DR. NELE KARAJLIĆ KICKS OFF BANJA LUKA'S "SUMMER IN THE PARK" IN A UNIQUE WAY

With the concert "40 Years Since the Marshal Kicked the Bucket," the legendary Dr. Nele Karajlić will inaugurate the "Summer in the Park" festival in Banja Luka in a completely different, exciting, and captivating manner on June 14 at 8 PM.

PHOTO: Vedran Ševčuk

This new festival, set to enrich the cultural scene of Banja Luka and Republika Srpska, will run from June to September at the "SportBOX" tennis court in Mladen Stojanović Park in Banja Luka. In addition to Nele Karajlić, other big names such as Branko Đurić-Đuro, Kaliopi, and Anđelka Stević Žugić will perform during the "Summer in the Park."

Nele Karajlić emphasized that Banja Luka is a city whose spiritual and cultural identity grows day by day.

"Banja Luka is awakening and growing before my eyes. When I was proposed this concept and the idea of creating a cultural summer, I immediately accepted because I believe that culture is the most important. Culture is more important than the economy because what use is a highway if you don't have Zdravko Čolić?" said Karajlić.

He added that it has been 40 years since the first album of "Zabranjeno Pušenje" and the first series "Top lista nadrealista," and although he doesn't like to celebrate anniversaries, he agreed to mark this one by holding this concert named after what was much more significant for his career.

"It was important to me that it be called '40 Years Since the Marshal Kicked the Bucket' because my cultural and political engagement marked everything I did in life much more than through music. It was also important to me that this wouldn't be just an ordinary concert. So I decided that my performance would be a multi-faceted, interesting, and exciting conversation with Dr. Karajlić, accompanied by music and video displays of what I used to do on TV, such as 'Top lista nadrealista' and 'Složna braća,' especially parts from my novels, particularly 'Fajront u Sarajevu,' which changed my life," said Karajlić, as reported by Glas Srpske.

According to him, this will be a theatrical performance that will take the audience on a journey through 40 years, from when the Marshal "kicked the bucket" to today, through live music and video displays.

"I envisioned it as a journey through my media engagement, featuring those compositions that were fundamental to my career," said Karajlić.

The official PR of the "Summer in the Park" event, Vanja Prosen, highlighted that Mladen Stojanović Park, after its renovation in 2023, is becoming a central place for cultural events, offering a wide range of content for all ages and interests.

"Recognizing the lack of certain music genres and cultural events from other areas of art, as well as a lack of events tailored for children, we decided to organize monthly event calendars. In addition to promoting culture among the population in Republika Srpska and the diaspora, we want to present Banja Luka and Republika Srpska as open spaces for various cultural events with performers from the region," said Prosen. She added that they intend to enrich the city's cultural offerings and promote its tourist capacities.

Tickets for each event can be purchased online at gigstix.ba, as well as in Srpska Post Offices and the SportBOX café in Mladen Stojanović Park.