Želimir Altarac Čičak

Želimir Altarac, known as Čičak (Burdock for his curly hair) was born in Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) on August 21, 1947. As one of the most prominent and influential figure of Sarajevo rock scene, Čičak was a truly DJ pioneer, promoter, organiser of rock spectacles in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and former Yugoslavia as well as renown music critic and publicist.

Čičak (a.k.a.Burdock) attended secondary school, the First Gymnasium of Sarajevo from 1961-1965 in a period of strong music influences from USA and UK which shaped up both mainstream and new wave across the former Yugoslavia. As curious fellow he scapegoated many gymnasium classes for his adventures into uncharted territory of organising concerts, writing poetry, moderating music events and editing a gymnasium Newsletter Polet. There he caught a particular interest for poetry in music or music in poetry and in coming years he found himself reciting verses of his own at different student manifestation. Old Sarajevans who remember those days are still vividly talking about interesting, beatniks-like stage set up where actress Etela Pardo and actor Branko Ličen were reciting Čičak’s verses, while renown composer Ranko Rihtman was providing a musical coverage on keyboards.

In late sixties in the basement of a student house Mladen Stojanović, in downtown Sarajevo, the first underground club Barutana was taking a shape. Obviously not without Čičak partaking from the very beginning. It was Barutana were many, later famous musicians of BiH and former Yugoslavia were starting their journey in some sort of Bosnian/Yugoslavian "tower of songs". Čičak soon commenced a specially tailor made program "Čičak plus Čičak" (“Burdock Plus Burdock") where jointly performed Želimir Altarac Čičak and band Čičak that already gained reputation of best DJ in former Yugoslavia, and where youngster were getting together in Barutana to listen to the latest music production from around the world and particularly progressive and avant-garde genres. It was exactly there, where Čičak made yet another successful step towards, not only working with the music, but rather working on the music of his own. His cooperation with pop-rock group Kodeksi (Codex) resulted in three great hits according to the Sarajevo Radio Chart (the best media platform for progressive music waves of that time). He wrote lyrics for Eduard Bogeljić's song "Lutalica" (Wanderer) but he is also made remake of two great world hits "To Love Somebody" of Bee Gees and "Song of a Baker" of Small Faces.

But collaboration with famous rock group Indexi helped Želimir Altarac Čičak to sharpen further his poetic expression in pop rock music. He is the author of the lyrics of one of the most famous Index's songs such are: "Negdje na kraju u zatišju" (“Somewhere, at the end of a road, where everything goes down to silence”),"Svijet u kome živim" (The World I live In). A truth seeking of "Negdje na kraju u zatišju" was firstly published in aforementioned Polet just to be later musically arranged and almost perfectly tuned by famous Yugoslavian guitarist and member of Indexi Slobodan Bodo Kovačević . who actually made 12 minutes long song which starts and ends with recitation. Somewhat unusual and new form of musical expression at the time, but very successful indeed according to the Radio Sarajevo Music Chart.Želimir Altarac Čičak also later wrote "Povratak Jacka Trbosjeka" (Return of Jack the Ripper) as one the hits of historical maxi single of Indexi published in 1972., although the song "The World I live In" is still holding the record as the most played song on Indexi concerts ever and furthermore as the most played and rearranged song by the other groups such were Teška Industrija (Heavy Industry), Konvoj (Convoy),rock legend

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