Marko Brecelj

Marko Brecelj was a Slovenian singer-songwriter, conceptual artist and the first frontman of Buldožer. He was born on 30 April 1951 in Sarajevo, lived in Maribor and later settled in Koper, the home of his work for decades. He was known for experimental songs, irony aimed at small-town society, provocative performances and an eccentric public persona. He died on 4 February 2022 in Izola.

He studied geology and then technical physics at the University of Ljubljana without finishing, and later wrote one of his best-known songs, "Alojz valček", for the mathematical physics professor Alojz Kodre. He began as a violinist in a quartet that sang spirituals and then fronted the trio Krik as singer, guitarist, violinist and songwriter. At the 1974 Youth Festival in Subotica he walked on stage with green hair and won the expert award for "Duša in jaz"; his violin was stolen there, and he gave up the instrument.

His first solo album, Cocktail (1974, ZKP RTLJ), set his songs in arrangements by Bojan Adamič for the RTV Ljubljana dance orchestra, an unusual blend of avant-garde and schlager. It included "Hiškar rogač", recorded with members of Sedem svetlobnih let, and its release was held up for six months because he wanted the contract to promise him a small rum in a nearby bar. In 1976 the album brought him the Seven Secretaries of SKOJ award, presented by Arsen Dedić.

In 1975 he and members of Sedem svetlobnih let formed Buldožer, where he sang and wrote most of the lyrics until 1979, on Pljuni istini u oči, Zabranjeno plakatirati and the soundtrack of the film Živi bili pa vidjeli. Pljuni istini u oči was ranked 7th in the 1998 book YU 100 of the best Yugoslav albums, and the Buldožer song "Novo vrijeme" was voted 91st in the Rock Express Top 100 Yugoslav Rock Songs of All Times in 2000.

After Buldožer he formed the duo Zlatni zubi with the poet Ivan "Feo" Volarič and released the 1981 single "Parada" / "Majmuni" / "Trotoari", whose songs became hits in alternative circles. He led the band Marjanov čudni zajec, recorded Desant na rt Dobre nade (1986), worked with Aleš Jošt and Primož Šmit in Javna vaja, and in 1994 recorded an album with Strelnikoff. From 1991 he ran the youth cultural centre in Koper, bringing many alternative acts there. In 2015 he released new songs on the DVD Samospevi. He received the Ježek award in 2019 and the Zlata piščal for lifetime achievement in 2020.