Reason for Warning: This page documents a music movement that deliberately appropriates and romanticizes the imagery of the Yugoslav Partisan struggle of World War II. The content features wartime imagery, militaristic fashion, and socialist political symbols (e.g., the red star and Socialist Realist art) to address underlying ethnic and political tensions in former Yugoslavia. Viewer discretion is advised.
The New Partisans (Serbo-Croatian: Novi Partizani / Нови Партизани) were a short-lived music and visual movement on the Yugoslav rock scene during the mid-1980s. Centered in Sarajevo, the movement was led by the established band Bijelo Dugme and younger acts Plavi Orkestar and Merlin.[1]
The aesthetic is defined by a blend of mainstream pop rock with Balkan folk music, but its most distinctive feature was its heavy use of lyrics and imagery inspired by the Yugoslav Partisans of World War II and the state ideology of "Brotherhood and Unity." At a time of rising ethnic nationalism in post-Tito Yugoslavia, the New Partisans movement was a deliberately pro-Yugoslav, anti-nationalist cultural statement.[2]
History[]
The New Partisans movement emerged in the mid-1980s as a response to the growing political and ethnic tensions that threatened to fracture Yugoslavia. The bands sought to counteract the rise of nationalism by promoting a form of "original Yugoslavism." They did this by re-appropriating the heroic and romanticized imagery of the Partisan struggle, which was a foundational myth of the socialist Yugoslav state and a powerful symbol of multi-ethnic unity.[2]
The movement was not an expression of support for the ruling communist party, but rather a nostalgic and often critical appeal to the founding ideals of the country. It was an attempt to use the shared cultural memory of the anti-fascist struggle to advocate for peace and unity in the face of imminent conflict.
Visuals and Fashion[]
The New Partisans aesthetic was most clearly expressed through its highly symbolic album art and the on-stage fashion of the bands. The movement was known for its deliberate recontextualization of historical and political imagery.
- The album covers are the most iconic artifacts of the aesthetic.
- Bijelo Dugme initiated the style with their 1984 album, which used the famous Serbian romantic painting The Kosovo Maiden on its cover. Their 1986 follow-up, Pljuni i zapjevaj moja Jugoslavijo, featured a photograph of a Chinese socialist realist ballet.
- Plavi Orkestar's 1985 debut, Soldatski bal, parodied The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's cover, replacing the original figures with Yugoslav historical personalities.
- Merlin's 1986 album, Teško meni sa tobom, featured a two-sided cover juxtaposing an image of Marilyn Monroe with the iconic WWII photograph of the female Partisan fighter Milja Marin (the Kozarčanka).
On stage, the bands adopted a look that directly referenced Partisan history. This included stylized army uniforms, military boots, and traditional wool socks known as partizanke (Partisan socks). Live performances often incorporated socialist imagery, with concerts opening to the sound of "The Internationale" or band members shouting the state motto, "Brotherhood! Unity!" (Bratstvo! Jedinstvo!).[1]
Music[]
Characteristics[]
The music of the New Partisans movement was a blend of mainstream pop rock and power pop with prominent elements of traditional Balkan folk music. The sound was melodic and accessible, but it was set apart by its lyrical content and the incorporation of historical musical themes. Bands often adapted melodies from old Yugoslav revolutionary anthems and Partisan songs, most notably Bijelo Dugme's cover of "Padaj silo i nepravdo" ("Fall, Oh Force and Injustice"). The lyrics were central to the movement, focusing on themes of Yugoslavism, the state motto of "Brotherhood and Unity," pacifism, and a romanticized nostalgia for the anti-fascist struggle of World War II.
Artists[]
- Bijelo Dugme
- Plavi Orkestar
- Merlin
Notable Albums[]
- Bijelo Dugme ("Kosovka devojka") (1984) by Bijelo Dugme
- Soldatski bal (1985) by Plavi Orkestar
- Pljuni i zapjevaj moja Jugoslavijo (1986) by Bijelo Dugme
- Smrt fašizmu! (1986) by Plavi Orkestar
- Teško meni sa tobom (a još teže bez tebe) (1986) by Merlin
- Ćiribiribela (1988) by Bijelo Dugme
Criticism[]
The New Partisans movement was heavily criticized by the Yugoslav music press and the more alternative-oriented public. There were two main lines of critique:
- The fusion of mainstream rock with folk music was dismissed as kitsch and a form of "bad taste," often compared unfavorably to the state-promoted "newly-composed folk music."
- The movement was seen as insincere and hypocritical. Critics accused the wealthy, established rock stars of cynically exploiting patriotic and socialist symbols for commercial gain[Note 1] while defending a failing political system.[1]
Faced with this negative reception and the rapidly worsening political situation in Yugoslavia, the movement quickly faded. By 1988, its key bands had moved on to other themes, and the "Partisan offensive" on the rock scene was over.
Resources[]
- New Partisans (Rate Your Music)
Gallery[]
Notes[]
- ↑ See also Communist Chic.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "New Partisans" on en.wikipedia.org
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "New Primitives & New Partisans: A Discussion" on yugoslavpunk.omeka.net
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