Indexi at Cankarjev Dom (2007)

Arhiv Arhiv Last updated 11 June 2026

Venue: Ljubljana, Cankarjev Dom
Concert date: 08.10.2007
Attendance: 1500
Ticket price: 25 to 35 EUR

In the sixties and seventies, Indexi were one of the most popular bands in the former shared country, so it’s no surprise at all that their return to the stage was a big deal for everyone who loves their music. They did already come back once, in 1999, but there was none of this euphoria back then. When they wanted to release the album Kameni Cvijetovi, they had a hell of a time finding a label, since practically no big label cared about their comeback. But once Davorin Popović and Slobodan A. Kovačević had left this world, the situation changed. As so often happens, after the death of two members Indexi were suddenly an attraction again for every Yugo-nostalgic out there.

Indexi are returning to the stage with just one original member (who didn’t play on Kameni Cvijetovi), longtime bassist Fadil Redžić. I have to ask myself whether it even makes sense to carry on without Davorin Popović, who was the “voice” of the band and one of its most recognizable elements. Popović didn’t do much of the songwriting, but sonically he was roughly as important to Indexi as Freddie Mercury was to Queen or Jim Morrison to The Doors. Personally, I think Davorin simply can’t be replaced. But clearly plenty of other people would disagree. The remaining Indexi decided to fill the gap left by Davorin’s departure with the cream of the crop of “schlager” singers from former Yugoslavia. I’m much more of a fan of Indexi’s progressive material, so I knew this move couldn’t mean anything good. I’d also seen the show Indexi played in Zagreb a while back, and I knew the concert at Cankarjev Dom would be anything but a feast for fans of more artistically inclined music. Instead it would be a far more popular, and I’d even dare say commercial, affair. The names of the vocalists alone make it plain that “Indexi” wanted to put on something that would draw in as many listeners as possible: Hari Mata Hari, Zoran Predin, Aki Rahimovski, Branko Đurič, Željko Bebek, Tifa, Saša Lošič, Vlado Kreslin, Giuliano, Dado Topič, Toni Cetinski and others. Most of these singers are so annoying that it makes me shudder to associate them with a band that, with Modra Rijeka, created one of the most beautiful albums in former Yugoslavia.

Luckily, the impression was somewhat salvaged by a bunch of former members, whom I personally still count among the best in the business. Legendary bassist Fadil Redžić was joined by a few other legends, including Kornelije Kovač (Korni Grupa), the excellent composer and keyboardist Ranko Rihtman, Nenead Jurin, Miroslav Šaranović and a few less conspicuous members.

Considering that Indexi were already popular forty years ago, the makeup of the crowd was no surprise. It was mostly members of the “old guard” who showed up, though there were also a few younger fans who came to cheer on the legendary band for one reason or another (I suspect quite a few of them came to cheer on Giuliano).

The show kicked off with its first highlight, the song Plima, sung by Željko Bebek (Bijelo Dugme). I expected his hoarse voice wouldn’t fit, but it worked surprisingly well. Next up was Zoran Predin, who also acted as a kind of host. He did a solid job too. The start of the concert was pretty promising. The next two songs (one of them sung by Branko Đurić) already painted a different picture, since they were more commercial affairs, but still digestible. Sarajevska Kiša, sung by Tarik Filipović (the host of the Croatian Millionaire), was solid as well, even if already pretty chanson-like. Tifa also delivered Krivac Si Ti at a decent level, but the standard kept dropping. The songs got more and more commercial, and the singers more and more ill-suited. The peak of that unsuitability came when Saša Lošić and Vlado Kreslin performed Jutro Če Promijeniti Sve. Kreslin alone wouldn’t have bothered me that much, but Lošić is simply not right for Indexi’s music. Let him stick to his teary ballads so we can all be happier. The standard went up a bit again when Bebek returned to the stage with Negdje Na Kraju U Zatišju. Then came the saccharine Ti Si Mi Bila Naj, Naj, and the impression was patched up by Halid Bešlič and the interesting, Arabic-flavored Snijeg Pade Na Behar Na Voče, a cover of a traditional sevdalinka (a Muslim love song). And then the concert went to hell. Dado Topič, with his forced rocker image and hoarse voice, showed how unsuited he is to this kind of pop music, and Giuliano did enchant the audience (especially the female half), but his whiny (and artificially operatic) voice nearly made me want to stuff a hankie in my ears. In the end, Toni Cetinski surprised me after all, singing Da Sam Ja Netko pretty well. After a thunderous round of applause came the encore, which struck me as pointless, since they played songs that had already been played. Everyone who’d taken part in the concert stood on stage (except Kornelije Kovač, who miraculously vanished), singing, clapping, or just staring into space.

The purpose of the concert was clear from the very start. It was a big spectacle in which the vocalists were swapped in and out as if on a conveyor belt, keeping the audience busy the whole time watching the big stars. One after another, the entertainers got huge ovations, and the more syrupy the singer, the wilder the crowd went. This was especially noticeable with the “pretty boy” Giuliano, where the women simply couldn’t contain themselves. This kind of star obsession at a gig by such an important band further wrecks the credibility that Indexi could have won back with this concert (had they approached it differently), and which they earned over the years. The instrumentalists also swapped places many times: there were quite a few keyboardists, both Redžićs took turns on bass, and there were two drummers too. Only the guitarist stayed the same throughout.

The audience reactions were interesting too (and not all that surprising). The songs with greater artistic value that were a bit less melodic got a much cooler reception than the punchier ones. The dumber the lyrics, the more the crowd sang along. Songs that were more interesting, like Snijega Pada and Plima, somehow didn’t have the same effect. You could tell there were quite a few enthusiasts who enjoyed those too, but they were in the minority. Songs with outrageously dumb lyrics (like Ti si mi bila naj, naj), on the other hand, were met with thunderous applause.

Since I’m already grumbling this much, I’ll say a few words about Ljubljana’s mayor too. It bugs me when politics butts into music. It bugs me when a concert stops so that Ljubljana’s “godfather” can say a few words and bless this magnificent event, which supposedly wouldn’t have happened without him. And it bugs me how the crowd hysterically clapped and whooped at every mention of Mr. Janković. Sure, the mayor was the honorary patron of the concert, but people don’t have to act like sheep following their shepherd (the one who dug up half of Ljubljana).

Maybe my account of the concert came out pretty negative, but that’s mainly because this band, and especially the album Modra Rijeka, mean a lot to me. Even though I expected a similar repertoire, I still hoped they’d play a few more of the better, or at least more interesting, songs. On a couple of tracks that I otherwise like quite a lot, the impression was spoiled by pretty poor, overly modern arrangements. The most irritating part, though, was the vocalists anyway (with a few exceptions), because Davorin Popović and his unique voice can’t be replaced by some sugar-coated showbiz crooner. Željko Bebek, Halid Bešlić, Zoran Predin and (surprisingly) Toni Cetinski did their jobs well and made decent stand-ins for Popović, while the rest of the “pretty boys” mangled and tarnished Popović’s songs, especially Giuliano, who tried to belt out the choruses in an operatic style (and three times louder than before). Kreslin’s vocals are too rough for Popović’s refined style, and the same goes for Dado Topič, whose voice is getting ever rougher and better suited to hard rock. So, what else is there to say? The singers were mostly a bad fit, while the music itself was played very well and cleanly. Sadly, there were no big standout moments, just a few interesting instrumental parts on piano, organ and guitar. For me personally, the highlights were Plima and the Arabic-flavored Snijega Pada… Unlike Leb I sol, who with the first half of their concert did at least pay tribute to their progressive period, Indexi didn’t do that. True, Leb I Sol made that kind of music for longer, but Indexi could have been prouder of some of their art rock peaks too. Indexi delivered a good “folk” party but left a poor artistic impression.

Text and photos: Rok Podgrajšek

Setlist

1. Plima
2. Pružam ruke
3. U jednim plavim očima
4. Ispijmo zlatni pehar
5. Sarajevska kiša
6. Krivac si ti
7. Jutro če promijeniti sve
8. Žute dunje
9. Budi kao more
10. Sve ove godine
11. Predaj se srce
12. Negdje na kraju, u zatišju
13. Ti si mi bila naj, naj
14. Snijeg pada na behar na voče
15. Svijet u kome živim
16. Pjesma za Davora
17. Bacila je sve niz rijeku
18. Sanjam
19. Balada
20. Da sam ja netko