Suba (musician)
Encyclopedia
Mitar "Suba" Subotić a.k.a Rex Illusivi (June 23, 1961 in Novi Sad
, Serbia
, FPR Yugoslavia – November 2, 1999 in São Paulo
, Brazil
) was a Serbia
n-born musician and composer who was set to become one of Brazil
's most prominent producers when he died in November 1999.
, Vojvodina
, Serbia
, before continuing the electronic music studies in Belgrade
. He studied music theory, piano and accordion playing, and composition. He was a pioneer of electronic music in all of the ex-Yu countries, since he mixed and produced a number of celebrated albums of Yugoslav New Wave musicians and bands (Ekatarina Velika
, Haustor
, Bolero
, Marina Perazić...) in the course of the '80s.
In 1986, his fusion of electronica and Yugoslav folk lullabies, In The Mooncage was awarded the International Fund for Promotion of Culture from UNESCO
, which included a three-month scholarship to research Afro-Brazilian rhythms in Brazil. Falling in love with the country and its music, he emigrated to São Paulo
in the '90s, where his fruitful production began and ended. During that time he produced Milan Mladenović
's last project Angel's Breath (1994), and recorded his famous album São Paulo Confessions.
On November 2, 1999, he was working on the postproduction of the album of his newfound diva, Bebel Gilberto
, when his studio caught fire. Overcome by smoke, he died trying to rescue the newly recorded material with her.
Suba died just a few days after the release of his now-legendary album São Paulo Confessions
, and shortly before the completion of Bebel Gilberto
's acclaimed Tanto Tempo
, the biggest selling Brazilian album outside Brazil. Suba's label Ziriguiboom/Crammed Discs
alongside his closest musical associates (vocalists Cibelle
, Taciana, Katia B and percussionist João Parahyba) prepared a tribute album.
. In 2002, a group of musicians from Brazil and the United Kingdom
, including Cibelle
, Trio Mocotó
member João Parahyba, Marina Lima
, Phil Asher and Juryman, recorded the Suba tribute album Tributo. His album São Paulo Confessions
was included in the musical reference book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
, edited by Robert Dimery and published in 2005. During the same year, the Rex Ilusivii In Vitro / Suba Within Us ballet based on Subotić's life was written by the choreograph Aleksandra Ketig. The soundtrack for the play was released on the album of the same name. During the '80s Mitar Subotic published demo recordings with well-known guest - stars, like Milan Mladenović
, Massimo Savić, Branko Prčić (New Media Center Group), Marina Perazić, Igor Popović
and many others, appeared on the 66th place on the B92 Top 100 Domestic Songs list, polled by the listeners of the Serbia
n Radio B92. Since 2008, the Novi Sad
Exit festival
world music stage was named Suba Stage.
As Suba
Novi Sad
Novi Sad is the capital of the northern Serbian province of Vojvodina, and the administrative centre of the South Bačka District. The city is located in the southern part of Pannonian Plain on the Danube river....
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, FPR Yugoslavia – November 2, 1999 in São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
) was a Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n-born musician and composer who was set to become one of Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
's most prominent producers when he died in November 1999.
Biography
Born Mitar Subotić, he obtained a university degree in his hometown from the University of Novi SadUniversity of Novi Sad
The University of Novi Sad is a university located in Novi Sad, the capital of Serbian province of Vojvodina and the second largest city in Serbia....
, Vojvodina
Vojvodina
Vojvodina, officially called Autonomous Province of Vojvodina is an autonomous province of Serbia. Its capital and largest city is Novi Sad...
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, before continuing the electronic music studies in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
. He studied music theory, piano and accordion playing, and composition. He was a pioneer of electronic music in all of the ex-Yu countries, since he mixed and produced a number of celebrated albums of Yugoslav New Wave musicians and bands (Ekatarina Velika
Ekatarina Velika
Ekatarina Velika , sometimes referred to as EKV for short, was a Serbian and former Yugoslav rock group from Belgrade, being one of the most successful and influential music acts coming out of former Yugoslavia....
, Haustor
Haustor
Haustor was a rock band from Zagreb, SR Croatia, a member of the Novi val movement, and an important act of the former Yugoslav Rock scene.- Biography :...
, Bolero
Bolero
Bolero is a form of slow-tempo Latin music and its associated dance and song. There are Spanish and Cuban forms which are both significant and which have separate origins.The term is also used for some art music...
, Marina Perazić...) in the course of the '80s.
In 1986, his fusion of electronica and Yugoslav folk lullabies, In The Mooncage was awarded the International Fund for Promotion of Culture from UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
, which included a three-month scholarship to research Afro-Brazilian rhythms in Brazil. Falling in love with the country and its music, he emigrated to São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
in the '90s, where his fruitful production began and ended. During that time he produced Milan Mladenović
Milan Mladenovic
Milan Mladenović was a Yugoslav and Serbian musician best known as the frontman of Serbian art rock band Ekatarina Velika.-Early life:...
's last project Angel's Breath (1994), and recorded his famous album São Paulo Confessions.
On November 2, 1999, he was working on the postproduction of the album of his newfound diva, Bebel Gilberto
Bebel Gilberto
Bebel Gilberto is a Brazilian popular singer often associated with bossa nova. She is the daughter of João Gilberto and singer Miúcha. Her uncle is singer/composer Chico Buarque...
, when his studio caught fire. Overcome by smoke, he died trying to rescue the newly recorded material with her.
Suba died just a few days after the release of his now-legendary album São Paulo Confessions
São Paulo Confessions
São Paulo Confessions is an album by the Serbian-born musician Suba—his musical account of life in that humid, foggy, and manic megalopolis....
, and shortly before the completion of Bebel Gilberto
Bebel Gilberto
Bebel Gilberto is a Brazilian popular singer often associated with bossa nova. She is the daughter of João Gilberto and singer Miúcha. Her uncle is singer/composer Chico Buarque...
's acclaimed Tanto Tempo
Tanto Tempo
-Track listing:# "Samba da Benção" - 4:47# "August Day Song" - 4:37# "Tanto Tempo" - 3:01# "Sem Contenção" - 3:10# "Mais Feliz" - 4:17# "Alguém" - 4:04# "So Nice " - 3:32# "Lonely" - 2:24# "Bananeira" - 3:26# "Samba e Amor" - 3:28...
, the biggest selling Brazilian album outside Brazil. Suba's label Ziriguiboom/Crammed Discs
Crammed Discs
Crammed Discs is an independent record label whose output blends world music, rock, pop, and electronica. Based in Brussels, Belgium, Crammed was founded in 1980 by Marc Hollander of Aksak Maboul and has since released over 300 albums and 250 singles, working with artists from all over the world...
alongside his closest musical associates (vocalists Cibelle
Cibelle
Cibelle is a multi-media performance artist, singer-songwriter and music producer. Cibelle’s music is difficult to classify; she has been called a self-styled purveyor of “Tropical Punk”.-Biography:...
, Taciana, Katia B and percussionist João Parahyba) prepared a tribute album.
Legacy
After Subotić's death, 2000, a non-profit organization The Suba Institute was founded in his honor in BrazilBrazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. In 2002, a group of musicians from Brazil and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, including Cibelle
Cibelle
Cibelle is a multi-media performance artist, singer-songwriter and music producer. Cibelle’s music is difficult to classify; she has been called a self-styled purveyor of “Tropical Punk”.-Biography:...
, Trio Mocotó
Trio Mocoto
Trio Mocotó is a Brazilian band, originally formed in 1968 in the Jogral nightclub in São Paulo, and reformed in 2000. The group was influential in forming the musical style that became known as samba rock or samba soul...
member João Parahyba, Marina Lima
Marina Lima
Marina Correia Lima is a Brazilian singer and songwriter. She is a prominent female pioneer of Brazilian rock music.-Career:From the age of five to twelve, Marina lived in the United States and learned to read first in English and then in Portuguese. She gained attention in 1977 when popular...
, Phil Asher and Juryman, recorded the Suba tribute album Tributo. His album São Paulo Confessions
São Paulo Confessions
São Paulo Confessions is an album by the Serbian-born musician Suba—his musical account of life in that humid, foggy, and manic megalopolis....
was included in the musical reference book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die is a musical reference book edited by Robert Dimery, first published in 2005. The most recent edition consists of a list of albums released between 1955 and 2010, part of a series from Quintessence Editions Ltd...
, edited by Robert Dimery and published in 2005. During the same year, the Rex Ilusivii In Vitro / Suba Within Us ballet based on Subotić's life was written by the choreograph Aleksandra Ketig. The soundtrack for the play was released on the album of the same name. During the '80s Mitar Subotic published demo recordings with well-known guest - stars, like Milan Mladenović
Milan Mladenovic
Milan Mladenović was a Yugoslav and Serbian musician best known as the frontman of Serbian art rock band Ekatarina Velika.-Early life:...
, Massimo Savić, Branko Prčić (New Media Center Group), Marina Perazić, Igor Popović
Igor Popović
Igor Popović is a Serbian football player, currently is Free Agent.He had played previously with Serbian SuperLiga club FK Spartak Subotica.-Poli:...
and many others, appeared on the 66th place on the B92 Top 100 Domestic Songs list, polled by the listeners of the Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n Radio B92. Since 2008, the Novi Sad
Novi Sad
Novi Sad is the capital of the northern Serbian province of Vojvodina, and the administrative centre of the South Bačka District. The city is located in the southern part of Pannonian Plain on the Danube river....
Exit festival
EXIT (festival)
Exit is an annual summer music festival in the Petrovaradin Fortress of Novi Sad, Serbia. It is staged annually since 2000 and usually lasts four days ....
world music stage was named Suba Stage.
Studio albums
As Rex Ilusivii- Disillusioned! (1987)
As Suba
- The Dreambird (1994)
- São Paulo ConfessionsSão Paulo ConfessionsSão Paulo Confessions is an album by the Serbian-born musician Suba—his musical account of life in that humid, foggy, and manic megalopolis....
(1999)