LENA KOVAČEVIĆ FAMILIAR SOUND WITH THE NEW VIBE

I had a strong wish, and it was also a kind of a small personal mission, to offer the people and children of our region the sound that doesn’t remind of what we listen to all the time, but to give it through the songs they love, which was the key to the best-selling albums of the genre that had been considered unpopular here.

Lena Kovačević, who had been invited by the Serbian cultural center to perform in front of our audience in Chicago on December 1st – will not be in America for the first time. It is true, though, she has never been in Chicago before, but she visited New York as a child owing to the premieres of her father Dusan Kovacevic, a famous writer whose plays were performed at Off Broadway.  

My definite visit to Chicago will be my first performance in America, but it won’t be the first time I have worked in America – says Lena Kovacevic for the Balkan City Magazine. – Thanks to the  single ‘’Pick Up’’ which I wrote the music for and which was produced by the famous producer Godfrey Diamond from New York, I recorded the music in the States and actually became the first Serbian performer whose single was promoted on the Sirius radio in New York with more than 31 million listeners. In a way, I have already made the first music steps in America, and now I am especially looking forward to these performances.

What does it mean for a musician to perform abroad?

It is really a blessing since you get the opportunity to meet so many different people, cultures, musicians. To get in touch with the top national and world production is extremely important for a musician.

Which concert you gave was a special one for you?

I was lucky to study and graduate from The Music Conservatoire in Amsterdam and at the time I started having my first concerts abroad. I staged concerts with foreign and my national musicians in the Netherlands, Belgium and on Cyprus. Recently, we have had a concert in Austria at the famous Albertina in Vienna and despite many fantastic places and people I remember from the countries where I have performed so far, this has indeed been a special honor for me because foreign musicians rarely get this opportunity. The ambience was unreal.

Have you performed in front of foreigners and what are their reactions?

It’s fantastic if you can offer a piece of your own music, and foreigners are the first willing to listen to something they are less familiar with but also something that is close to their souls. This was always the case, especially with the program about our traditional music.  I was on tour with Royal Dutch orchestra in the Netherlands and Belgium performing songs from Kosovo, which were special moments for me. I performed in front of the Dutch queen in this manner. For numerous foreign companies, since even in Serbia I mostly sing to foreigners, my musicians and I have created an interesting concept that offers both national and  foreign in one piece.

You have published a single in English which set a precedent because this was the first time for a song of a Serbian musician to be played on the American radio.

Godfrey Diamond really made a wonderful arrangement of the song I wrote. The musicians working with Alicia Keys and other world stars played the music,  which was tremendous honor. The result was the premiere on the Sirius radio. The song was released for Menart – – Sony Music , it had its MTV premiere in the region and an excellent placement.

What is necessary for a musician to become popular?

I believe that in the time in which we live it is necessary to have something fresh, and different in every genre.  I had a strong wish, and it was also a kind of a small personal mission, to offer the people and children of our region the sound that doesn’t remind of what we listen to all the time, but to give it through the songs they love, which was the key to the best-selling albums of the genre that had been considered unpopular here. The fact that something new was happening through something that already existed such as famous songs of the former Yugoslavia, helped the songs to be become popular, which is one of the essential characteristics of jazz music.

Is it hard to estimate if a song will become a hit? Can you do it?

I can recognize what is going to be popular, I like a lot of famous songs. However, in my music career I have never tended to create hits but to develop a special sound. It’s a kind of passion, just like the passion some people have for a particular kind of wine. I was more inspired by the idea of different tones and fusions, and this is what still keeps me going. Of course, it is nice that the last single I wrote music for and Darko Dimitrov, who works with many foreign performers, produced is really popular on the radio. That’s a compliment.

Where would you like to have a concert?

I am looking forward to performing in Chicago and New York and meeting our people and foreigners as well. I will do my best to deliver the program that is both out of the ordinary and refreshing. It will be a sort of surprise.

 

DAD THE CRITIC

Have you always known you will have a career in music? Does your father sometimes have objections to your lyrics?

– Yes, I have been into music since childhood, I had a by-the-book education, starting from junior and middle music school and later The Music Conservatoire in Amsterdam. So, I really wanted to be a musician ever since childhood. Thank God, I have two little children of my own and I observe how much they love music, as all the children do. I believe it is beneficial to listen to a lot of different types of music since early childhood, because it helps your spirit develop in a special way, no matter if you are doing it professionally or not. Dad definitely has a say in the lyrics, he is a serious critic, as are my family in general. I myself love the lyrics that tell a story, and that is where the desire to make the album devoted to the music of Bajaga came from. Bajaga’s lyrics are primarily of high music quality and they have the sensibility that I can relate to.

THE WEDDINGS

What will you remember from Nole and Jelena’s wedding and what from the wedding of Prince Filip and Princess Danica?

– These are the only weddings where I actually performed, because that was such an honour for me. I will remember Novak and Jelena’s night for a lovely atmosphere and St Stefan, which absolutely shone. Some of the scenes were truly movie like and could not be explained with words; the energy was amazing and so was the excitement. The wedding of Prince Filip and Princess Danica took place at The White Palace just ten days ago. Despite the huge protocol and the fact that the Queen of Spain was present, the evening was cheerful, relaxed and worthy of a love celebration. The British Vogue, which I have been following for years, covered this event wonderfully