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Paraf Prepares Final Rijeka Concert: 'Punk is a Loud Cry from the Margins'

From Veฤernji List · () Croatian

Translated from Croatian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Sources not specified New plan
  • Legendary Croatian punk band Paraf is preparing for their final concert in Rijeka on May 29.
  • The concert marks 50 years of the band's activity and will feature a promotion of their new album, their first since 1984.
  • Singer Pavica ฤŒabrljan reflected on the band's beginnings, describing the punk scene in socialist Yugoslavia as a voice for the marginalized.

Legendary Croatian punk band Paraf is set to play their final concert in Rijeka on May 29, marking 50 years of their influential career. The show, rescheduled from April due to illness among band members, will also serve as a promotion for their new studio album, "Paraf." This album is significant as it's their first since the iconic "Zastava" in 1984 and brings together all phases and lineups of the band.

Energy, defiance, youth, pack, extension cords, improvisations...

· Pavica ฤŒabrljanRecalling the atmosphere of the band's early concerts.

Paraf is recognized as a pivotal band in Croatian and Yugoslavian punk, whose raw sound in the late 1970s shaped a generation's attitude and significantly influenced the region's alternative music scene. Singer Pavica ฤŒabrljan, who joined in 1981, recalled the early concerts with a mix of "energy, defiance, youth, pack, extension cords, improvisations." She admitted that at 16 or 17, their focus was on their anger towards society and their desire to play music, rather than fully grasping their role in the burgeoning punk movement.

Can you imagine what and how much you can understand when you are 16-17 years old, hahaha, we were very angry at the society around us and had a huge desire to play.

· Pavica ฤŒabrljanOn whether the band members realized they were part of the punk movement's beginnings.

ฤŒabrljan described the experience of being a punk in socialist Yugoslavia as being "exposed, unwanted, potentially dangerous" to a society that initially tried to suppress this "ideological scourge." Many faced social discipline, though she noted the pressure eventually eased. She highlighted the unique character of Rijeka's punk scene, contrasting it with scenes in Ljubljana and Zagreb. Rijeka, a socialist realist city with factories, a port, and a shipyard, was a melting pot of people from across Yugoslavia, creating a context of "lost countrymen, lumpenproletariat workers, children of workers without perspective, but with huge pent-up energy and a desire for change." This environment, she explained, allowed punk to shape the city's spirit and urban culture, opening doors for creativity.

exposed, unwanted, potentially dangerous for a society that initially tried very hard to prevent this 'ideological scourge'

· Pavica ฤŒabrljanDescribing the experience of being a punk in socialist Yugoslavia.
About this summary

Originally published by Veฤernji List in Croatian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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