Sanja Ilić

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Sanja Ilić, born Aleksandar Ilić on March 27, 1951 in Belgrade, was a Serbian and Yugoslav musician and composer. He started writing music as a teenager and became known for blending rock, electronic, and Balkan folk sounds. He died on March 7, 2021, in Belgrade.

In 1971, Ilić formed the rock band San. The group ended in 1975 after their singer Predrag Jovičić died on stage from an electric shock. After San broke up, Ilić focused on composing for other artists and projects.

He teamed up with Sloba Marković on the electronic album Delta Project and with Irfan Mensur on the album Plava ptica. In 1982, he wrote the song Halo, Halo for the group Aska, which represented Yugoslavia at Eurovision. In 1984, he composed the hit "Princeza" performed by Dado Topić and Slađana Milošević.

In 1979 he joined the supergroup Mag for the soundtrack of the film National Class Category Up to 785 ccm. He continued writing music for theatre, film and TV and for many Yugoslav singers. In 1992, with lyrics by Irfan Mensur, he composed music for the theatre play Plava ptica; the songs were released on the album Plava ptica and its title track became a hit.

In 2000, Ilić created the ethnic music group Balkanika. They released several albums and performed around the world. The project also inspired a TV show, Ostrvo Balkan. Balkanika’s works include Balkan 2000, Balkan koncept, and Ceeepaj; in 2018 they represented Serbia in the Eurovision Song Contest with "Nova deca." A 2020 album, Stand Up, featured some English-language songs.

Ilić wrote music for many artists and for theatre, film and television, totaling more than 1,000 compositions. In 2013 he composed Constantinus Magnustantinus Magnus to mark 1,700 years since the Edict of Milan, a large work performed by hundreds of musicians and dancers.

Sanja Ilić was married to actress Zlata Petković until her death in 2012; they had a son, Andrej (born 1984). He was the brother of guitarist and bandleader Dragoljub Ilić. Ilić died on March 7, 2021, from complications of COVID-19 and was buried in the Alley of Distinguished Citizens at Belgrade New Cemetery beside his wife. In June 2021, he received Serbia’s Golden Medal for Merits posthumously.