Dragoljub Đuričić

Dragoljub Đuričić (Serbian Cyrillic: Драгољуб Ђуричић) is a Belgrade, Serbia-based Montenegrin musician. He is known as the drummer for the bands YU Grupa, Leb i Sol, and Kerber, as a member of Zdravko Čolić's, Nikola Čuturilo's and Đorđe Balašević's backing bands, as well as for his solo work.

Đuričić was born in 1953 in Cetinje. He started performing with bands from Herceg Novi, and initially he played the guitar. As a member of the band Krune (The Crowns) he switched from bass guitar to drums. After he left Krune, he played with the bands Veritas 19 and Exodus. At the time he also practiced water polo and swimming, and often won medals on junior championships.

He made his first studio recordings as a member of the group Bokelji, with which he recorded an album with traditional songs from Dalmatia. In August 1975, he moved to Belgrade. Initially he lived in Belgrade as a homeless man, before he met Belgrade musicians gathering in the kafana Šumatovac. He soon went on a Soviet Union tour as a member of the backing band for several Yugoslav pop singers. In 1976, he became a member of the band Ribeli (Rebels), which, after they were joined by the singer Dado Topić, changed their name to Mama Co Co. With Mama Co Co Đuričić performed with numerous Yugoslav pop starts, and in 1978, he was a member of Zdravko Čolić's backing band on his Putujući zemljotres (Travelling Earthquake) tour.

At the end of 1978, Đuričić became a member of the progressive/hard rock band YU Grupa, with which he recorded the album Samo napred... (1979). In 1981, he moved to the progressive rock band Leb i Sol, with which he recorded the albums Sledovanje (1982), Kalabalak (1983), Tangenta (1984), and the double live album Akustična trauma (1982), and performed in clubs across Europe and the United States. In 1982, Leb i Sol spent two and a half months on a United States tour with the KPGT theatre. The theatre performed the play Oslobođenje Skoplja (Liberation of Skopje), directed by Ljubiša Ristić, in which Đuričić played the role of Crazy Vana. In 1985, he left Leb i Sol and joined the hard rock band Kerber, with which he recorded the albums Seobe (1986), Ljudi i bogovi (1988), Peta strana sveta (1990), and the live album 121288 (1989).

During the time he spent in Kerber, Đuričić also worked with other artists. In 1986, when the alternative rock musician Rambo Amadeus started his career, he and Đuričić performed live, in the lineup which featured only two of them, Đuričić on drums, and Rambo Amadeus on vocals. On this concerts Rambo Amadeus used megaphone instead of the microphone. In 1987, in Belgrade's SKC, Đuričić and the drummer Ivan Fece "Firchie" held a concert on which they played various covers, mostly by the Beatles, on percussion instruments. The concert was held with regard to 70 years since the October Revolution. In 1988, he played drums on Nikola Čuturilo's album 9 lakih komada, and played drums in Laki Band which Čuturilo formed in order to promote the album. In 1989, Đuričić played drums on Čuturilo's album Raskršće.

Đuričić returned to Leb i Sol in 1990. The recording of the band's concert in New York's CBGB was released on the live album Live in New York in 1991. During this period Đuričić also worked with singer-songwriter Đorđe Balašević, playing drums on his album Jedan od onih života..., and becoming a member of his backing band.

Đuričić participated in the 1996–1997 protests in Serbia, joining the group of young drummers which gave tempo to the marching of the protesters. At the end of 1997 he started holding concerts on which he played with the Darkwood Dub drummer Lav Bratuša, percussionist Uroš Šećerov, and a well-known actor and drummer Bogdan Diklić. The recording of the concert Dragoljub Đuričić Trio held on 7 February 1988 in Atelje 212 was released on the album Two Drums & Percussion. On that evening, the trio, consisting of Đurićić, Bratuša and Šećerov, was joined on drums by Diklić, the journalist Ivan Ivačković and the painter Janoš Mesaroš. In April 1998, the band performed in Montreux, and, while playing on cookware and bakeware, they were joined by Albert, 12th Prince of Thurn and Taxis. In 1998, Đuričić and the hip hop musician Voodoo Popeye recorded the football song "Imamo iDeju", which was released on the compilation album Fudbalske himne 98. During 1998 Đuričić once again played on Zdravko Čolić's tour as a member of his backing band. At the end of February 1998, Đuričić, with Šećerov, Bratuša, St. George String Orchestra, composer Zoran Erić, a choir, and twenty young drummers, held a concert in Belgrade's Sava Centar. With the performance, walking in the hall and on the stage, the performers reminded the audience of the 1996–1997 protests. At the end of 1999, Đuričić joined the group of economists G17 as cultural adviser, and took part in the Democratic Opposition of Serbia 2000 election campaign.

After the overthrow of Slobodan Milošević, Đuričić continued to perform with the group of young drummers, opening the Theatre Spectacle in Zurich and the Summer Jazz Festival in Kumanovo. He recorded his second solo album, Ritam slobode (Rhythm of Freedom), with his Drums Company, consisting of Maša Božović, Lav Bratuša, and Ivan Dimitrijević. The album featured numerous guests: the flutist Bora Dugić, the string quartet Belotti, the violinist Dobrica Vasić, and others. On the album Đuričić presented himself as the author of the diverse material.

During the period he spent in Kerber, Đuričić also cooperated with Dejan Cukić, playing drums on his album Spori ritam, Jugosloveni, playing drums on their album Vruće osvežavajuće, and Nebojša Krstić and Srđan Šaper, playing drums on their album Poslednja mladost u Jugoslaviji. In 1988, he participated in the recording of the jazz album Ritual by the pianist Vladimir Maričić and his Ritual Band.

He wrote music for theatre plays Zapali me (Light Me Up), Alisa u zemlji čuda (Alice in Wonderland) Anitina čarobna soba (Anita's Magic Room), Art (all four directed by Alisa Stojanović), Cyrano de Bergerac (directed by Bule Goncić), Reservoir Dogs (directed by Omar Abu El Rub), Policajci (Policemen, directed by Darijan Mihajlović), Djetinjarije (Kid's Stuff, directed by Dušan Petrović), Popcorn, and Bliže (Closer, co-author of the music with Koki Dimuševski). As a drummer he performed in the theatre play Kako je divan taj prizor... (What a Beautiful Scene...), directed by Ljubivoje Tadić.

Đuričić also paints, mostly nudes in pointillist manner. He illustrated the book Rubato by Vladimir Savić, and the book of poems Kuća od stakla (Glass House) by Tatjana Debeljački.

Mirko Jakovljević wrote Đuričić's biography entitled Stubovi slobode (Pillars of Freedom), published in 2001.

With YU grupa

Studio albums

• Samo napred... (1979)

Singles

• "Identitet" / "Ideš mi na nerve" (1979)

With Leb i Sol

Studio albums

• Sledovanje (1982)
• Kalabalak (1983)
• Tangenta (1982)

Live albums

• Akustična trauma (1982)
• Live in New York (1991)

With Kerber

Studio albums

• Seobe (1986)
• Ljudi i bogovi (1988)
• Peta strana sveta (1990)

Live albums

• 121288 (1989)

With Nikola Čuturilo

• 9 lakih komada (1988)
• Raskršće (1989)

With Đorđe Balašević

Studio albums

• Jedan od onih života... (1993)

Solo

Studio albums

• Ritam slobode (as Dragoljub Đuričić & the Drums Company, 2001)

Live albums

• Two Drums & Percussion (as Dragoljub Đuričić Trio, 1998)

With Voodoo Popeye

Singles

• "Imamo iDeju" (1998)

With Zdravko Čolić

Live albums

• Arena 2005 – Beogradska Arena: Uživo (2005)

As session musician

With Dejan Cukić

• Spori ritam (1987)

With Jugosloveni

• Vruće osvežavajuće (1987)

With Nebojša Krstić and Srđan Šaper

• Poslednja mladost u Jugoslaviji (1987)