Zabranjeno Puà ¡enje () is a Bosnian rock band formed in Sarajevo in 1980. The group's musical style primarily consists of a distinctive garage rock sound with folk influences, often featuring innovative production and complex storytelling. The band currently consists of seven members: co-founder, vocalist, and guitarist Davor SuÃÂiÃÂ; longtime drummer Branko Trajkov, guitarist Toni LoviÃÂ, bass guitarist Dejan Oreà ¡koviÃÂ, violinist and keyboardist Robert Boldià ¾ar, backing vocalist AnÃÂela Zebec, and harmonica player Tomislav Goluban.
The band was formed contrary to the then prevalent Yugoslav punk rock and new wave, closely associated with the New Primitivism cultural movement and the radio and television satire and sketch comedy show Top lista nadrealista. They were one of the most popular musical acts of the 1980s in Yugoslavia, selling hundreds of thousands of records. Many times they got in trouble with the authorities for their, usually mild and sympathetic, criticism of the socialist system, and the habit of making light of issues considered sensitive at the time. The band's first lineup, originally named Pseudobluz bend Zabranjeno Puà ¡enje, featured guitarist Sejo Sexon and vocalist Nele KarajliÃÂ, alongside drummers Fu-Do then à  eki Gayton, bassist Munja MitiÃÂ, keyboardist Seid Mali KarajliÃÂ, saxophonist and flutist Ognjen GajiÃÂ, guitarist Mustafa ÃÂengiÃÂ, and synthesizerist Zoran Degan. Their debut studio album Das ist Walter (1984) was initially released in limited circulation; the final count was 100,000 copies sold, setting a record for exceeding the initial release by 30 times. Their subsequent album Dok ÃÂekaà ¡ sabah sa à ¡ejtanom (1985), also released through Jugoton, was boycotted by the mainstream media due to troubles with Communist authorities. In 1986, à  eki Gayton, Mitiàand ÃÂengiàchose to leave the group, while drummer Faris ArapoviÃÂ, bassist Darko OstojiÃÂ, guitarist Kowalski and keyboardist Dado Dà ¾ihan joined in. During the second half of 1980s with the new lineup of the band released two albums Pozdrav iz zemlje Safari (1987) and Male priÃÂe o velikoj ljubavi (1989) through Diskoton.
During 1992, the band split followed the Bosnian War, Nele Karajliàcontinued working in Belgrade under the names Nele Karajlià& Zabranjeno Puà ¡enje and Emir Kusturica & The No Smoking Orchestra, while Sejo Sexon and other members rejoined in Sarajevo, using the original name, continuing the band's career released the fifth studio album Fildà ¾an vià ¡ka (1997) with the changed lineup. The band's 1990s lineup alongside Sejo Sexon featured the leader of the New Primitivism movement Elvis J. KurtoviÃÂ, vocalist Marin Gradac, a guest on the 1987 album bassist Dragan BobiÃÂ, guitarist Sejo Kovo and violinist Bruno UrliÃÂ. After one temporary drummer, Branko Trajkov joined the group in 1996. The same lineup recorded the album Agent tajne sile (1999). In 2000, KurtoviÃÂ, Kovo, and Gradac left the group, while guitarist and producer Dragianni joined the group and played on their subsequent album, Bog vozi Mercedes (2001). That album was followed five years later by Hodi da ti ÃÂiko neà ¡to da (2006). In the mid-2000s, Dragianni, BobiÃÂ, and Urliàchose to leave the group, while guitarist Toni LoviÃÂ, bassist Dejan Oreà ¡koviÃÂ, and violinist Robert Boldià ¾ar came to their seats. The band's ninth studio album, Muzej revolucije (2009), was released on the Anniversary of the October Revolution in almost all former Yugoslav countries, on the same day. The band released their tenth studio album, Radovi na cesti, in 2013. Their eleventh studio album was released in 2018, titled à  ok i nevjerica. The twelfth and another double studio album Karamba! was released in 2022.
What would eventually become Zabranjeno Puà ¡enje was started in 1979 by sixteen-year-old Nenad Jankovià(later to become known as dr. Nele KarajliÃÂ) and eighteen-year-old Davor SuÃÂià(later Mr. Sejo Sexon), two teenage friends and neighbors who had been attending Sarajevo Second Gymnasium secondary school while residing in the same apartment building on Fuad Midà ¾iàStreet in the Sarajevo neighborhood of Koà ¡evo. Already infatuated with and deeply immersed in rock and roll, the two fanatically absorbed various musical influences from Yugoslavia and abroad, all the while desperately trying to achieve a basic level of technical proficiency on their instrumentsâÂÂat this stage, Nele Karajliàplayed the piano, an instrument he had previously studied in music school for a short time before dropping out, while Sejo Sexon played the guitar. Both possessing very limited musical knowledge, despite displaying boundless enthusiasm, the duo struggled with everything from simply tuning their instruments to producing the simplest of melodies.
Sexon and KarajliÃÂ soon expanded their setup by adding Ognjen GajiÃÂ, another neighborhood teenage friend who possessed some basic musical knowledge having attended a music school. Though by KarajliÃÂ's own admission, GajiÃÂ played the piano better than him, GajiÃÂ decided to switch over to flute as an homage to his favorite band Jethro Tull. He managed to become comfortable on a new instrument fairly quickly, soon becoming a bit of a musical authority among this now three-piece.
Since each of the three teenage members of the group (by now informally known as Pseudobluz bend) lived with their parents, the band rehearsals also took place in their parents' apartments, mostly KarajliÃÂ's and GajiÃÂ's.
Before long, Sexon brought in Zenit ÃÂoziÃÂ (a.k.a. Zena, later to become known as Fu-Do), his new classmate at Second Gymnasium who had recently moved to Sarajevo from Bugojno, to be the band's drummer. Adding percussions, that actually consisted of pots and pans, to their setup created new problems as the noise during rehearsals became unbearable for KarajliÃÂ's parents and GajiÃÂ's mother so the members set about looking for a suitable rehearsal space.
In fall 1980, in accordance with the newly passed Yugoslav law requiring high school graduates to immediately report for their compulsory military service in the Yugoslav People's Army, nineteen-year-old Sexon left Sarajevo and was away from the band for a whole year. With Sexon temporarily gone, the band got a new member â Mustafa ÃÂengià(a.k.a. MuÃÂe or Mujo Snaà ¾ni) who, in turn, brought in Mladen Mitià(a.k.a. Munja or Mitke) on bass guitar. They were occasionally accompanied by Mirko Srdià(later to become known as Elvis J. KurtoviÃÂ), Zoran Degan, Boris à  iber, Samir ÃÂeremida, etc. In December 1980, MuÃÂe and Munja managed to get the band on the bill of a à ½elimir Altarac ÃÂiÃÂak-organized new music showcase at Sarajevo's Dom mladih, held under the "Nove nade, nove snage" ('New Blood, New Hopefuls') mantra. The event would be the band's first-ever live public performance though they did play a small show at Sarajevo's Fifth Gymnasium for their social circle a few days earlier on 30 November 1980 as preparation for the Dom mladih gig. Shortly before ÃÂiÃÂak's show at Dom mladih, the band changed its name to Pseudobluz bend Zabranjeno Puà ¡enje. Over time, they dropped the first part and continued as just Zabranjeno Puà ¡enje for brevity.
Their first recording, song "Penzioneri na more idu zimi" (), was made for Radio Sarajevo in early 1981. Additionally, from May 1981, Karajliàand occasionally a few other band members became involved with the Top lista nadrealista radio segment, which aired weekly as part of the Primus program on Radio Sarajevo's channel two. "Penzioneri na more idu zimi" began getting some modest airplay on Radio Sarajevo throughout the year, leading to an increasing number of youths in the city making the connection between the band and the weekly comedy radio segment. In early fall 1981, along with a number of upstart Sarajevo bands such as , , Ema, , , Super 98, Negra, à ½aoka, Ozbiljno Pitanje, Linija à ½ivota, Lucifer, TeÃÂni Kristal, Tina, and Bedà ¾, Zabranjeno Puà ¡enje were booked for a multi-act gig as opening acts for headliners Indexi, Bulevar, Paraf, Zana, Aerodrom, Laboratorija Zvuka, and Bijelo Dugme â all part of the 'Mladost Sutjeske' event commemorating and celebrating the Battle of Sutjeska from World War II. Held at Skenderija sports arena on 3 October 1981, it was the band's biggest show to date and the youngsters left a memorable impression as singer Karajliàand drummer ÃÂoziàwere about to leave for their mandatory army services just as guitarist Sexon was completing his.
The band performed around Sarajevo for two years before beginning to record material for a debut album during Fall 1983 in producer a modest studio owned by "Paà ¡a" FeroviÃÂ. The shambolic recording process took seven months before the album named Das ist Walter got released by Jugoton in April 1984 in the small print of 3,000 copies, clearly indicative of the label's extremely low commercial expectations. The line-up was altered and now Nenad JankoviÃÂ's younger brother keyboardist Draà ¾en Jankovià(a.k.a. Seid Mali KarajliÃÂ) and drummer Predrag Rakià(a.k.a. à  eki Gayton). Though the album was initially released in the small print, the final count was 100,000 copies sold, setting a record for exceeding the initial release by 30 times. In Autumn 1984, they embarked on a 60-concert nationwide concert tour, making them one of the biggest Yugoslav rock attractions after just one album.
During that tour, at their concert in Rijeka on November 27, 1984, Nele Karajliàdeclared, referring to an amplifier that had just broken down, "Crk'o Marà ¡al. Mislim na pojaÃÂalo." (), which was recognized as a pun on Marshal Tito's death, landing the band in trouble. They were criticized by the media and a campaign against them resulted in the canceling of their concerts and the removal of Top lista nadrealista from the air. The affair got attention of the Yugoslav Security Administration (UDBA), as well. They were rescued by some leading liberal intellectuals, and magazines such as Polet, Mladina and Slobodna Dalmacija, who raise their voices in the defense of the group members and that affair snaps without prison sentences. Later, Sexon said that their amplifiers weren't even Marshall, and that it was a joke.
In this atmosphere, the band recorded their second, double album Dok ÃÂekaà ¡ sabah sa à ¡ejtanom () in the infamous SIM studio and released it in July 1985. The album has received widespread acclaim from critics, but was boycotted by the media. Following promotional tour had extreme difficulties due to concern of the concert hosts and the enormous presence of the state police, as a reflection of the Marshall Affair. Despite several top concerts such as at Pionir Hall in Belgrade, Poljud in Split or Dom Sportova in Zagreb, tens of thousands sold tickets, the tour had a rather disappointing conclusion as the following year à  eki Gayton and Mustafa ÃÂengiàleft the band in search of a more secure means of making a living. Mladen Mitiàleft in late 1986 after contributing to the development of the third album.
The rest of the band was working on a subsequent album and slowly assembled a new band lineup, featured drummer Faris Arapoviàand guitarist Predrag KovaÃÂevià(a.k.a. Kova or Kowalski) and bassist Emir Kusturica. At the time, Kusturica was notable filmmaker who won the Palme d'Or at the 1985 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film with the When Father Was Away on Business. This refreshed lineup, in collaboration with some studio musicians such as bassist Dragan BobiÃÂ, keyboardist Dado Dà ¾ihan, and bass guitarist Darko OstojiÃÂ, released Pozdrav iz zemlje Safari () through Diskoton in 1987. Diskoton censors had some objections and the song "Our Proposal for the Eurovision Song Contest" had to be renamed, since the song included comments on the depressed state of the economy and the lack of freedom of expression. The album again included a number of hit songs, such as "Pià ¡onja i à ½uga", "Hadà ¾ija ili bos", "Fikreta", "Dan Republike", and returned the band to stardom. The album was recorded in Sarajevo and mixed in London, UK, while the record producer was Sven Rustempaà ¡iÃÂ, a Seattle-based producer born in Sarajevo. The following tour, which included 87 concerts, was the largest Zabranjeno Puà ¡enje tour thus far and the band was by that time regarded as one of the Yugoslav rock powerhouse alongside Azra, Bijelo Dugme and Parni Valjak. In January 1988, the band received a gold record for 100,000 copies sold.
In October 1988, the band released their fourth album Male priÃÂe o velikoj ljubavi (). The songs were mostly written and produced by Sejo Sexon. The album featured opera singer Sonja MilenkoviÃÂ, violinist Dejan Sparavalo and Goran Bregoviàas backing vocal and guitar player. The album was an average success. The band embarked on the tour with Bombaj à ¡tampa and the rest of Top lista nadrealista crew (those who didn't play in the band already). The tour (a combination of theatre and rock and roll, an idea by Sejo Sexon, was a great success and regarded as the best tour of 1989 with around 60 concerts and more than 200,000 visitors.
Nele Karajliàand Sejo Sexon, the band's leading duo, were getting on increasingly colder terms and the Yugoslavia-wide tour with Bombaj à  tampa and Top lista nadrealista during early 1990, though hugely commercially successful, only exacerbated their fractured business and personal relationship. The band broke up in late summer 1990 when Sejo Sexon informed Karajliàabout no longer being interested in playing with him. Sejo Sexon, Darko Ostojiàand Faris Arapoviàleft the band due to different views on the band vision more than the political differences in Yugoslav leadership in the late 1980s. In that time, Sejo Sexon and Ostojiàworked on their solo record for Diskoton, but that studio album went unreleased due to the start of the Bosnian War. Arapoviàjoined the Sarajevo-based alternative rock band Sikter.
In April 1992, the Bosnian War began. Nele Karajliàhad fled to Belgrade and continued working under the name Nele Karajlià& Zabranjeno Puà ¡enje, later better known as Emir Kusturica & The No Smoking Orchestra. Sejo Sexon, along with Elvis J. KurtoviÃÂ, Zenit ÃÂoziÃÂ, Boris à  iber and the band's album cover designer SrÃÂan VelimiroviÃÂ, remained in besieged Sarajevo, taking part in the wartime spinoff of Top lista nadrealista. In late June 1992, Top lista nadrealista crew started to work on a 15-minute weekly radio shows. In August 1993, after 50 odd shows on radio, the group shot and aired four television episodes. Sejo Sexon produced a soundtrack for TV series and a theater play Top lista nadrealista. After the Bosnian War Sejo Sexon moved to Zagreb, Croatia where he lived for some time. Later he came back to Sarajevo and together with Elvis J. KurtoviÃÂ, who occasionally worked on the band's recordings, restored Zabranjeno Puà ¡enje. After reunion of the band in 1996, Sejo Sexon and Elvis J. Kuroviàhad more than 300 occasions where then performed live Top lista nadrealista across Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, Germany, Austria, Denmark, and Switzerland. That tour was supported by the USAID office in Sarajevo.
In 1996, Sejo Sexon and Elvis J. Kuroviàaccompanied with members of the Top lista nadrealista pit orchestra such as Sejo Kovo, ÃÂani Pervan, Duà ¡an VraniÃÂ, and Samir ÃÂeremida had become the core of the renewed band's lineup. During that time, the band works on their new studio album. The fifth album of Zabranjeno Puà ¡enje Fildà ¾an vià ¡ka () is released through Dallas Records and Nimfa Sound in 1997. Sejo Sexon produced the album and wrote all songs with some help of Elvis J. KurtoviÃÂ. Fildà ¾an vià ¡ka was produced four singles; "Moà ¾eà ¡ imat' moje tijelo", "Mile Haà ¡ià ¡ar", "Pubertet" and "Fildà ¾an vià ¡ka". Music videos for those single are produced by the band members. Production know-how from Top lista nadrealista has proven to be valuable in recording music videos, which were rated very well in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia where the band performed regularly. Touring musicians were Sejo Sexon, Elvis J. KurtoviÃÂ, Predrag BobiÃÂ, Zoran StojanoviÃÂ, Nedà ¾ad Podà ¾iÃÂ, Marin Gradac, Bruno Urliàand Branko Trajkov, while Samir ÃÂeramida and ÃÂani Pervan performed occasionally. The same lineup released the first live album Hapsi sve! through Croatia Records and A Records in 1998. The songs are recorded over two nights at Dom Sportova, in Zagreb on July 10, 1997, and at the Metalac schoolyard in Sarajevo on September 25, 1997. In the same time, the band had two guest appearances of Rambo Amadeus at their concerts for the Fildà ¾an vià ¡ka album promotion in Sarajevo. Those appearances were the first post-war performance by a Serbian-Montenegrin artist to the Bosnian Federation. In early 1997, Dario Vitez became executive producer, public relations manager and tour manager of the band.
The writing and formation of the band's next album, Agent tajne sile () began immediately following the culmination of the promotional tour for Fildà ¾an vià ¡ka, in the start of 1999, at the Bjelolasica Olympic Centre in Gorski kotar, Croatia. The album was recorded in Rent-A-Cow Studio in Amsterdam, the Netherlands in March 1999 and produced by Sejo Sexon and Zlaja Jeff Hadà ¾iÃÂ. Agent tajne sile is released in June 1999 through TLN-Europa, an independent record label founded and own by Sejo Sexon. The record produced four singles; "Pos'o, kuÃÂa, birtija", "Agent tajne sile", "Jugo 45" and "Pupoljak". The record's third single, "Jugo 45", was the band's fastest-selling single, debuting on top of the Bosnian and Croatian charts. The band began another tour in support of Agent tajne sile in 1999, beginning with promotional concerts in Bosnia and Croatia with the touring lineup: Sejo Sexon, Marin Gradac, Elvis J. KurtoviÃÂ, Predrag BobiÃÂ, Bruno UrliÃÂ, Dragomir HerendiÃÂ, and Branko Trajkov. In a short while, Marin Gradac and Elvis J. Kurtoviàchose to leave the group due to other commitments. Gradac went to finish Sarajevo Music Academy and joined Radio Sarajevo Orchestra, while Elvis J. Kurtoviàbegan writing his solo album.
In early 2000, the band came back to the Bjelolasica Olympic Centre to work on the band's seventh album. In the meantime, the band got a new member; world-class percussionist Albin JariÃÂ, better known as Jimi Rasta, who worked previously with musicians such as Dave Stewart and Eric Clapton. Bog vozi Mercedes () was record by home made production in improvised studios in Bjelolasica and IvaniàGrad from March to June 2001. This record was planned to be a noncommercial break from the major music projects. No one expected that it would become one of the most selling Zabranjeno Puà ¡enje albums. The album is released in December 2001 through TLN-Europa and Menart Records, and went on to sell more than 35,000 copies. Sejo Sexon wrote and produced four music videos, out of six released. For the song "Arizona Dream" the band won the 2002 Davorin Award for the best rock song. The concert tour by the band in support of their seventh studio album had 250 concerts.
In 2001, the band members took a part in a social responsibility project in which they organized music workshops for children and youth who were victims of land mines. Project was supported by embassies of Canada, Norway and the U.S. in Zagreb.
In 2002, the band went on the North American tour. On May 26, they had recorded the band's second live album at the Casa Loma Ballroom in St. Louis, Missouri. In 2004, the band released Live in St. Louis. This live album featured two new music videos, "Zenica Blues" and "Posljednja oaza (Fikreta)". They made the video for their 1980s hit Zenica Blues following the 20th Anniversary of the song's release. The video was shot in the Zenica prison. In 2003, Zabranjeno Puà ¡enje was awarded for their outstanding live performance on the Baà ¡ÃÂarà ¡ija Nights festival in Sarajevo. During 2004, Albin JariÃÂ, Bruno Urliàand Dragomir Herendiàleft the group due to other commitments. Jariàdevotes himself to family life in Kranj, Slovenia. Herendiàcompleted his own studio in IvaniàGrad and get focused on his production career. Urliàtook over band-leadership of the Macedonian folk band Ezerki & 7/8 from Zagreb. and started his studio music and production career.
In a short period without guitarists and violinists, Sejo Sexon, Trajkov, and Bobiàbegan the writing and formation on sketches of something that will evolve in three years to the double-full-length studio album. In a short period of time, violinist Robert Boldià ¾ar and guitarist Toni Loviàjoined in. Boldià ¾ar was touring musician in 1997, while the band's violinist Urliàwas on leave to Paris, France. The new lineup immediately began to wrap up music for the next album and went on a short tour. Meanwhile, keyboardist Paul Kempf step in the empty seat. In 2005, right after record producer Denis Mujadà ¾ià(a.k.a. Denyken) joined the record project, Sejo Sexon got the opportunity to write a film score for the 2006 Bosnian action comedy film Nafaka directed by Jasmin DurakoviÃÂ. On that project he got an opportunity to collaborate with prominent musicians of different genres, such as: Halid Beà ¡liÃÂ, Arsen DediÃÂ, Lucija à  erbedà ¾ija, and the Mosque Choir Arabeske. On June 26, 2006, the song "Nema vià ¡e", the first single from their upcoming album and Nafaka Soundtrack as well, was released and became a hit single. Sejo Sexon wrote this song with a Bosnian prose writer and playwright Nenad VeliÃÂkoviÃÂ. On November 16, 2006, the band released their eighth studio album Hodi da ti ÃÂiko neà ¡to da! (), their first double album since Dok ÃÂekaà ¡ sabah sa à ¡ejtanom (1985).
Although the concert tour was truly enviable as in the time before, the period after the 2006 album release, next to the Australian Tour and the concerts in Paris and London, brought two great disappointments to the band, cancellations of the significant concerts in Belgrade and Sarajevo. At the first, there was a cancellation of the Sarajevo Concert as a result of the voracity of the Sarajevo Film Festival Board, who managed to redirect the concert's sponsorships to the Festival's budget. Next hit was wresting the 29 November Concert in Belgrade by former band members settled in Belgrade and gathered around The No Smoking Orchestra. The band had the Day of the Republic project in which 29 November should become the traditional concert date for Belgrade fans.
In September 2008, a longtime bassist Predrag Bobiàleft the bend after a farewell concert at Zagreb's lake Bundek. Afterwards, guitarist Dejan Oreà ¡koviÃÂ, former bassist of Divlje jagode, joined the group and played on their subsequent album.
The ninth studio album Muzej revolucije () is released on November 7, 2009, on the 92nd anniversary of the October Revolution. The album is released on the same day through various record labels in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia. The record produced five singles; "Modni Guru", "Kladimo se", "Kada Sena pleà ¡e", "Tvoja bosa stopala" and "Samir-time". In 2011, Sejo Sexon directed a music video for the third single of Muzej revolucije, entitled "Kada Sena pleà ¡e". It was his directorial debut. Also, he wrote the script for the same music video. On June 25, 2012, the band released the video for "Samir-time", the fifth and last single of Muzej revolucije.
In 2012, Sejo Sexon and Toni Loviàentered the studio to begin writing for their tenth studio album. On October 10, 2013, Radovi na cesti () was released through Croatia Records and Dallas Records. The album was met with mostly positive reviews from the critics. The record produced six singles; "Boà ¡ko i Admira", "Ti volià ¡ sapunice", "Tri kile, tri godine", "U Tvoje ime", "Klasa optimist" and "Kafana kod Keke".
On 28 December 2013, SuÃÂiàand Zabranjeno puà ¡enje marked the 30th anniversary of the bandâÂÂs activity with a concert held at the Skenderija, Sarajevo, performed for their fans. Guest appearances included Halid Beà ¡liÃÂ, Mile Kekin, the group Arabeske, as well as former members Mustafa ÃÂengià(Mujo Snaà ¾ni), Darko Ostojià(Minka), Samir ÃÂeramida, Jadranko Dà ¾ihan, and Zenit ÃÂozià(Fu-do). In January 2016, the band was joined by saxophonist and flautist Lana à  krgatiÃÂ, while keyboardist Paul Kempf decided to leave the group in early 2017. During 2017, the band performed at the EXIT Summer of Love 2017 in Novi Sad and at the Belgrade Beer Fest.
At the end of October 2018, the group released its eleventh studio album, Ã Â ok i nevjerica (). The majority of the songs were written and produced by Sejo Sexon and Toni LoviÃÂ. Guest performers on the album included Tuzla-based rapper Sassja and Sarajevo singer-songwriter Damir ImamoviÃÂ. In October 2018, a music video was also released for the single "Irska" ("Ireland"). The promotional tour for the new studio album, culminating with a concert at the Skenderija in Sarajevo on 29 December 2018, commenced with performances in Belgrade and Zagreb. The tour officially began with a concert in Belgrade on 29 October 2018. The Sarajevo concert, featuring guest appearances by Zele LipovaÃÂa and Alen IslamoviÃÂ, also marked the band's 35th career anniversary.
In early October 2019, the group embarked on a world tour commemorating 35 years since the release of their debut studio album. As part of this tour, four concerts were held in Canada, three in Australia, and three in Northern Europe. Additional concerts were staged in Zagreb and Split in mid-October 2019. The opening act at the Zagreb and Split performances was the Zagreb punk rock band Maà ¡inko, with guest appearances by Predrag Bobià(Bleka), Mustafa ÃÂengià(Mujo Snaà ¾ni), and Draà ¾en à ½eriàof Crvena Jabuka. In November 2019, à  krgatiàleft the group to join an all-female music ensemble, while by the end of 2019 the band welcomed singer AnÃÂela Zebec into its lineup.
During 2020 and 2021, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the band members recorded 16 new songs for a forthcoming studio album. The tracks were written and produced by Sejo Sexon and Toni LoviÃÂ in collaboration with other authors, while the arrangements were jointly credited to the entire group. For the first time in 15 years, the band collaborated on an album with former member Elvis J. KurtoviÃÂ. In June 2020, they released the single and music video "Korona hit pozitivan" (), created in cooperation with KurtoviÃÂ. In April 2022, the band issued their third live album, Live in Skenderija Sarajevo 2018. Their twelfth studio album, and the first double album, Karamba!, was released on 3 June 2022. The record was preceded by the single "Ekrem", accompanied by a video directed once again by Tomislav Fiket, featuring actor Asim Ugljen in the role of Ekrem. In mid-2022, the band was joined by Tomislav Goluban, a blues musician, composer, and harmonica player.
In 2025, two live albums were released. In May, the fourth live album, Puà ¡enje ubija (), was issued, featuring recordings from the concert held on 7 June 2024 at the à  alata venue in Zagreb, part of the anniversary tour marking the 40th anniversary of the cult album Das ist Walter. The concert also featured the debut performance of young keyboardist Vito SuÃÂiÃÂ, son of Zabranjeno puà ¡enje's founder Davor SuÃÂiÃÂ. Subsequently, the band released its fifth live album, Uà ¾ivo u Lisinskom (). All tracks on this release were recorded on 8 February 2025 during the concert Zabranjeno puà ¡enje kao Neuà ¡tekani () at the Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall in Zagreb. Zabranjeno puà ¡enje and their frontman Sejo Sexon initiated the Neuà ¡tekani Project (a Croatian translation of "Unplugged"), in which the band performs their songs on acoustic instruments.
In the early 1980s, when the rest of the Yugoslav popular music scene followed the trends in Europe of the early 1980s, chiefly punk rock and new wave, Zabranjeno Puà ¡enje were part of a unique rock movement centered in Sarajevo that forged its own path. This movement, for the most part, centered on simple, youthful, garage rock, with folk influences and a distinctive Sarajevo urban feel called New Primitivism.
The songs range from punk rock to rock, frequently arranged to feature trumpets and saxophones, adding to the band's unique sound, along with many samples and soundbites from the period. Zabranjeno Puà ¡enje captured the feel of Sarajevo, its idols and local heroes along with tales of love and loss, in a distinctive and often humorous way. Very visual and cynical, the band's lyrics were progressive enough to show the last stages of Yugoslav socialism (songs "Dan republike", "Srce ruke i lopata", "Abid", "Guzonjin sin"), alternate clubs ("Pià ¡onja i à ½uga u paklu droge", "Javi mi"), as well as providing morbid hints for the Yugoslav Wars ("Kanjon Drine", "Zvijezda nad Balkanom").
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|- | rowspan="2" | 2002 || "Arizona Dream" | Best Rock Song | Davorin Awards | | Bog vozi Mercedes | |- | Bog vozi Mercedes | Best Album Cover Design | Davorin Awards | | Dario Vitez & SrÃÂan Velimirovià| |- | rowspan="2" | 2003 || www.zabranjeno-pusenje.com | Best Artist Website Design | Davorin Awards | | Dario Vitez | |- | Zabranjeno Puà ¡enje | Outstanding Live Performance | Baà ¡ÃÂarà ¡ija Nights | | | |- | 2004 || 20th Debut Album's Anniversary | Honorary Award "50 Years of Popular Music" | Davorin Awards | | | |- | 2005 || Live In St. Louis | Best Live Album | Davorin Awards | | | |- | rowspan="9" | 2007 || Hodi da ti ÃÂiko neà ¡to da | Rock Album of the Year | Davorin Awards | | | |- | rowspan="2" |"Dobro dvorià ¡te" | Rock Song of the Year | Davorin Awards | | Hodi da ti ÃÂiko neà ¡to da | |- | Rock Music Video of the Year | Davorin Awards | | Hodi da ti ÃÂiko neà ¡to da | |- | rowspan="2" |"Nema vià ¡e" | Rock Song of the Year | Davorin Awards | | Hodi da ti ÃÂiko neà ¡to da | |- | Rock Music Video of the Year | Davorin Awards | | Hodi da ti ÃÂiko neà ¡to da | |- | Zabranjeno Puà ¡enje | Rock Performer of the Year | Davorin Awards | | | |- | Sejo Sexon | Best Male Singer | Davorin Awards | | | |- | Zabranjeno Puà ¡enje & Arsen Dedià| Collaboration of the Year | Davorin Awards | | | |- | Toni Lovià| Best Pop/Rock/Urban Guitarist | Status Awards | | | |- | rowspan="2" | 2010 | Dejan Oreà ¡kovià| Best Pop/Rock/Urban Bassist | Status Awards | | | |- | Robert Boldià ¾ar | Best Pop/Rock/Urban Violinist | Status Awards | | | |- | 2015 | Dejan Oreà ¡kovià| Best Pop/Rock/Urban Bassist | Status Awards | | | |- | rowspan="2" | 2017 | Toni Lovià| Best Guitarist | Mega Muzika Fender Awards | | | |- | Zabranjeno Puà ¡enje | Best Band | Mega Muzika Fender Awards | | | |-