Cacadou Look

Cacadou Look was an all-female rock band from Opatija, formed in 1983, and the first all-female band in Yugoslavia to release an album. None of the founders could play at first: Jasmina Simić (vocals), her sister Tatjana Simić (drums), Suzana "Suzi" Kožić (bass) and the sisters Sandra Vrančić (guitar) and Tamara Vrančić (keyboards) learned at the rehearsals of the musicians they were going out with, and when most of the young men left for army service, the women kept their instruments and practised for a year. Their first songs to draw attention were "Mutno jutro" and "Izlazim u grad".

Two other all-female bands were active then, Tožibabe from Ljubljana and Boye from Novi Sad, and the three once played together. Sandra Vrančić soon married Renato Debeuc, drummer of the Rijeka band Fit, and left music; Giovanna Kirinić took over on guitar. Tamara Vrančić also left, joining Fit for a time, and after a long search Alenka Mendiković settled in on keyboards. Because a Belgrade group called Kakadu already existed, the band changed its name from Cacadou to Cacadou Look.

The demos "Sama" and "Kao pjesma", much played on radio, and appearances on Zagreb TV's Stereovizija led to a contract with Jugoton. The debut Tko mari za čari (1987) was produced by Husein Hasanefendić of Parni Valjak and Tomo In Der Mühlen, with a guest appearance by Vlada Divljan of Idoli, who wrote "Ne dozvoli". Its biggest hit was "Tako lako", a Croatian version of Buddy Holly's "It's So Easy", with a video filmed in the Rosalia casino in Opatija. Many believed session players had recorded the album, but the band's concerts proved otherwise. In 1987 they also sang "Moj car" at MESAM.

The second album, Uspavanka za Zoroa (1989), was produced by Ted Hayton and brought "Baum Bam Bam", "Baš kao nekad", "Budi mi prijatelj" and "Krenite s nama", a Croatian take on Bryan Ferry's "Let's Stick Together". An English version of "Budi mi prijatelj", "Be My Friend", appeared on Jugoton's 1990 compilation Yu-Go Pop, and in 1989 the band sang "Daj mi sve" at MESAM.

The war cut their rise short. Cacadou Look played their last concert in Zagreb on 25 May 1991, then moved to the Netherlands and left the music scene; none of them wanted a solo career without the band.