing by Day, I Sing by Night).
On April 1, 1978, Zdravko began a huge tour of Yugoslavia with the Lokice Dance Group. This tour, called "Putujući zemljotres" (Traveling Earthquake Tour), became a national phenomenon. Crowds of screaming girls rushed the stage at every concert. The tour's biggest moment was a concert at the Red Star FC stadium in Belgrade on September 5, 1978. An incredible 70,000 people attended!
A documentary film called Pjevam danju, pjevam noću was made about Zdravko and his tour. By the end of its run, the album had sold over 700,000 copies, and with later re-releases, it sold over a million!
After this massive success, Zdravko served his mandatory time in the Yugoslav People's Army. He returned from the army in September 1979.
Later Career and Comeback
After returning from the army, Zdravko released his third album, Zbog tebe (Because of You), in 1980. This album brought more hits and cemented his place as Yugoslavia's most popular pop performer.
In 1984, Čolić moved from Sarajevo to Ljubljana and then lived in Zagreb for five years. He moved back to Belgrade in 1989.
After his 1990 album "Da ti kažem šta mi je," Zdravko took a break from releasing new music until late 1997. He made a big comeback with the album Kad bi moja bila and quickly regained much of his popularity. The next year, he performed nine sold-out concerts at Sava Centar.
In October 2005, Čolić performed two concerts at the Belgrade Arena.
In 2008, Zdravko voiced the character Shelby Forthright in the Bosnian version of the Pixar movie WALL-E.
In 2010, he had a huge concert at the Asim Ferhatović Hase Stadium in Sarajevo, with over 60,000 people attending. On June 25, 2011, he had the biggest concert of his career at Ušće in Belgrade, with over 100,000 visitors. This concert celebrated his 40-year career milestone.
Personal Life
When the Bosnian War started, Zdravko Čolić moved to Belgrade, where he has lived ever since. He has a degree in economics from the University of Sarajevo. Zdravko is married to Aleksandra Aleksić and they have two daughters.
Discography
Studio albums
- Ti i ja (You and Me) (1975)
- Ako priđeš bliže (If You Come Closer) (1977)
- Zbog tebe (Because of You) (1980)
- Malo pojačaj radio (Turn Up the Radio a Bit) (1981)
- Šta mi radiš (What Are You Doing to Me?) (1983)
- Ti si mi u krvi (You Are in My Blood) (1984)
- Rodi me, majko, sretnog (Birthed Me as a Lucky Man, Mother) (1988)
- Da ti kažem šta mi je (To Tell You What's Up with Me) (1990)
- Kad bi moja bila (If You Were Mine) (1997)
- Okano (2000)
- Čarolija (Enchantment) (2003)
- Zavičaj (Homeland) (2006)
- Kad pogledaš me preko ramena (When You Look At Me Over the Shoulder) (2010)
- Vatra i barut (Fire and Gunpowder) (2013)
- Ono malo sreće (That Bit of Luck) (2017)
Singles
- "Sinoć nisi bila tu" / "Tako tiho" (1972)
- "Stara pisma" / "Pod lumbrelon" (1972)
- "Gori Vatra" / "Isti put" (1973)
- "Bling, blinge, blinge, bling" / "Julija" (1973)
- "Dome moj" / "Ljubav je samo riječ" (1974)
- "Ona spava" / "Zaboravi sva proljeća" (1974)
- "Zelena si rijeka bila" / "Ne dam ti svoju ljubav" (1974)
- "Madre Mia" / "Rock n roll himmel" (1974)
- "Zvao sam je Emili" / "Sonata" (1975)
- "April u Beogradu" / "Svitanje" (1975)
- "Alles was ich hab" / "Lampenfieber" (1975)
- "Ti si bila, uvijek bila" / "A sad sam ja na redu" (1976)
- "Ljubav ima lažni sjaj" / "Balerina" (1977)
- "Živiš u oblacima" / "Zašto spavaš" (1977)
- "Light me" / "I'm not a robot man" (1978)
- "Loš glas" / "Ne mogu biti tvoj" (1978)
- "Druže Tito, mi ti se kunemo" / "Titovim putem" (1980)
Live albums
- Stadium Marakana (2001) /Live, 2xDVD/
- Belgrade Arena (2005) /Live, 2xDVD/
- Stadium Marakana (2007) /Live, 2xDVD/
- Stadium Koševo (2010) /Live, 2xDVD/
- Belgrade Ušće (2011) /Live, 2xDVD/
Compilations
- Pjesme koje volimo (The Songs We Like) (1984)
- Poslednji i prvi (The First And the Last) (1994)
- Zauvek (Forever) (1998)
- Zauvek 2 (Forever 2) (1999)
- 7X Čola Box Set (2000)
- Balade (The Ballads) (2002)
- The Best of Zdravko Čolić (double-CD set) (2004)
- The Best of Zdravko Čolić (2008)
Tours
- Okano Tour (2001–02)
- Zavičaj Tour (2006–09)
- Kad pogledaš me preko ramena Tour (2010–13)
- Vatra i barut Tour (2014–17)
- Ono malo sreće Tour (2018–19)
Note
See also
In Spanish: Zdravko Čolić para niños
