Croatian band Opća Opasnost looking forward to Canada concert: ‘We can’t wait’ 

(Photo: Opća Opasnost)

Opća Opasnost, the popular band from Županja in Croatia, will celebrate their 30th anniversary in May in Canada with a special one-off concert. 

Opća Opasnost will perform with Tiho Orlić at Nashville North, Norval Ontario on May 13th, 2023. The concert will be Opća Opasnost’s first in Canada and it will also be Tiho Orlić’s first time performing solo in Canada.

Opća Opasnost was founded in 1992 by Slaven Živanović and Pero Galić in their home town of Županja and quickly grew to six members.

We caught up with the band ahead of their Canada show to find out more about them and what fans can expect at the show.  

Congratulations on 30 years. When you first started did you think you would be still going 30 years later?

It never occurred to us that we would last at all, let alone 30 years. Because the time in which we were born was not at all promising for life, least of all for doing music. But the youth did not give up their desire to get on stage and stay on it as long as possible. And here we are happily for 30 years.

How did the name ‘Opća Opasnost’, which translates as ‘General Danger’ come about?

I mentioned that we were born in very bad times for our homeland. The Homeland War was going on in 1992, but regardless of the conditions, we played our rock ‘n‘ roll. The alarm was announced in Županja and did not stop for almost 1300 days. We were rehearsing when the alarm was repeated, which led us to name the band Opća Opasnost.

Who have been some of the band’s music influences?

We listened to everything that was known in the world of rock ‘n‘ roll at the time, and available to us. But the biggest influences were Whitesnake, Deep Purple, Iron Maiden, Van Halen, and many others. But local music was and remains much more dear to us.

(Photo: Opća Opasnost)

You are one of the most popular rock ‘n‘ roll bands in Croatia today. What was your big break or has it just been a consistent rise?

We just never gave up on our desire to be exactly this. A band that has its fans, shows all over the country and the world, but the most important is certainly song. 

Thanks to Mario Vestić, who is the author of our songs, the audience fell in love with the band, because the songs are understandable and acceptable to them. And I think that is certainly the most important of all. Good songs, positive energy in the band and the audience then recognises that, and we have a lot of support to keep going forward.

You perform often in the Croatian diaspora…what are the crowds like and where have been some of your favourite concerts outside Croatia and why?

The majority of our performances are still in these parts of our country, and sometimes we are not even able to accept an invitation from somewhere outside, because already at the beginning of the year the calendar of performances is mostly filled. But yes, we had the opportunity to go outside our borders, so we performed in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Australia, Slovenia, and I must admit that there is not a big difference between where we are and where we perform. The audience is mostly excited about the music we play, and we are very happy that we will be performing here for the first time in Canada. We are happy about that and can’t wait to hang out.

What do you like about playing in Canada and what can the fans expect to hear at the upcoming concert?

We are very happy that were invited to Canada, for the first time, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. It is certainly a challenge to perform in front of an audience for the first time, but 30 years of existence does not allow us to relax anymore, but still go 100% forward. I only hope that the audience will look for our performances and prepare for a joint gathering. It will be solid and loud. In our Slavonian way.

(Photo: Private album)

What does the band have in store for 2023? And will you be like the Rolling Stones and go on and on?

We will go to the end of course, however long it takes, and we hope it will take a long time. Only may the dear God give us health, willpower and new songs. These days we are preparing for the studio. We will record one new song, and if everything goes well, one more by the end of the year, and then the plan is to finish the new album. And we hope to succeed at least close to the Stones, to last until a very old age. There is no reason to give up. 

Thank you for your questions, I hope I brought the story of the band a little closer, but we certainly look forward to meeting and spending time together. See you. Opća Opasnost loves you. 

The concert is being promoted by Bura Entertainment, who has a long history of providing some of the greatest Croatian bands and singers to the Greater Toronto Area.

“We are very pleased and excited to be given the opportunity to celebrate Opca Opasnot’s 30^th Anniversary concert. As we all know Opca Opasnost and their rich history in Croatian music, we are also excited to be able to bring Tiho Orlic and his band. This is not Tiho Orlic’s first time here as he was touring with Marko Perković ‘Thompson’ in 2009 and 2015. Being a contributor to many of the hits we know today, he will be pumping out all of the crowd favorites along with some of his new material.

Nashville North will prove to be a great concert venue and is very well-known in the town of Norval and is just down the road from the Queen of Peace – Croatian Franciscan Centre.  The venue is equipped for over 1000 guests with multiple bar access, two outdoor patios and an intimate stage setting. The perfect ingredients for a memorable concert.

We have been fortunate to have worked with some of Croatia’s biggest bands and singers. Thompson, Oliver Drgojevic, Severina and Klapa Intrade. Our hope is to continue to bring Croatian artists to Canada as a means of enriching our vibrant Croatian community, enabling future generations to enjoy these unforgettable moments together with friends and family.

This is a one time show in Canada and Croatians from all over North America have reached out and are travelling in for this concert.  Friends from Montreal, Chicago, New York and Edmonton!  Truly bringing the Croatian community together for a most memorable night. 

Our team at Bura Entertainment Inc. is looking forward to hosting Opca Opasnost/Tiho Orlic and all our guests on May 13^th.  Can’t wait to see you all.”

For ticket purchases you can email: [email protected] or contact John on 416-768-8060 or Tony 647-680-5319

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