Laza Ristovski

Laza Ristovski, born Lazar Ristovski on 23 January 1956 in Novi Pazar, was a Yugoslav and Serbian keyboard player and composer, known from Smak and Bijelo Dugme and for solo work that crossed many genres. His father Đorđe was an army officer and his mother Radmila a teacher of Russian; when he was two the family moved to Kraljevo, where he grew up. He started on the accordion at five and at fourteen formed his first band, Bezimeni.

In 1974 the clarinettist Boki Milošević heard Bezimeni in Bečići and took him to Belgrade to play in his orchestra. That autumn he began playing with Smak and became a member in January 1975, recording the debut album Smak, the EP Satelit and singles such as "Ulazak u harem" and "Ljudi nije fer". In October 1976 Goran Bregović persuaded him to join Bijelo Dugme in place of Vlado Pravdić, who was doing army service, and he played on Eto! Baš hoću! and the live Koncert kod Hajdučke česme. With drummer Ipe Ivandić he recorded the symphonic rock album Stižemo in London in 1978, with Vlatko Stefanovski of Leb i Sol on guitar.

Back with Smak he made Rok cirkus (1980) and Zašto ne volim sneg (1981). His solo debut Merge (1982) became the best-selling instrumental album in Yugoslavia in 1983, and 2/3, Vojnički dani and Roses for a General followed. From 1985 until the band broke up in 1989 he was again in Bijelo Dugme, on Pljuni i zapjevaj moja Jugoslavijo, Ćiribiribela and the live Mramor, kamen i željezo. In 1990 he joined Osvajači, playing on and co-producing their debut Krv i led.

His later albums include Quit (1993), Naos (1994) with Saša Lokner of Bajaga i Instruktori, Gondola (2003) and an album of Simon & Garfunkel songs (2006). He wrote film music for Lazar, Pretty Village, Pretty Flame and Impure Blood, among others, and played on records by Slađana Milošević, Zana, Željko Bebek, Aska, Bebi Dol and Galija. Yugoslav music magazines voted him the best keyboard player eleven years running.

Though in a wheelchair because of multiple sclerosis, Laza Ristovski played at Bijelo Dugme's three reunion concerts in June 2005. He died in Belgrade on 6 October 2007, and his last album, Drvo života, came out in 2008 with guests including Dragi Jelić and Dado Topić. In 2016 the tribute concert Iza horizonta was held for him at Sava Centar.