Interview: Dragoljub Đuričić, a world-known drummer

Energy of Drums

"The energy, by which through a drum people merely feel thunder within themselves, arises in a moment; it rises within them as boiling milk. I've got an experience of bringing the audience to the point of nervousness; we play the same rhythm, they expect change, and when their individual and collective pulse become equal, then I change rhythm and energy stirs up within them. The more energy you give, the more of it you have"


By JOVANA GRUBAČ
from Belgrade, SERBIA


"Remember if people talk behind your back, it only means you are two steps ahead"- this could be the beginning sentence of the biography of Dragoljub Đuričić, a world-known drummer. To someone known by the music he played with the group "Leb & Sol", and to someone by his performances with Zdravko Čolić. But the one who has not listened to Dragoljub Đuričić fighting against his drum "one-on-one" has indisputably missed a great privilege to be enchanted by the power of a sound in which the sounds of thunder, wind, waves crashing into rocks and the sound of Nature are interwoven. Many people talk about him, some people do not love him, but there are many more of those who love him. However, his very music, because of which he is well-known and recognized around the world, tells the best and the nicest about him.

The concert of Emma Shapplin was held within the manifestation of Roman Nights in Viminacium this August. Together with her Dragoljub Đuričić produced the magic of that night by his music.

- I am very proud of taking part in Viminacium. Emma Shapplin, her way of singing and our way of playing, in that space, was a phenomenal mixture of modernity and of something two thousand years old. I will continue to hold concerts with her further around Europe. We can best influence the mentality of a nation by cultural activities. This is certainly one of greater events, but the question is whether thus we succeeded in crossing borders, and it is important in which way things are exported abroad.

Is it important to you around the world to be known where you are from and how much is it possible to feel the spirit of our people in your music?

- Wherever I go around the world, it is important to me that "-ić" to be recognized, because what kind of music is that when it comes from nowhere? It's no music. There are few so small and so historically rich people such as Serbs. We were confronting the problem of bombing, the destruction of a nation, but that confirmed me the theory of spirit's indestructibility. Thus were produced my musical-scenery works: "The World Rising in the Balkans", "Apocalypse in the Balkans" and "Fenix Syndrome" about the indestructibility of that spirituality and I named that project "Balkan Avalanche", as I, playing with words a little, named "an operetta for drums" which realization should start soon.

You have also participated at the Festival of Street Musicians in Novi Sad. How much is a street important for music?

- A street is the main artery of a city. The Danube - Europe's main street, passes through our country, but we don't know to use it properly. The murmur of a street is the most terrifying thing in the world. A street musician's job is to keep you, to listen to him till the end and then not to know where you were going. I felt the power of a street; I played what people were murmuring. Grandma Olga told me then: "When you appear with drums, I walk and walk and I don't get tired, and otherwise, when you aren't there I am so lazy to get down from the first floor and go to the shop." A street has specific energy. In Novi Sad, a city which is not big enough, but still not so small, you can make such a procession at the festival. You can't do that in Belgrade, because it won't be seen, since it is overdosed on happenings, concerts. It is good to drink a glass of wine after lunch, but not a liter.

Are there in our country enough conditions for the education of new, musical talents, for example, of a boy such as little ?ura? who already played drums at the age of three?

- There are no conditions for the education of children who would like to be musicians by occupation. Serbia has 15 drummers of a world rank, but they don't have enough space for their job here. Only enthusiasts are seriously occupied with music here. When I met little Djuradj, a boy who had already played drums at the age of three, he was shocked, because he kept my photo in his room and when he noticed me, he didn't know where to look, he started crying and took a pacifier. And before that he was playing a drum. I told his parents to leave him to play actually by playing a drum. A drum is means of communication for me.

What is that special in your music and your energy which is always passed to the audience listening to you?

- I've always lived in a moment and almost in the future, but never completely. The energy, by which through a drum people merely feel thunder within themselves, arises in a moment; it rises within them as boiling milk. I've got an experience of bringing the audience to the point of nervousness, we play the same rhythm, they expect change, and when their individual and collective pulse become equal, then I change rhythm and energy stirs up within them. The more energy you give, the more of it you have...

Is that energy of our audience that makes our festivals, such as Exit and Guča, so interesting in the world?

- Of course. Energy of our audience is what makes those festivals interesting to foreigners. I think that Guča is more interesting, although I am personally a bigger fan of Exit. If fifteen years ago someone had told me that Serbian trumpet would begin to rule around the world, I would not have believed in it. If Kusturica and Bregović hadn't seen Serbian culture and music from Paris's point of view, they would never have made out of London what they did. Intelligent people have an idea, and profiteers work it out. It's the same as when Vim Venders made film Social Club, and after that Cuban music started ruling the world. I would only remark that Exit offers too much information in a moment.

Besides music, your great love is painting and film, as well.

- The scenario I am writing deals with a 7-day-long war against an imaginary enemy, where I humorously present human delusion according to which when you lose everything that is material and spiritual, you realize that you didn't have an enemy. And painting is a thing in which one is with oneself. A painting is opening slowly and it is usually a mirror of one's soul. What I want to do should not be excessive, in order to be able to last and to entertain me. I've worked with ?oli? for ten years; that's ten years of energy exchange. He was committed to hit, but I wasn't. The time came to get down to some of my ideas which I keep in my mind for long, both in the field of music and painting. I've even got an idea for a novel, but I only have to find someone who types quickly.

You are always ready to listen to new, positive things, and thus you took part in the performance "Children from the Zoo Station".

- The last thing I did was the musical "Children from the Zoo Station" together with a dance group "Viva Dance" from Novi Sad. We are playing on cans, not on drums. Women dancers carry out the performance full of youth energy which only talks about better tomorrow. Moica Horvat is a producer and choreographer, and I made music. The performance was played several times and every time I was touched by the play of those children.

Just as you recognize positive new things in music, you do the same when it comes to modern technology. What do you thing about new means of communication recently popular?

- I respect every age. I was born with a rag-ball, my mother bought me a caramel per week. Today people misuse new means of communication, because they think they are more courageous behind them. My communication on Facebook or MySpace is also the way in which people will meet my music and I'm surprised how many of them have recognized that energy.


(Published: 15.11.2008.)