Leader Gino Yevdjevich became a professional musician in his native Sarajevo when he was 16, making a good living playing commercial music. All that changed in 1991, when the war in the former Yugoslavia began. With no money and precious little food or electricity, the local artistic community made art for itself -- and found it well received as locals braved snipers and bombs to get out of their houses.
However, he left for the U.S. in 1994 under the sponsorship of singer Joan Baez and ended up in Seattle starring in a play with music about the Sarajevo conflict, Behind God's Back.
The band Kultur Shock came after the play closed, playing acoustic music in restaurants. Advised by Krist Novoselic (who has his own Croatian roots in the Balkans) to play louder, they began doing so -- and found themselves thrown out of the restaurants.
After a brief hiatus, they returned to play Seattle clubs with guitarist Mario Butkovich, who'd been persuaded to move from his new home in Portland. Brad Houser (New Bohemians, Critters Buggin') took the bass slot, with Amy Denio and Jessica Lurie filling out the horn section.
In 1999, they recorded and self-released Kultur Shock Live in Amerika, which documented the outfit at the first full stage of their development. While the music they played was all traditional, the treatment of it certainly wasn't, with loud electric guitars complementing the twist-and-turn horn lines. It was, Yevdjevich admitted, "a party album," and though often impressive, it didn't do them full justice.
Changes in personnel ensued. Houser left, to be replaced with Masa Kobayashi from Tokyo, and a second guitarist, Bulgarian Val Kiossovski. With that lineup, they began to make their first studio record, along the way signing with Kool Arrow, the label run by Faith No More's Billy Gould, and continuing to play local gigs as well as touring up and down the West Coast. The album, FUCC the I.N.S., appeared in late 2001, followed by Kultura-Diktatura in 2004 and We Came to Take Your Jobs Away in 2006.
In October 2008 Mario Butkovic and Masa Kobayashi left the band and the new line-up included some already known to the band musicians like:
Guy Michael Davis - well known for his amazing bass work with the bands Sage (mid 90s), Guardian Allien and BenJovi, is the new bassist, he plays banjo and bunch of other strange instruments, considering he grew up in Indonesia.
Paris Hurley - a violinist extraordinair substituted for Matty Noble for month and a half during the summer tour '08. In the process of it she became part of the band and was a natural choice for the forthcoming "Integration" album and the touring season.
Amy Denio recorded and toured with the band as a sax and clarinet player on 'Fucc the INS' and 'Kultura-Diktatura' .*
The last album "Integration" is released in 2009.
* from the interview of Val Kiossovski for the Bulgarian online radio Tangra Mega Rock http://radiotangra.com/?page=int&lng=en&id=183
Kultur Shock are:
Gino Srdjan Yevdjevic (Bosnia)- vocals, trumpet, djumbek
Val Kiossovski (Bulgaria) - guitar, vocal
Chris Stromquist (USA) - drums
Guy Davis (Indonesia, USA) - bass, banjo
Matty Noble (USA)- violin
Paris Hurley (USA) - vocal, violin
Amy Denio (USA) - clarinet, saxophone, vocal
Istanbul
Kultur Shock Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
U tvojim očima,
A na tvojim usnama poema,
Istanbul, Istanbul,
Bježim noćima,
Traže me u sedam država
Istanbul, Istanbul,
Lijepa si dok spavaš,
Kao revolucija,
Istanbul, Istanbul,
Ubiće me dan,
Svaka zemlja - ista murija
Merhaba svima pa i belaju,
Jalla, Jalla, Jalla, Jalla,
Jalla, Jalla, Jalla
Godinama putujemo tudjim zemljama,
Godinama daleko iznad oblaka,
Murija me,
Murija me traži noćima
Murija me traži,
Mene nema
Ratujemo i pjevamo,
Od sunca do neba,
Ratujemo i pjevamo,
Kako nam i treba,
Jalla, Jalla, Jalla, Jalla,
Jalla, Jalla, Jalla
Istanbul, Istanbul,
Ubićemo strah,
Majko moja jak sam noćas,
Ko' anarhia,
Tvoje oči crne,
Sad su moja zastava,
Ražaljenog državnog sistema
The song “Istanbul” by Kultur Shock is a tribute to chaos, freedom, and beauty. The lyrics suggest a sense of danger, as the singer is on the run from authorities across seven countries. Yet in the city of Istanbul, he finds refuge in the darkness, where the city sleeps like a revolution. The lyrics speak to the sensuality of the city, with “poems on your lips” and eyes that captivate the singer. The chorus repeats the name of the city twice, suggesting both a call to the city and an escape from it.
The song speaks to the band’s multicultural identity, with many different languages and musical influences apparent in the lyrics and the sound. The call to “Jalla” is a nod to the Arabic language and culture, while the use of the word “murija” suggests a more Slavic or Balkan influence. The theme of being on the run from authorities is common in the punk rock tradition, but here it is mixed with traditional Balkan rhythms and melodies, creating a unique hybrid sound.
Line by Line Meaning
Istanbul, Istanbul,
Repeatedly calling out to the city of Istanbul as if it holds a deep significance
U tvojim očima,
Describing the city as being reflected in someone's eyes, suggesting that Istanbul is intimately tied to the singer's perception
A na tvojim usnama poema,
Portraying Istanbul as possessing a poetic quality that is often associated with beauty and romanticism
Bježim noćima,
Implying that the artist is running away from something, possibly seeking refuge in Istanbul
Traže me u sedam država
Indicating that the artist is being pursued by something or someone across different countries
Noć me pokrila,
Reflecting the singer's feelings of isolation and vulnerability, possibly aided by the shroud of darkness
Lijepa si dok spavaš,
Complimenting the physical beauty of Istanbul while it is at rest
Kao revolucija,
Comparing Istanbul to a revolution, which is a powerful and transformative force
Ubiće me dan,
Implying that the daylight presents a danger or threat to the artist
Svaka zemlja - ista murija
Suggesting that every country or government is the same, with its oppressive law enforcement agencies or 'murija'
Merhaba svima pa i belaju,
Greeting everyone, even those experiencing hardship or sorrow
Jalla, Jalla, Jalla, Jalla,
Using a common Arabic phrase 'Jalla' to urge or encourage someone to take action
Godinama putujemo tudjim zemljama,
Describing how the singer has been traveling to foreign lands for years
Godinama daleko iznad oblaka,
Imagining a life that is far removed from the mundane, everyday world and elevated above the clouds
Murija me,
Repeating the earlier sentiment of being pursued or hunted by the police
Murija me traži noćima
Further emphasizing the extent to which the authorities are after the artist
Mene nema
Hinting at the artist's elusiveness and the possibility of their eventual capture
Ratujemo i pjevamo,
Suggesting that the singer and others are fighting and singing, possibly as a form of resistance against the oppressive system
Od sunca do neba,
Indicating that this war and music extends across the entire landscape, from the sun up to the sky
Kako nam i treba,
Emphasizing the significance and necessity of this kind of behaviour
Ubićemo strah,
Expressing a desire to destroy fear, which could be another form of oppression or control
Majko moja jak sam noćas,
Addressing someone as a mother and proclaiming strength and resilience in facing their challenges
Ko' anarhia,
Comparing themselves to anarchy, an idea that is often associated with rebellion and chaos
Tvoje oči crne,
Returning to the imagery of Istanbul, describing the city's dark eyes as a symbol of something mysterious and alluring
Sad su moja zastava,
Turning Istanbul into a representation of something that the singer identifies with, like a banner or a flag
Ražaljenog državnog sistema
Describing an atmosphere of disappointment and disapproval towards the current state of government or authority
Contributed by Hunter Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ozan Serhat Aka
Ja sam iz Istanbula, rođen sam u Istanbulu, sada živim u inozemstvu i kad god se osjećam nostalgiju za moj grad, ova pjesma tješi mene
Elvis Huremović
Jao da mi je jednom iči na njihov koncert. Par godina nazad nisam mogao ici zbog posla. U Velwnju (SLO) bili Kultur i Edo Maajka zajedno. Kako mi bilo žao.
Fatih çağrı Yavuzdoğan
Wonderfull ♥️
orange guitar
da li neko moze,molimmmm vasssss do neba i nazad,da napise akorde/tabove.. <3
James mallette
last 4;20 min.... hell yeah... see you guys on sat
Matej Erjavec
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