ArtistInfo

Rakija
Ojda!

Album NO 2011 on Rakija Records label
Rock, Folk, World and (Romani, Folk, Klezmer)

OJDA! "Ojda!" is the first studio album of the Norwegian band Rakija. It was recorded in April 2011 in Silvertone studio, Fredrikstad, with financial aid from the Fund for Performing Artists (Fond for utøvende kunstnere) and the Arts Council Norway (Norsk kulturråd). The album consists of eight songs, based on the ethnic sound of the Balkans. This sound echoes through all the songs, which are a mixture of traditional music, rock, and, here and there, classical music. Resembling, in that way, the musical background of the band’s members. The title song "Ojda, Ojda!" is composed by Rakija’s frontman, Janko Radovanovic, who also wrote four more songs for the album. However, closest to the songwriter’s heart are "Moja sestra" and "Izgubljeni grad". Born in Priština, Janko left his city in 1999, without possibility of returning (ref. “Izgubljeni grad” - The lost city). Leaving behind not only his city, but his native country as well, worries for his loved ones are expressed in the song "Moja Sestra" (My Sister). The political views of the band are expressed in the anti-war song "Nema zemlje te" (No country worth dying for), which tells about the tragic consequences of war. "Nema zemlje zbog koje se umire” (No country worth dying for) says the textwriter, Jelena Popovic, and Rakija adds: "Nema zemlje zbog koje se ubija” (No country worth killing for). "Rakijina rukovet #01" singles out among the traditional songs on the album. Made as a tribute to Stevan St. Mokranjac, one of the greatest Serbian composers, Rakija has tried to follow in his footsteps by bringing together motives from different traditional songs. Rakija´s “rukovet” (classical medley) was made especially for the festival "The days of Mokranjac" in Negotin, Serbia, where it was performed for the first time in 2010. Full and rich Balkan ethno sound can be heard in the new arrangement of the Serbian traditional song "Cije je ono devojce" and "Ela se vie", a wedding song from Bulgaria. “Ela se vie” was taught to Merete Fjeldbo, vocalist in Rakija, on her journey to the Balkans. The album "Ojda!" will be released on September 1st, and can be ordered here: www.rakijarecords.no. The digital version of the album can be purchased or listened to at Spotify, iTunes, Amazon, Napster and others.

Musicians

	Rakija , album by
	Are W. Thoma b, bass
	Halvor Dahle perc, dr, drums, percussions
	Atle Tømmervik producer, trumpets
	Janko Radovanovic , producer, composer, guitars
	Rune Jørgensen, Jon Martens Holm sound engeneers
	Biljana Dragisic voc, vocals
	Merete Fjeldbo voc, vocals
	Irena Banjeglav vn, voc, vocals, violin

Producers

Composers

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