Slobodan Kovačević

Slobodan "Bodo" Kovačević (29 December 1946 – 22 March 2004) was one of the greatest rock guitarists in former Yugoslavia, with unprecedented virtuosity even to these days. He began his musical career in early sixties with the Sarajevo band "Wanderers" and few years later in the mid sixties joined "Indexi", where Davorin Popović was already a singer.

The birth certificate is registered as a Slobodan A. Kovačević, with middle letter representing the name of his father - Adem . During the musical career he became widely known by his nickname "Bodo" . He graduated architecture at the Sarajevo University, but the love for music won his heart. He started musical career in early sixties, first as a guitarist of "Wanderers" and since 1965 in the band of "Indexi" where he spent most of his life . In his spare time he liked painting and watercolors were his favorite technique of expression .

In 1978 he received together with other members of "Indexi", prestigious "6th April Award" from the city of Sarajevo. The same year he won the award of JRT ( Yugoslav Radio and Television ) for his thematic masterpiece concept album " Dark-Blue River ", who was declared as an album of the year in Yugoslavia . In 2004 he got award Davorin as a best instrumentalist in Bosnia and Herzegovina .

He took his first musical steps as a high school student auditioning as a singer with well-known Yugoslavian composer-musician Kornelije Kovač (later a member of "Indexi" and leader of "Korni Grupa", Belgrade). Only when he began taking guitar lessons with professor Mile Praljak was his true talent discovered - for guitar playing.

He founded the group "Wanderers" in 1963 year, which already accounted rhythm guitarist Slobodan M. Kovačević (later in the group "More" ), Dusko Čorlija, bassist, drummer Vojo Šimšić and vocalist Zoran Vidović - Cojo . Members also included female singers Selma Koluder and Gordana Magaš (later a well-known Sarajevo ballerina and choreographer). The second set consisted of bassist Fadil Redžić and drummer Miroslav Šaranović, who both later joined the "Indexi". A recording from this period is Slobodan Kovačević's first instrumental composition "Snježni kristali" (Snow Crystals), which was recorded in the studio of Radio Sarajevo on April 16, 1965.

Kovačević moved into "Indexi" in the summer of 1965 and soon took with him the bassist Fadil Redzic from "Wanderers" . Both of them, along with the singer Davorin Popovic stayed in the band as a core members, until Popovic's death 2001.

The first major composition Bodo Kovacevic made for "Indexi" was titled "Pružam ruke" (I Reach Out) with lyrics by Nikola Borota. It was written in late 1966 and was recorded at Radio Sarajevo on February 13, 1967. With this composition "Indexi" took the part in the Yugoslav selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, which was organized in Ljubljana (winner was Slovenian singer Lado Leskovar with Vse rože sveta).

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