Forgotten Treasure: Bora Rokovic “Nona” (1980)

I often say that the greatest thing about vinyl records are the stories that come with them. The sound quality, the artwork, putting the needle on the record all add to the magic. But for me, the real beauty comes with the context in which you got the record. You remember when, where and with who you got it and how much you paid for it.

I was in Belgrade, Serbia for a gig to promote the upcoming Southern Soul Festival in Montenegro and after an amazing night of music i’m always inspired to go record digging the following day. It’s quite natural for many DJ’s I know, including myself to spend their entire DJ fee on records.

My friend Milic (known as Spacewalker) took me to this mysterious shop called Yugo Vinyl, located in a residential neighbourhood. I would have never been able to find it without him. Milic then introduces me to the owner and tells him what i’m looking for: ex-Yugoslavian records, preferably Jazz or Funky stuff. The store owner then starts pulling out gems from different areas of the store, making me a pile of things to listen to and putting the first recommended record on the sound system. It was Bora Roković‘s “Nona” a record released in 1980 on PGP RTB.

Within about 30 seconds I knew I needed the record. The jazz fusion vibe along with very nice arrangements and mood changes create a very cinematic landscape. All the tracks are quite different and really give the LP different shades. Almost like a soundtrack record. Bora Roković (1925-2006) was a Serbian pianist who for many years played in the RTB Big Band which was a Jazz institution for many years in Yugoslavia. He only released 2 records as a lead artist but participated on about 30 other jazz records.

The fact that this is a very rare record which fetches around 200$ online is really the absolute last thing on my mind when I think of this record. What I will always remember when I drop the needle on it is the fact that I bought it on a sunny afternoon at Yugo Vinyl with Milic and Marija while drinking the store owners’ home made Rakija.

Lexis

Montreal-based DJ and the founder MusicIsMySanctuary.com (2007) and 24 Hours of Vinyl (2011).