Suncokret (Serbian Cyrillic: Сунцокрет; trans. Sunflower) was a former Yugoslav acoustic rock band from Belgrade.

Band history[link]

1975 — 1980[link]

The band was formed in 1975 by former Zajedno member Bora Đorđević (vocals and acoustic guitar), a former U Cvetu Mladosti member Nenad Božić (vocals and acoustic guitar) and female singers Snežana Jandrlić and Vesna Rakočević. After releasing the single "Kara Mustafa", Vesna Rakočević left the band and joined Zdravo, and Bilja Krstić and Gorica Popović became new Suncokret members. At the half of 1976 they were joined by bass guitarist Bata Sokić.

The band released several successful singles, some of them inspired by old folk songs. In 1976, they appeared in Mića Milošević's movie Tit for Tat, and some of their songs were used in the movie.^[1] They perormed at the 1976 BOOM festival in Belgrade, and a live version of their song "Moj đerdane" was released on the BOOM '76 live album.^[2] With disk jockey Zoran Modli they recorded humorous songs under the name Hajduk Stanko i Jataci.

Their debut album Moje bube (My Bugs) was released in 1977.^[3] Album featured previously released "Kara Mustafa" and "Moje tuge", humorous songs "Vuk i krava" and "Oglas" and ballads "Uspavanka", "Ni sam ne znam kada" and "Prvi sneg", last one, written by Dušan Mihajlović Spira^[4] (later the leader of Doktor Spira i Ljudska Bića), becoming one of Suncokret's signature songs. A live version of "Prvi sneg" was released on the BOOM '77 live album.^[5] After the album was released, keyboardist Duško Nikodijević and drummer Ljubinko Milošević became band's permanent members. In 1978, the band members refused to perform Đorđević's song "Lutka sa naslovne strane", so Đorđević and Biljana Krstić left the band and joined Rani Mraz, Đorđević remaining in Rani Mraz shortly and in 1979 forming hard rock band Riblja Čorba which will eventually become one of the top acts of the former Yugoslav rock scene.

Snežana Jandrlić continued to lead new, electricized Suncokret lineup, which featured Sokić, Nikodijević and former Tilt members Dušan "Duda" Bezuha (guitar) and Vladimir Golubović (drums). After Golubović and Bezuha left the band, bass guitarist Branko Isaković and drummer Ivan "Vd" Vdović became new Suncokret members, but after only two singles released, the band disbanded due to the members' dissidence.

Reunions (1995, 2011)[link]

In 1995, Suncokret reunited for several acoustic performances.

In 2011, Gorica Popović, Biljana Krstić and Snežana Jandrlić reunited as Suncokret to perform at the 50th anniversary of Subotica Youth Festival, performing the songs "Prvi sneg" and "Moje bube".^[6]

Legacy[link]

The album Moje bube was polled in 1998 as 78th on the list of 100 greatest Yugoslav popular music albums in the book YU 100: najbolji albumi jugoslovenske rok i pop muzike (YU 100: The Best albums of Yugoslav pop and rock music).^[7]

In 2006 the song "Prvi sneg" was ranked #70 on the B92 Top 100 Domestic Songs list.^[8]

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

• Moje bube (1977)

Singles[link]

• "Kara Mustafa" / "Moje tuge" (1975)
• "Gde ćeš biti, lepa Kejo" / "Pusto more, pusti vali" (1976)
• "Rock 'n' Roll duku duku" / "Gili gili blues" (1976)
• "Oj, nevene" / "Tekla voda" (ZKP RTLJ 1976)
• "Imam pesmu za sve ljude" / "Čovek koga znam" (1978)
• "Dlakavo čudo" / "Noćna ptica" (1979)
• "Sviće novi dan" / "Tvoja mama gunđa protiv mene" (1979)

Other appearances[link]

• "Moj đerdane" (BOOM '76, 1976)
• "Prvi sneg" (BOOM '77, 1977)

References[link]

• EX YU ROCK enciklopedija 1960-2006, Janjatović Petar; ISBN 978-86-905317-1-4