ODJILA

Odjila was founded in 1983. The word “Odjila” is a compound of two words in Romani language: “Odji” meaning “soul” and “djila” meaning “song”. The music they play is generally referred to as Gypsy music, which is the traditional music of the Romani people of Eastern Europe.
The band was founded by Igor Dunjić-Zveržhanovski and Slobodan Simonović, who first performed as a duet. Soon after they were joined by Davorka Bosnić and Sanja Uzelac, and subsequently by Boris Nikolić, Andrej Stefanović and Nikola Diklić.
The group released five albums. Their third album called Odjila − muzika iz filmova, featured the music from the films in which they participated either as musicians or actors. Among these films are The Dark Side of the Sun (starring Brad Pitt in one of the first leading roles in his career), Drugi čovek (Second Man), Osmi dan u nedelji (Eighth Day of the Week, with Davorka Bosnić in the principal role) etc. They also took part in the theatre play Letimo, srešćemo se (We Fly, We Will Meet) directed by Stevo Žigon, both as actors and singers.
Odjila was the first popular music band which had a concert at the Kolarac hall in Belgrade, and the first band which played in Maribor theatre, ever since it was founded in the late 19th century. They used to enjoy huge popularity in former Yugoslavia, where they performed all around the country. They represented Yugoslavia in the World Festival of Gypsy Music in London in 1988.
Odjila members split in 1990, with the onset of Yugoslav Wars. Davorka Bosnić and guitarist Nikola Diklić continued to use the name Odjila and performed mostly in Italy and ex-Yugoslav republics. They released a studio album Fantasia Tzigana in Belgrade in 1994, authored and produced by Nikola Diklić.
In May 2003, the band published another album called Odjila in Nederland, which was published in the Netherlands. The album featured all original members of Odjila with the exception of Bosnić, who was replaced by Gordana Svilarević. Odjila was finally reunited in 2007 and its current members are Bosnić, Uzelac, Nikolić, Stefanović and Simonović.
Odjila define their style as Gypsy music, based on the tradition of the Romen Theatre from Moscow and the music from legendary films such as Gypsies Fly to the Sky. When asked about their music, Davorka Bosnić described the band in the following words:
“What are we similar to? A painter's canvas… The Moon, stuck in the poplar’s tree crown… A land shaking from the force of the coming lava… Gentle caress of a warm wind… A tender touch of something known, of a palm… A lament and a cry, a prayer and a downpour… Mud on the shoes and a child in the womb… Roaring of hungry lions… Wild horses, unbridled and free… Light in the darkness… A long road and a parcel carried in the heart.”