Toni Montano


Toni Montano, real name Velibor Miljković is a Serbian rock musician.

Biography

Radost Evrope

Miljković started his career as a vocalist of the band punk rock Radost Evrope, formed in 1979. The band lineup consisted of a large number of members, including Dime "Mune" Todorovski, later the member of Partibrejkers and Slobodan "Loka" Nešović, later the member of Urbana Gerila/Berliner Strasse and Defektno Efektni. They had rehearsals and performed at the Belgrade SKC, mainly cover versions of the Ramones songs, but also had their own material. The band did not leave any recordings, and performed until 1985, when they disbanded. However, part of the material performed by Radost Evrope appeared on Miljković's debut album. One of the last live appearances the band had as an opening act for the Angelic Upstarts, on April 1985. After the band disbanded, Miljković pursued a solo career.

Solo career

After the disbandment of Radost Evrope, Miljković named himself after the Scarface lead character Tony Montana. He released his debut album Tonny Montano in 1986. The album was produced by Buldožer member Borut Činč and combined punk rock and rockabilly, a combination Montano described as frkabili. The album featured songs "Vreme je da skinem mrak", "Frigidna" and "Boli me zub" previously performed with Radost Evrope. It also featured a cover versions of Dragan Stojnić's "Balada o Boni i Klajd" and Bobby Freeman's "Do You Wanna Dance?". At the beginning, Montano's support band consisted of musicians who also chose pseudonyms after famous gangsters: Edi Salvatore, Manzanera, Pjetro Manolo, Serđo Manini, all of them at the same time members of the band Rock Street.
Toni Montano's next record Talični Tom je mrtav, released in 1987, featured similar sound, and in 1988 he released the live album Live - mi smo iz Beograda , which was not well received. At the time, Toni Montano and the band Đavoli from Split organized corporate Yugoslav tour. The album Lovac na novac was released in 1991 and featured a cover of Đorđe Marjanović's "Zvižduk u osam", football chant "Mi smo šampioni" and song "Odlaziš 1984 - 1990" dedicated to the members of Prljavo Kazalište. Album featured members of Vampiri on backing vocals.
In 1993, Toni Montano acted in a stageplay Bilo jednom u Beogradu directed by himself and Miki Manojlović. Anent the stage play Toni Montano released the album of the same title. The song "Godfather" featured members of Orthodox Celts as guests. The album Najbolje od najboljeg 1991 - 1995 was released in 1995. The song "Mi smo srećna porodica" featured Nele Karajlić on vocals. The album Moja žena fudbal ne voli! " featured rerecorded "Mi smo šampioni" and "Mi smo iz Beograda" and football chant "Obilić" recorded for FK Obilić. Compilation album Hajde, slušaj ovaj CD, released in 1999, featured a cover of Elvis J. Kurtović's song "Da bog da crk'o rock 'n' roll". At the same time studio album Srećan rođendan was released. The album featured members of Radijacija and Mega Bend, guitarist Nenad ″Nele″ Stamatović and singer Sonja Mitrović "Hani". Srećan rođendan featured a cover version of Prljavo Kazalište song "Široke ulice". After the 2000 political changes in Serbia, Montano semi-retired from the scene.
In 2006, Montano released a compilation album Blue Eyes - Best of Tonny Montano, and, in 2007, the other called Lepšoj od najlepše, both released through City Records.
In 2012, Montano released the compilation album Istinita ljubavna priča - Jubilej - 25 godina muzičkog rada through PGP-RTS. Following the release of the compilation album, Montano gathered a group of Belgrade-based musicians to form a touring band for a live performances comeback. The lineup features Eddie Salvatore, Santos Traficante, Vincenzo de Mora and Emilio Horhas. Montano and the band had their first performance on Belgrade Beer Fest on August 14, 2012.

Movie appearances

Toni Montano appeared in the movies Strangler vs. Strangler and Brod plovi za Šangaj.

Controversy

Toni Montano often stirred controversy in his interviews and frequently attacked other musicians, like Ekatarina Velika, whom he considered pseudointellectuals who alienated themselves from the "street", where, according to him, the real rock music should emerge from. He arrogantly proclaimed himself a "real rock star" whose time is yet to come. However he never really managed to achieve the success of his adversaries.
At the end of 1990s Montano became related to the Socialist Party of Serbia and its former regime and organized most of his live appearances in order to promote the party.

Legacy

In 2000, Serbian singer Viktorija covered Montano′s song "Svi se sada njišu", on her live cover album Nostalgija.

Discography

Studio albums