VIA Talas

History

The band was formed in the early 1980s by former BG 5 member Bojan Pečar (vocals, bass, guitar, synthesizer, percussion), Mira Mijatović (vocals), Dušan Gerzić 'Gera' (saxophone, drums) and Miško Petrović 'Plavi' (bass, guitar, backing vocals). They contributed two songs to the Artistička radna akcija compilation: 'Hawai (najljepši kraj)' and a cover of Millie Small's 'My Boy Lollipop' titled 'Lilihip (My Boy Lollipop)'. The band also opened for Idoli at their first concert.

By the time their debut album Perfektan dan za banana ribe was released in 1983 under the name Talas, only Pečar and Mijatović remained. The album's title referenced J. D. Salinger's short story 'A Perfect Day for Bananafish'. Its opening track 'Sama' became a nationwide hit and appeared on the Šećerna vodica movie soundtrack. The album was recorded at Belgrade MS studio, produced by Pečar and Boban Petrović, and released through Sarajevo Disk in 3000 copies.

Guests included Milan 'Mića' Bubalo, Ivan Vdović 'Vd', Milan Mladenović and Vuk Vujačić. The band's song 'Ti' appeared on the Ventilator 202 - Demo top 10 compilation, after which the band ceased to exist.

Post-breakup

Mira Mijatović passed away from a drug overdose. Dušan Gerzić was a designer and graphic artist who worked with Yugoslav new wave acts like Haustor, Električni orgazam, Idoli, D' Boys, and Ekatarina Velika. After finishing his Applied Arts degree in Belgrade in 1986, he exhibited widely across Yugoslavia and abroad, working in Paris, New York City, and Toronto. He came back to Belgrade in 1997 and died the following year.

Bojan Pečar first joined Katarina II, which became Ekatarina Velika after releasing its self-titled album; he recorded four more studio albums and one live album with the band. He left in early 1990, moved to London, played in a group called Mission, and also wrote poetry and painted. He died of a heart attack in London on October 16, 1998. Miško Petrović is the only surviving member.

He started as a guitarist and bassist for D' Boys until 1986, then joined Piloti. In 1990 he became part of Ekatarina Velika, contributing the song "Zvezde" to the compilation S' one strane duge. He took up the accordion, worked on film scores and solo projects, and in 2003 formed the Miško Plavi Band with musicians from Serbia, India, the United Kingdom, and Israel. He took part in the Milan Mladenović tribute Kao da je bilo nekad...

Posvećeno Milanu Mladenoviću, and with the Miško Plavi Band released two studio albums and a live album. He is a member of the Société des auteurs, compositeurs et éditeurs de musique and the Association of Composers of Serbia, and holds two golden records and one platinum record. In 2005, "Ti" was reissued on the PGP-RTS compilation Specijal 2: Dan zaljubljenih. In October 2020, Perfektan Dan Za Banana Ribe was reissued.