Ciao a tutti!
Di recente ho scritto una recensione di Questo è Walter Di Zabranjeno Pušenje e volevo condividerlo qui, dal momento che conosco il significato della band e dell’album per le persone della regione.
In verità, questo disco mi ha davvero lasciato senza fiato. Non è solo satirico, politico, punk o garage – in qualche modo riesce a essere tutte queste cose, raccontando anche la storia di Sarajevo e l’area più ampia. Ogni traccia è ricca di riferimenti culturali, regionali e storici, e il suono stesso è selvaggio …
Non vengo dalla regione, ma in realtà è ciò che ha fatto sentire questo album ancora più speciale per me: premia la curiosità. Mi sono ritrovato a cercare ogni testo, nome, riferimento e buchi di coniglio sul nuovo movimento di primitivismo, le Olimpiadi invernali del 1984 e la prigione di Zenica. È un pezzo d’arte denso, divertente, commovente e affascinante!
Mi piacerebbe sentire cosa significhi questo album per le persone qui, specialmente se ricordi quando è uscito o cresciuto. Come ti regge ai giorni nostri?
Ecco la recensione se qualcuno vuole leggere di più.
Grazie per la lettura!
Discovering Zabranjeno Pušenje’s Das Ist Walter – An Outsider's Perspective
byu/Western_Key_5453 inbih
di Western_Key_5453
3 commenti
My dad is from Zenica but arrived to Australia at a very young age. Zenica Blues was one of those songs that I had a soft spot for growing up not only because of my roots, but the storytelling and dark humour behind it. That kind of music appealed to me much more than the traditional folk stuff.
When I listen to this song today, or any music by Zabranjeno Pušenje, it feels nostalgic. It reminds me of the days my dad would get absolutely blind with his mates in my childhood home lol.
>Pamtim To Kao Da Je Bilo Danas (“I Remember It Like It Was Today”) shifts toward folk and storytelling, with Karajlić recounting a grandfather’s wisdom: ignore tactics, aim for heaven, and you’ll end up playing in Vratnik. Vratnik is a Sarajevo neighbourhood that, for those outside Bosnia, might be equal parts mystery and punchline — though I’ll admit I don’t know exactly what the joke is.
I think you’re encountering a language barrier here more than anything else. “grandfather”, “heaven” etc imply that the translation you’re using is mediocre. It’s his father, and the heaven (raja?) is supposed to be friends. The joke (or, rather, the moral of the story) is that “those who put friendships over playing it smart end up in lower tiers”.
Overall, the lyrics are dense with slang and innuendo, so any literal translation is bound to fail. I’m sure there’s a decent (explained) translation around, but if nobody posts it, I can make you one if you’re interested.
Alongside their [second album](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV40NQp34bI) and Električni orgazam’s [Lišće prekriva Lisabon](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGFtw5SqSHA), this is likely the finest (post-)punk record of Yugoslavia’s golden New Wave era. Unlike many other celebrated albums from that time, it still sounds fresh today. Heck, I’ll just say it: it’s still ahead of its damn time.
I strongly recommend listening to *Dok čekaš sabah sa šejtanom*. *Das ist Walter* is raw – in the best sense of the word – but *Šejtan* is superior musically, lyrically, and thematically.
I still sit at night and wonder how something like these two albums could have been made here. Yes, the music scene was exploding with creativity, but even so, how was this ever possible?
The only explanation I can offer is that it was a unique historical convergence: a moment when the world was torn between two zeitgeists, when a well-educated and carefree youth in the 1980s moved and created unburdened by fear of inadequacy (unlike today) combined with the particular creative chemistry between Nele and Sejo.
Thanks for reviewing!