wild violet | mythic mist - interview with massimo savic by rada djurica

The sexiest and most interesting voice in the '80s in ex-Yugoslavia was, no doubt, Massimo Savic, known to his friends as just Max, with his Croatian band called Dorian Gray. Massimo Savic started his career in 1983, and today ranges from pop to jazz. One of his LPs is called Elements and its sung entirely on English, but usually he sings in Croatian. In the '80s, he was a bright spot in the darkness of the domestic art rock scene, and he also experimented with theatre. Today he aspires to be an actor.

Massimo is a charismatic soul and that, combined with his powerful voice, make him a true star. Not to mention the powerful influence of Max's voice on women. Everything said about Barry White in the American press was said about Max in the ex-Yugoslavian press. Boys in ex-Yu would buy Massimo's greatest hits, just to impress the girls. Max is a performer of ex-Yugoslavian pop songs, English songs and jazz. He also plays guitar. If you listen to his voice live, it sounds like he's got an entire studio behind him, because he sounds as if his voice is mastered by some invisible studio equipment.

Today, Massimo Savic still performs ex-Yugoslavian pop and jazz. His band today is called the Labin Art Express, recording for Aquarius Records (Croatian Record Company). He likes to dance to Prince songs and listen to David Bowie. But fame for him is not like fame for Prince or David Bowie; fame for him means not waiting in the line in the supermarket.

Massimo is brilliant with cover songs; his voice is so powerful and sexy that you forget he is singing someone else's songs. He sounds great in a dark room, with a glass of wine in your hands. And this is exactly what his powerful voice offers: every moment you want more.

Recently, Croatians voted him the most original voice and most extravagant dressing style, in a competition with other Croatian musicians. Recently, Massimo Savic performed on MTV, in the World Chart Express show.

Besides cover songs, what do you enjoy performing?

Since I've grown up to the music of David Bowie, Rolling Stones, Roxy Music, Peter Gabriel, Mile Davis, et cetera, there are concerts where I perform songs of those authors, cause they had a strong influence on me. However, just when I've got back from Belgrade, I did a DVD performance with Matija Dedic [Arsen & Matija Dedic, Croatian most accomplished jazz & pop musicians] in Belgrade's Sava Center. We performed jazz standards and I can say that I would be proud to perform in any other jazz festival in the world.

If you would choose any world famous musician that you would like to perform with, who that would be?

Without any doubt David Bowie, because I think that he perfectly connects his life philosophy with the music that he does.

How do you choose what you are going to sing? What standards do you go by?

I don't see myself as a commercial music performer, although many people are now buying my music and visiting concerts, which only means that standards and taste of audience is developing into our kind. I think about musicians, who are really playing music to the end, with love.

What is your opinion about popular ethno-pop-dance music?

As a musician I have to have some sort of knowledge about what is going on in music today. But if we are talking about musicians who want to do music with as less effort and investment as they can, and have the aim just to make a lots of money, then about them, I have a very bad opinion.

How nostalgic do you get? I'm talking about the most popular period in your music was in the '80s, during the old Yugoslavia?

I always remember with pleasure nice moments, especially in the '80s, but I'm not nostalgic. I'm looking forward to tomorrow, because from the past I learn something that I can build into a future.