Croatian Guitarist Deni Kožić Dies at 62

Deni Kožić, the guitarist seen standing with his instrument atop a building on Zagreb’s Ban Jelačić Square in Film’s cult video for “Good Vibrations,” has died at 62. Dallas Records announced that he died on Sept. 1.

Kožić spent decades moving through Croatia’s rock scene as a guitarist, singer-songwriter and collaborator. He played with Ritam s ovoga svijeta, Psihomodo Pop, Film, Pips, Chips & Videoclips, Pjer Žardin & Pas od slame and Den Deri.

His musical career began during his school years, when he formed Obiteljska zavjera with Saša Brnčić and Kamenko Šimunović. In the early 1980s, while studying at the School of Applied Arts, he met Vlatko Ćavar Brada and Robert Jurić Jure. Together they formed Ritam s ovoga svijeta, whose first album appeared in 1986 with guests including Margita Stefanović of EKV, members of Haustor’s brass section and Marino Pelajić of Film. Vedran Božić produced the record.

Kožić later joined the Ivan Goran Kovačić Academic Choir and helped create the radio drama “Universal 87 Miseries,” broadcast on Radio 101 during Zagreb’s 1987 Universiade. In recent years, he focused increasingly on his own songwriting, releasing “Stranded” in 2014, followed by “Major Tom,” “Eco Fuel” and “Two,” a duet with Ljubica Gurdulić, formerly of Svadbas.

Friends, colleagues and music fans mourned a versatile figure whose work extended beyond a list of bands and recordings. Dallas Records expressed condolences to his family, friends and everyone who knew him.

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Universal 87 Miseries