Bora Đorđević once spoke about his band, but also revealed why he was absent from the concert for the hungry in Africa.
Source: Stefan Stojanović/MONDO
One of the most famous and certainly the most successful bands active in the Yugoslavian era is “Fish Broth” whose fans span many generations, including today’s youth.
The band was formed in 1978 in Belgrade, and Bora Đorđević, better known as Bora Čorba, has been the frontman since the very beginning. During the 1980s and 1990s, the group set records, and more tickets were requested for each of their concerts. “Fish Stew” will soon mark the anniversary of its big concert in Belgrade, and on that occasion, Bora’s interview in cooperation with “Yugopapir” from 1985 surfaced, in which he also answered a question about the concert that was then organized at “Marakana” for starving in Africa.
“Fish soup”, according to media reports, did not perform at the mentioned event. There was long speculation about the reasons, some even criticized the famous band, and Bora spoke only once on the subject. In his big interview from 1985, he revealed what happened and why they were absent from the concert where numerous stars of the former Yugoslavia performed:
“People ask me why Chorba was not at the rock concert at the Maracana to help hungry Africa. It’s my turn to answer, it’s not nice for the friends of Riblja Chorba (and there are still such people) to be in a dilemma whether we have gone bad or have a small heart, as he said one on TV. We have already played for Ethiopia. It was a nice concert at the Sava Center. We came there and sang ‘Look at your home, angel,’ a song very adequate for the purpose of the event. Some serious artists performed (Zubović, Kolundžija), children (Kolibri) and us. I didn’t see the other rockers. I guess they weren’t called,” Bora began the story.
“The event was under the auspices of UNICEF. It was broadcast on TV, and over a billion old dinars were collected in aid. By the way, Riblja chorba is a very nice band. It often plays for free. As far as I remember: for the construction of the USAOJ home in Bihać , at the YU youth festival in Belgrade, at the night of the relay here, the night of the relay there, for Palestine on Marx and Engels Square… In Sofia and Plovdiv, we represented our wonderful youth for nothing at the event ‘Balkans, a zone without nuclear weapons’. We played for cerebral palsy, for dystrophy, for the blind, deaf, flu and other patients, for victims of earthquakes, floods (if a volcano erupts, we’re here), for celebrations, jubilees, funerals, funerals… Chorba is an orchestra for every occasion. “If it’s your child’s birthday, call us, we’ll play for free. The fact that we’re professionals and we make a living from gigs and that we have the status of naked go*ans in society, that doesn’t matter,” said Bora 38 years ago.
A 38-YEAR-OLD SECRET! “Fish soup” was under fire because of a concert
(photo: MONDO – Petar Stojanović)
Source: Mondo/Stefan StojanovićNo. image: 11 1 / 11 Source: Mondo/Stefan StojanovićNo. image: 11 2 / 11 Source: Mondo/Stefan StojanovićNo. image: 11 3 / 11 AD Source: Mondo/Stefan StojanovićNo. image: 11 4 / 11 Source: Mondo/Stefan StojanovićNo. image: 11 5 / 11 Source: Mondo/Stefan StojanovićNo. image: 11 6 / 11 AD Source: Mondo/Stefan StojanovićNo. image: 11 7 / 11 Source: MN Press/archiveNo. picture: 11 8 / 11 Source: MONDO, Stefan StojanovićNo. image: 11 9 / 11 AD Source: MN PRESSNo. picture: 11 10 / 11 Source: Mondo – Petar StojanovićNo. picture: 11 11 / 11
Then he returned to the topic:
“But, what did I want? Yes: my friend, a TV host, came to my rummy game and I asked him if he was doing that concert at the ‘Maracana’? ‘I’m not,’ says my friend. They offered him to be in a numerous organizational order and to chase sponsors for money. The principle is simple: you chase a sponsor who spits money, and then from that figure you get a certain percentage for the effort – from 10 percent, upwards. It stinks to my friend, so he won’t. It stinks to me too. Then, my manager joins me for brandy. We talk about that concert. I tell him that Chorba is not participating. He laughs and claims that we must participate, whoever does not participate will be removed from TV for at least a year. The bet also falls. He says that we have to play there. I got it. But it looks like he will get it too,” he said.
“There’s no point in talking about the concert. It’s lucky that only the Czechs watched us. I guess the Cubans watched the American TV program when they were close by. The only accurate assessment of the quality of the concert was unknowingly pronounced on stage by Milić Vukašinović… Good thing the English have English grass so can trample and destroy, Zvezda trava was not available to our audience,” added Bora Chorba.
“The initiative for the YU rock mission was started by Karolj Kovač from Novi Sad, the Socialist Youth Association and the famous TV show Hit (half) month. They won political points, some received monthly awards and I expect that their busts will soon be placed in front of the Television building. Although, I’m not sure that some of them even know where Ethiopia is. But it’s important to get a few more political points, a medal on the chest, save the town, progress… Finally, two or three more words about the occasion. Africa needs help. Ethiopia is , they say, destroyed Haile Selassie, the emperor with a street in Belgrade, Ja, Ras Tafari, the walking God. Those who took him down are celebrating their revolution by making grand celebrations and spending dollars while people die and the world collects money,” he explained.
Yu Rock mission Source: YouTube/ EX YU ARCHIVE
He also referred to help in our area:
“But we also have some problems and some people who deserve help. I suggested to some acquaintances an action where all the proceeds would go, for example, to vulnerable Serbs in Kosovo. There, some people run away, some don’t manage to escape, some are beaten, and some are poisoned For example, let’s play for Šarić. In order not to appear chauvinistic, I expanded the idea. A concert for all the vulnerable: Serbs in Kosovo, Croats from Gradišće and Carinthian Slovenes, for Macedonians in Bulgaria and Greece, for Bosnians working temporarily in Slovenia, for Albanians in Kraljevo… They laugh, they think: “Bora is kidding. I’m not kidding, only such a fund doesn’t exist yet. PS We were supposed to go to Moscow for the World Youth Festival, but some conscious young people explained that we didn’t eligible, so we will play country festivals around Vojvodina. It started, it started. We didn’t play at a concert for the hungry in Africa because no one called us. Bob Geldof didn’t have my phone, otherwise we would have been very happy to perform – at Wembley,” Bora concluded in his style.
Source: Mondo/Stefan Stojanović