Rock Music of Republic of Macedonia

One of the most successful and powerful rock ensemble in Macedonia and one of the most renowned former Yugoslavia was the band Madrigali, after Leb i Sol. They mixed rock music with jazz and traditional music elements making a different sound of their own which become one of the top acts of the former Yugoslav rock scene. After their separation, the guitarist Vlatko Stefanovski, the bassist Bodan Arsovski, the keyboard player Kokan Dimusevski and the drummer Garabet Tavitijan began their solo careers, each of them with his own right. In the year 2006 they gathered again for the reunion tour to mark the 30^th anniversary as the beginning of their band. In the year 2008, a distinct line-up recorded a new record, I taka nataka in absence of Strefanovski’s and Tavitjan’s involvement.

source of picture: www.ranker.com

Another prominent group was the Bisbez, which was influenced by the Beatles and other 1960s musicians. This was initiated in 1964 by joining the two former existing ensembles Biseri (meaning Pearls) and Bezimeni (meaning nameless). During the 1970s renowned orchestras were Madrigali-Bitola, Pu, Den za Den, Triangl, Leva patika, IIinden 903, Torr and others.  Many of them are into hard rock, symphonic rock, jazz rock, funk rock progressive rock and folk rock. After the 1970s saw the appearance of punk rock, Fol Jazik is the first punk rock ensemble that was created in Skopje in 1978. During the 80s another renowned punk orchestras appeared known as Saraceni and Badmingtons both were led by Vladimir Petrovski Karter. After he changed to a more normal sound and made the group Aleksandar Makedonski (Alexander Macedon), the modern wave music scene involved musicians such as ska group Cilindar, Usta ba usta and Tokmu taka. Tokmu taka’s vocalist Ljupco Bubo Karvo who is from Kavadarci later became well-known as an actor of the comedy TV concert K-15 while Usta na usta’s who is the member of Aleksandar Prokopiev became a well-known writer. Prominent heavy metal musicians were the groups of Karamela and Concorde. Guitarist Venko Serafimov who later began his successful solo career, the synthpop trio Bastion that featured Kiril Dzajkovski as one of the most significant of 1980s acts. Another 1980s notable act was Haos in Laos. The pop rock group Menorija which was created in 1984 was one of the most successful in that period. One of the most productive in the country was the post punk, darkwave and gothic rock scene which include the Mizar, Arhangle, cult bands and Padot na Vizantija, and it was later led by Goran Trajkoski. After he created the neo-folk orchestra Anastasia which became internationally commended with its soundtrack for Milco Mancevski’s academy listed film Before the Rain.

Buba Mara 1990 god is the renowned musicians during the first half of the 1990s pop music which also include thrash metal group Sanatorium, the metal ensemble Verka which is still lively and its music includes elements from the traditional Macedonia folk music as well as part from the renowned Kopacka folk dance, the alternative rock ensembles Suns, Last Expedition, Vodolija, the Hip, Nikeja, Balkan Express, the punk rockers Rok Agresori and many others which were initially rockabilly act. During the second half of the year saw the appearance of the hardcore punk ensembles Sidewalk, Flunks, Smut, No Name nation, Tank Warning Net and Bumbiks while a prominent great metal ensemble was Siniac. Opstrukcija has a short lived progressive rock ensemble with elements of Badmingtons’ punk rock which was led by Karter.  Prominent acts in 2000s in the country include Superhiks (ska punk), Bernay’s Propadanda (indie-rock, post-punk renewal), Two sides (hardcore punk), Parketi (pop punk), Denny Te Chuva (melodic harcore, emo), Smut (Metalcore), Kulturno Umetnicki Rabotnic (garage punk), Fluks (melodic punk), Noviot pocetok (hardcore punk) and many others. Renowned all-female bands include Vivid and Royal albert Hall.

There are many rock music festivals, some of the most renowned include Taksirat annually organized by Lithium records and the Skopje gori organized by Avalon productions. Two of the festivals bring several internationally commended rock; electronica and hip hop acts. There is also a small demo band festival such as winner fest (previously called loser fest) and Rok-fest, the last has existed for several years. The most renowned international open-air festival is known as Alarm which was held in Ljubanista by the Ohrid Lake in the year 2002.

A well- known hip hop music scene was also in existent.

The greatest renowned electronic artists are Kiril Dzajkovski (who is a formerly member of Bastion), the PMG Collective, Robotek, Gotra and Novogradska.