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
Montenegro H. C.
Kultur Shock Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ovdje Montenegro
Ah-ha
Ah
Oj, đevojko Milijana
Otet ću te jednod dana
5" 2′ single blonde from Indiana, love to ball
Looking for stability and sexual ability
Marriage a possibility
Recently divorced, not my fault
No dependance, got a job
Looking for a soulmate, or just a room mate
Anything will be great
Young, tall and handsome from Montenegro
Have a lot of money and a boat to go along with my house
On the Adriatic coast, big owner and big boner
Not really looking for anybody at all
Just shoving off, you know
Selo moje, lijepše od Pariza
Ljepša od njega ni Mona Liza
Ah-ha
Oj, đevojko Milijana
Svadba bit će 10 dana
Popit ćemo, pucat ćemo
Našu ljubav slavit ćemo
The lyrics of Kultur Shock's song "Montenegro H. C." depict a humorous and somewhat satirical encounter between two individuals, a woman named Milijana and a man from Montenegro. The song starts with the repeated phrases "Ah-ha" and "Ovdje Montenegro," which set the tone for the Montenegrin protagonist introducing himself and his intentions.
The first verse introduces Milijana as a 5"2' single blonde from Indiana who is looking for stability and sexual ability. She is open to the possibility of marriage and is recently divorced. She emphasizes that the divorce was not her fault and announces her independence by stating she has a job. Milijana's search for a soulmate or a potential roommate demonstrates her willingness to explore different relationships, showing that she is open to anything at this point.
On the other hand, the second verse introduces the man from Montenegro as young, tall, and handsome, with a significant amount of money and a boat to go along with his house on the Adriatic coast. He boasts about his wealth and his "big owner and big boner" - a humorous play on words indicating both his material possessions and perhaps his sexual prowess. However, he clarifies that he is not really looking for anyone and simply wants to enjoy his life and sail away.
The chorus praises Montenegro, describing it as more beautiful than Paris and even more beautiful than the famous painting, Mona Lisa. The final verse mentions a wedding celebration that will last for ten days, where the couple will drink and shoot guns to celebrate their love.
Overall, the lyrics of "Montenegro H. C." paint a playful picture of two individuals coming from different backgrounds with contrasting desires and expectations in their search for connection and companionship.
Line by Line Meaning
Ah-ha
Expressing excitement or realization
Ovdje Montenegro
In this place called Montenegro
Ah-ha
Expressing excitement or realization
Ah
An exclamation of surprise or delight
Oj, đevojko Milijana
Oh, Milijana, a girl's name
Otet ću te jednod dana
I will kidnap you one day
Od plemena Perovića za Srđana Jenčevića
From the Perović tribe to Srđan Jenčević
5" 2' single blonde from Indiana, love to ball
A 5'2'' single blonde woman from Indiana who enjoys having fun
Looking for stability and sexual ability
Seeking a stable relationship with good sexual compatibility
Marriage a possibility
Open to the idea of getting married
Recently divorced, not my fault
Recently ended a marriage, but not at fault for the divorce
No dependance, got a job
Independent and employed
Looking for a soulmate, or just a room mate
Searching for a soulmate or simply a roommate
Anything will be great
Open to various possibilities
Young, tall and handsome from Montenegro
A young, tall, and attractive man from Montenegro
Have a lot of money and a boat to go along with my house
Financially well-off with a house and a boat
On the Adriatic coast, big owner and big boner
Living on the Adriatic coast, owning a lot, and having strong desire
Not really looking for anybody at all
Not actively seeking a romantic partner
Just shoving off, you know
Just going on my own, you understand
Selo moje, lijepše od Pariza
My village, more beautiful than Paris
Ljepša od njega ni Mona Liza
Even Mona Lisa is not more beautiful than it
Oj, đevojko Milijana
Oh, Milijana, a girl's name
Svadba bit će 10 dana
The wedding will last for 10 days
Popit ćemo, pucat ćemo
We will drink, we will shoot
Našu ljubav slavit ćemo
We will celebrate our love
Writer(s): Amy Denio, Yevdjevic Srdjan
Contributed by Alice V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.