Rambo Amadeus

Rambo Amadeus is the stage name of Belgrade-based Montenegrin singer-songwriter Antonije Pušić, self-titled “musician, poet, and media manipulator”.

One of the most prominent cult figures on the ex-Yugoslav music scene, as a real musical maverick, he manages to steer clear of the usual “radio friendly” music, often using it for parody. The self-proclaimed World Mega Emperor (Svjetski Mega Car) is famous for his wacky jazz-funk, twisted lyrics and unpredictable live acts packed with brutal satire, sometimes bordering on stand-up comedy. His unusually proactive political correctness during the turmoil of the 1990s has earned him equal respect on all sides of the conflict. Rambo Amadeus is attributed for coining the phrase “Turbo Folk” to denote another musical phenomenon in the same region: ultra-tasteless, aggressive and massively popular modern Serbian folk music. The expression caught on and is now widely used.

His songs combine satirical lyrics on the nature of common people and the silliness of local politics. He uses a mixture of musical styles, including jazz and rock (more recently converging towards drum and bass), and self-conscious ironic wit. His stage name is derived as a combination of John Rambo and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Known also as the “charming king of jovial pop”, his concerts are never mere repetitions of recorded songs, but a mixture of musical improvisation and humour, exploiting all aspects of human nature in a crude manner. Some fans compare his style and career path with those of Frank Zappa or Captain Beefheart.

Rambo Amadeus represented Montenegro in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Baku, Azerbaijan, with the song Euro Neuro.

I don’t have rivals: I established my own style, which might not be the favourite of many, but I simply developed a different genre, which is represented by no one but me.

Rambo Amadeus

Antonije Pušić – Lead guitar, vocals
Aleksandar Cvetković – Drums
Vladimir Čukić – Bass guitar
Vojno Dizdar – Keyboards
Vladimir Mandić – Trumpet
Aleksandar Petković – Saxophone

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