Tomi Sovilj i Njegove Siluete
Tomi Sovilj i Njegove Siluete were a Belgrade-based Yugoslav rock band formed in 1964 by Tomislav “Tomi” Sovilj after he left Siluete. They were among the early pioneers of Yugoslav rock. Because Sovilj could not use the Siluete name after a court ruling, the group adopted the name Tomi Sovilj i Njegove Siluete (Tomi Sovilj and His Silhouettes).
Key members were Slobodan Saničanin (guitar), Branislav Rakočević (bass), Milorad Tomić (guitar) and Ðino Maljoković (drums). The band became famous for lively live performances at Belgrade venues like the Mažestik hotel teahouses and the cafe bar Terazije, sometimes drawing up to 2,000 fans. In October 1964 they played at the Vatromet ritma festival in Novi Sad and were regularly featured in the press. They were voted the third best band in Yugoslavia in 1964 and 1965 by the music magazine Ritam.
In 1966 they performed at the Gitarijada festival in Belgrade and toured Serbia and Macedonia with singers Nina Spirova and Anica Zubović. That year they released their debut EP Vule bule on Diskos. It contained Serbian-language versions of hits like Wooly Bully, Hang On Sloopy, and Jenny, plus a traditional tune. The EP sold more than 50,000 copies, earning a silver record. During Sovilj’s army service in autumn 1966, Dušan Prelević temporarily replaced him.
After Sovilj returned, they released a second EP, Stoj Džoni, which included a cover of Johnny B. Goode. It also sold well and earned a silver record. Following this, the band’s popularity faded and they split up in 1970.
Tomi Sovilj released a solo single, Nojeva barka, in 1970. He later moved to the United States to perform in clubs. His last recording was “Veseli vod” with the choir of the Bratstvo i Jedinstvo military high school for the 1974 album Kad truba zove, and his last live appearance was in 1985 at a Belgrade concert. He eventually moved to Switzerland, where he lives.
The songs Stoj Džoni and Vule bule appeared on the 2005 box Kad je rock bio mlad – Priče sa istočne strane (1956–1970). Stoj Džoni was later covered by Partibrejkers, who even had Johnny Depp join them on stage in 1992 to perform the song. Vule bule was covered by Bjesovi in 1991.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 22:20 (CET).