Heroji (, transl. Heroes) were a Yugoslav rock band formed in Belgrade in 1986.
Heroji were formed by vocalist Vladimir ÃÂurià"ÃÂura", who was soon joined by vocalist Milutin PetroviÃÂ, both of them graduates from the Belgrade Faculty of Dramatic Arts. The band had unsteady lineup until 1988, when a lineup consisting of ÃÂuriÃÂ, PetroviÃÂ, drummer Ivan Vdovià"Vd", keyboardist Mià ¡a Saviàand guitarist Vladan AÃÂimoviàwas formed. The group released their only studio album in 1988, disbanding during the same year. Although short-lived, Heroji were a prominent act of the 1980s Yugoslav rock scene, known for their campy and humorous songs. After the group's disbandment, ÃÂuriÃÂ, Petroviàand Saviàcontinued their activity in various fields of culture, ÃÂuriàmost notably as the leader of the band ÃÂura i Mornari.
The band Heroji was formed in Belgrade in 1986 by vocalist Vladimir ÃÂurià"ÃÂura", who graduated dramaturgy on the Belgrade Faculty of Dramatic Arts. The band worked in an unsteady lineup, but managed to gain attention of the media with their first demo recording, the song "NoÃÂu haramo" ("We Raven at Night"). Soon after the formation, the band was joined by ÃÂuriÃÂ's friend Milutin PetroviÃÂ, who graduated film and television directing on the Belgrade Faculty of Dramatic Arts. Petroviàwas previously synthesizer player in the band Stalker and, from 1984 to 1986, director of the Television Belgrade music chart show Hit meseca (Hit of the Month). During the 1984âÂÂ1986 period Petroviàdirected about 30 music videos for Yugoslav rock acts. He became Heroji's second vocalist, and both ÃÂuriàand Petroviàcomposed the band's material.
Soon after the formation, the band recorded their debut release, the 7-inch single with the songs "Bilder" ("Bodybuilder") and "Instruktor skijanja" ("Ski Instructor"), released through PGP-RTB. The single featured simple rock tunes with humorous lyrics. In 1987 Heroji recorded their second 7-inch single, featuring the songs "Kiza rock" and "E = mcò", stylistically similar to their debut release. The song "Kiza rock" featured guest appearance by actor Slobodan "Boda" NinkoviÃÂ. The single was published with a plain white cover, used by PGP-RTB for promotional single records, with each of the single covers featuring a unique drawing made by members of the band.
Before the recording of their debut album, Heroji got a steady lineup, featuring beside ÃÂuriàand PetroviÃÂ, drummer Ivan Vdovià"Vd" (formerly of Suncokret, à  arlo Akrobata, Katarina II and Du Du A), keyboardist Mià ¡a Saviàand guitarist Vladan AÃÂimoviÃÂ. The band released their first and only studio album, entitled 88, in 1988 through PGP-RTB. The album was produced by MomÃÂilo Bajagià"Bajaga" and the band's logo on the album cover was designed by renowned architect Aleksandar Deroko. The album brought campy songs, with tracks "ZgromiÃÂu te ja" ("I Will Crush You"), "Gagarin", "Nikad robom" ("Never a Slave") and "Majmun" ("Monkey") seeing the biggest airplay. After a series of promotional concerts, the band ended their activity in the same year the album was released.
After the band ended their activity, ÃÂuriàworked as a screenwriter, director and TV author. He returned to music in 1993, when he released the album Maà ¡tarije (Fictions, named after Jorge Luis Borges' collection of stories). The album, released by L.V.O. Records, featured songs written during Heroji's activity. The album featured former Heroji member Mià ¡a Saviàon keyboards, as well as Mladen Arsenijeviàon guitar and Rade Bulatoviàon bass guitar. The album featured songs with Caribbean rhythms and nostalgic lyrics. In 1997 ÃÂuriàpublished the album Mediteran (Mediterranean) with the backing band named Mornari (Sailors). The band featured Mià ¡ko Petrovià"Plavi" (accordion, formerly of VIA Talas, D' Boys and Ekatarina Velika, at the time member of Piloti), Mladen Arsenijevià(guitar), Ratko LjubiÃÂià(drums), Goran RakoÃÂevià(bass guitar) and Radovan Popovià(saxophone). The material for the album was originally written for ÃÂuriÃÂ's radio drama Balada o unutraà ¡njem moru (The Ballad of the Inner Sea). The album was produced by Vlada Markoviàand was stylistically similar to Maà ¡tarije. In 1998 the compilation album The Best of ÃÂura was released, featuring songs from Maà ¡tarije and Mediteran, as well as Heroji's "ZgromiÃÂu te ja" and previously unreleased "Balkanska" ("Balkan Song"). In 2000 ÃÂura i Mornari (ÃÂura and the Sailors) released the album Tropikalizam (Tropicalism), produced by Mornari member Mladen ArsenijeviÃÂ. In 2005 ÃÂuriàreleased the album Letnja terasa (Summer Terrace) under the name ÃÂura Mornar (ÃÂura the Sailor). He recorded the album in cooperation with keyboardist Milan MilosavljeviÃÂ, guitarist Zoran Aniàand producer Aleksandar JankoviÃÂ. In 2014 ÃÂura i Mornari released the album Algeria, in the lineup featuring, beside Vladimir ÃÂuriÃÂ, Radivoje "Rale" Bojanovski (guitar), Dejan "Deki" Resanovià(bass guitar, accordion), Milan Milosavljevià"Burda" (keyboards), Nikola ÃÂokià(drums) and Boris ÃÂurià(accordion). The song "Tekila Meksiko" ("Tequila Mexico") featured singer Prljavi Inspektor Blaà ¾a on vocals as guest. In 2017 ÃÂura i Mornari together with the folk band VojvoÃÂanski San (Vojvodina Dream) released the album Nove gradske pesme (New Town Songs), featuring the combination of Latin and Balkan old town music. The album featured ÃÂura i Mornari songs, as well as covers of folk songs.
ÃÂuriàwas a screenwriter, director and TV author in the TV shows Neobavezno (Optional), Petkom u 22 (Friday at 10:00 p.m.), Kult (Cult), Devedesete (Nineties), Nove vrednosti (New Values), Kult detektivi (Cult Detectives) and Sluà ¾imo narodu (We Serve the People). From 1992 to 1994 he hosted the shows Kurs kreativnog pisanja (Creative Writing Course) and ÃÂurina treà ¡ lista (ÃÂura's Trash List). He wrote theatre plays Ban Strah (Ban Fear, played in Boà ¡ko Buha Theatre in Belgrade), Dà ¾et set (Jet Set, played on Radio Belgrade), Bilijarska priÃÂa (A Pool Story, played in Belgrade Students' Cultural Centre), The Games People Play (played by Import Theatre Company from London), Belgrade by Night (played in Belgrade Students' Cultural Centre), Alisa u zemlji ÃÂuda (Alice in Wonderland, played in Boà ¡ko Buha Theatre). He published a number of books: Hvalisavi roman & Super (The Bragging Novel & Super, 1991), ÃÂurine smeà ¡ne priÃÂe (ÃÂura's Funny Stories, 1997), the collection of essays Mitologije tehnosveta (Mythologies of Technoworld, 1998), the novel London (1998), the poetry book Izabrane pesme (Selected Poems, 2002) and a book on Yugoslav new wave scene Glamur i ezoterija (Glamour and Esotericism, 2003). With journalist Goran Tarlaàhe co-authored Pesme iz stomaka naroda â Antologija turbo folka (Songs from the Belly of the People â The Anthology of Turbo-folk). He wrote a number of poems, short stories and essays. He wrote the screenplay for the TV film Koju igru igraà ¡ (Games People Play, 1992) and acted in SrÃÂan KoljeviÃÂ's 2004 film The Red Colored Grey Truck.
In 1987 Petroviàdirected his first work, the TV film Telefonomanija (Telephonemania). In 1988 he directed the TV adaptation of the rock opera Kreatori i kreature (Creators and Creatures), written by Vladimir MilaÃÂiàand starring Yugoslav musicians Sneà ¾ana JandrliÃÂ, Dejan CukiÃÂ, Massimo SaviÃÂ, Zana Nimani, Bora ÃÂorÃÂeviÃÂ, Amila Sulejmanoviàand Goran ÃÂavajda "ÃÂavke". In 1989 he directed the TV show Dome, slatki dome (Home Sweet Home).
At the beginning of the 1990s he directed the TV show on pop culture Popovanje (Popping). In 1992 he directed the hit musical Trinidad, played in Bitef Theatre and based on Robert Mitchum's album Calypso â Is like Soâ¦. The musical featured songs from the album with Serbian language lyrics, performed live during the play by Trinidad Trip Band, consisting of former Heroji member Mià ¡a SaviÃÂ, percussionist Papa Nik and the members of the band Plejboj. The musical starred Ivana MihiÃÂ, Branislav "Bane" Vidakoviàand Slobodan "Boda" NinkoviÃÂ. The songs from the musical were released on the 1994 album The Trinidad, the recording of which featured Mià ¡a Saviàand the members of the band Vera Kvark. In 1994 Petroviàwith Trinidad Trip Band performed on an unplugged concert held in Belgrade's Sava Centar. The recording of the songs "Kiza rock" and "Ona hoÃÂe mambo" ("She Wants Mambo"), the latter featuring actress Branka Katiàon vocals, were released on the various artists live album Bez struje (Unplugged). The same album features a recording of ÃÂuriàperforming "ZgromiÃÂu te ja".
Petroviàdirected seven feature films: Land of Truth, Love & Freedom (2000), South by Southeast (2005), the children's film Agi and Emma (2007), the documentary film Novo je da sam bila zlostavljana (What's New Is that I Was Molested, 2010), The Loop (2015), the documentary film I Pledge (2020) and Bad Blood (2021). He directed three TV series: Plaà ¡ko HabroviàuzvraÃÂa udarac (Scaredy Brave Strikes Back, 2016), the teen series Nebojà ¡a ÃÂelik à ¡ou! (Nebojà ¡a ÃÂelik Show!, 2019) and Bad Blood (2021). He acted in his films Land of Truth, Love & Freedom and South by Southeast and in his series Bad Blood, as well as in the films Dudes (2001), State (2013) and Humidity (2016). For Land of Truth, Love & Freedom he co-wrote the music with Mià ¡a SaviÃÂ.
During the 1980s SaviÃÂ was a critically acclaimed author of minimal music. For a number of years he was the editor of Students' Cultural Centre classical music program. He cooperated with alternative rock musician Rambo Amadeus on the musical pieces performed in Sava Centar on 27 December 1994, during the screening of Fritz Lang's film Metropolis. The music was released in 1998 on the album Metropolis B Tour de Force. With Milutin PetroviÃÂ he co-wrote the music for PetroviÃÂ's film Land of Truth, Love & Freedom. He also wrote music for PetroviÃÂ's film South by Southeast.
After Heroji disbanded, VdoviÃÂ retired from music. At the time of his activity with Heroji, he had already been tested HIV positive. He was the first person in Yugoslavia to be officially registered as HIV positive. He died of AIDS on 25 September 1992.