From the basement to the festival
From singing in the inn to the Opatija festival.
Although he was not interested in natural sciences, Vice, a famous Yugoslav singer and later a politician, decided to study chemistry at the initiative of his parents and encouraged by his good grades. Then he moved from Šibenik to Zagreb.
The capital city delights him and gives him the freedom to devote himself to whatever he wants. He realizes that he does not want to study because of his relatives and parents and that he wants to enroll in something that really interests him. And that was precisely the philosophy. For this reason, the following year he enrolled in philosophy and Italian studies at the Faculty of Philosophy in Zagreb.
His friends could hardly wait for it. They taunted him that he would now start changing colleges like coats. But he was truly satisfied with his new study. He loved participating in polemics and outsmarting his colleagues, who shared a common passion with him. He would say that these, at first decent discussions, often turned into real arguments. But he was extremely grateful to philosophy for teaching him that all truths have multiple angles.
His student life was ordinary. It consisted of joining end to end. Namely, in a tenement apartment of barely four square meters, he lived on the money his parents sent him, which was just enough to cover all basic living expenses. He sometimes spent what little he had left on books, and in his free time he sang in the "Ivan Goran Kovačić" student choir.
With a company from the choir, he would often go to the Zagreb cafe "Gradski podrum", where, with glasses of wine, they would sing dear Dalmatian, Zagorje and other songs. The staff was not impressed with their performance and often scolded them. Nevertheless, the guests liked the performances. Among them was Danica Markulin, music editor at Radio Zagreb. She noticed Vica's good voice and offered him to come to the audition. However, Vice did not like fun music and ignored the call. But Danica was persistent, she found the address of the choir where he sang and sent him an official invitation. Vice agreed to come to a test shoot.
A few months after that, he received an invitation to perform at the Opatija festival. The festival launched him among the biggest Yugoslav stars. Together with Duško Jakšić, he sang the composition "Mirno teku rijeka" which was the winner that evening. Overnight, he gained many female fans, and soon became the most popular face on the TV screen in Yugoslavia. It seemed as if nothing could diminish his glory. But the end of the 60s brought big changes...
