the 'gospoda' of dolce and gabbana

Today's blog posting is going to be a little bit of a cop-out blog post (but I promise to make up for that with another food-related blog post later on today), that celebrates the complete ridiculousness of the Balkan region and its diaspora. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Balkan music scene, be forewarned: this ridiculous singer from Montenegro who has lived in New York City since the 1980s may confuse you. You may not even know what to make of this post. Nonetheless, I should preface this with the warning that this man is very serious in his intent. (Even though 'some of us' may not take him seriously, although others do...curious.) People listen to his music in the U.S., in Bosnia and Hercegovina, Montenegro, Serbia and Croatia. He has been the big hit of the summer. So, here it goes.
Ekrem Jevrić, also known as 'Gospoda' (this best translates to 'the Man,' but in a kind of aristocratic sense) was born in the eastern part of what is now Montenegro, in the town of Plav. The region of Gusinje-Plav has often been stereotyped by people from the former Yugoslavia, especially those in Bosnia and Hercegovina, as a region best known for its sketchy criminal dealings and fanatic Montenegrin patriotism. Gusinje-Plav's most famous export to Bosnia and Herzgovina is a politician named Fahrudin Radončić, owner of the Dnevni Avaz newspaper, leader of the SBB party, and über-gangster. New York City is home to one of the largest Gusinje-Plav diasporas in the world. My husband and I have had quite a few superintendents in New York apartments from the region-and have had wonderful and definitely memorable experiences with them and their friends (who drop by many times a day). Jevrić moved to NYC in 1988 with his wife, Igbala. Last year, he released his first 'single' called 'Kuća pos'o,' which translates to '[From] Home [to] work,' a song about his experiences living in New York City. Here is the video clip from You Tube, and please laugh all you want at this amazing homemade video that has reached almost 4 million hits since it was released. I can't tell if his popularity is due to his ridiculousness or because people actually like his crazy voice, the 'lyrics' to the song, his 'adventures' around New York City, or his gangster appearance. Also note the very very confused-looking girl in the random New York cafe where Ekrem decided to film his video.



Ekrem's hit count on youtube today: 4,005,239 (in just four months)

Anyway, this blog post was mainly inspired by the fact that today I was sitting in my fourth-floor apartment checking email, when all of a sudden a giant tricked-out Mercedes SUV passed by under my window belting Jevrić's hit 'Kuća pos'o,' at maximum volume. I was struck with sudden urge to see what Ekrem was up to recently and I typed his name into my google bar when, lo and behold, the biggest surprise I've had in a while struck. Yes indeed, my dear readers, Ekrem Jevrić is featured in the 2011 Dolce and Gabbana Men's Collection advertisements. Yes, I did indeed just write that. Ekrem Jevrić, Gospoda, is in the 2011 Dolce and Gabbana ads. He is the tailor. Ej, pa fakat se širi i naš seljakluk po cijelom svijetu. SELJAKLUK! Enjoy these turbo-photos.