20th Century Man

Artists

Album Info

Release Date: 2013-06-21

Label: Pate Records

Croatian singer and songwriter Gibonni has developed one of most fascinant musical careers in south eastern Europe. In last ten years, five of his albums were leading top ten list in this region. It is enough to say that his album Mirakul (Miracle) in 2001 at the territory of Croatia and Slovenia that counts 6.5 million people, got sold in unbelievable 106,000 copies.
Born on August 13th 1968 in Split, Croatia as Zlatan Stipisic to a musical family – he’s the son of the late Ljubo Stipisic, [famous composer of traditional klapa music, a form unique to the Dalmatian region].
Unsurprisingly, with a childhood steeped in music, Gibonni was writing and composing from an early age.
The Early Years
In 1985 Gibonni formed Croatian heavy metal band Osmi Putnik (Eighth Passenger – the name of the movie Alien in Croatia).
Gibonni fronted the band as lead vocalist. They released three successful albums: Ulicna Molitva (Street Prayer) which launched the group on the Yugoslav heavy-metal scene – Glasno,glasnije (Loud, louder) title track adopted by the Hajduk Split football team – and Gibonni’s final album with the band, 1988′s magnificently titled Nije isto bubanj I harmonika (My Dear Sisters…Drums and Accordion are not the same).
After Osmi Putnik, Gibonni briefly joined heavy metal band Divlje Jagode (Wild Strawberries) as singer in 1989. A short stint with Berlin based German rockers V2 followed, before Gibonni made a break, deciding to launch a solo career.
Going Solo
Gibonni released his first solo album in 1991 – Sa mnom ili bez mene (With or Without Me). His debut work was well-received but the real breakthrough as a composer came with the song Cesarica (Empress) which earned massive popularity for fellow Croatian singer, Oliver Dragojevic. The song has since become a Croatian classic.
Becoming a solo artist led to wide-spread popularity – abandoning the big hair and Spandex of the heavy metal days, Gibonni’s music evolved into a modern rock / pop blend with an organic twist. The early nineties, a time of turmoil and unrest in the Balkans, saw Gibonni’s insightful lyrics connect strongly with the youth of Croatia.
Over the next decade his reputation grew as a charismatic performer. He regularly filled stadiums and arenas in his homeland. Critical and popular acclaim followed with the release of four best-selling albums; Judi, zviri i beštimje (People, Beasts and Curses), Mirakul (Miracle), which confirmed his position at the top of the Croatian music scene, Unca fibre (Ounce of Fibre) and Toleranca (Tolerance). Gibonni was also nominated for artist of the year (Best Adria Act) in the MTV awards 2010.

Many internationally known musicians participated at Gibonni's albums. From Toni Levin who worked with Peter Gabriel or John Lennon band to Manu Katche (Sting, Peter Gabriel, Joe Satriani...). Guitar player Tommy Emmanuel also took part as well as London Gospel Choir that won Grammy awards and the Oscar award for Lion King.
Today, Gibonni’s live performances are notable for the warm and intimate atmosphere he creates, whether dive bar, or cavernous football stadium – audiences are rewarded with the same treatment.
Alongside his regular output, Gibonni enjoys working in differing artistic areas. In 1994 he wrote the musical score for Croatian National Theatre’s production of Hamlet. He’s collaborated with notable film makers Zdenko Basic and Manuel Sumberac, providing the musical scores for several acclaimed animated films. In 2001 he scored the music for The Last Will, a movie starring fellow Croatian and ER heartthrob, Goran Visnjic.
And it’s not only the fans that appreciate Gibonni. The music industry in Croatia have recognised his contribution to music with many Porins (Croatian equivalent of a Grammy). In fact, Gibonni is the proud recipient of no less than thirty of them.
Gibonni regularly undertakes a wide range of humanitarian projects, perhaps the most high profile of which is his role as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for Croatia. He’s taken part in successful benefit concerts in support of disasters such as the Haiti earthquake, the Japanese tsunami and the Rwandan conflict.
Closer to home he regularly supports Croatian causes – his poetry, for example, has been produced in Braille – the proceeds going to support the blind in the local community.
What’s Next?
The release of Gibonni’s long-awaited English language album is scheduled for 2013. Put together with the help of award-winning British producer, Andy Wright, the much anticipated album promises to spark plenty of interest both at home in Croatia, and to a wider audience beyond.