Ljiljana Buttler

Ljiljana Buttler (née Petrović; 14 December 1944 – 26 April 2010) was a Yugoslav-Romani singer. Her nickname was The Mother of Gypsy Soul.

Early life

Buttler was born as Ljiljana Petrović on 14 December 1944 in Belgrade, Kingdom of Yugoslavia during World War II. Her father was a Romani accordionist from Serbia, while her mother was a Croatian singer from Zagreb. Her father left the family shortly after the birth of his daughter. Petrović moved to the city of Bijeljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, where her mother performed in pubs. As a teenager she began singing, she returned to Belgrade where she settled in the Skadarlija bohemian quarter of the city.

Career

In the 1970s she broke through in Yugoslavia as a singer and she released several successful albums. During the 1980s her career slowed. In 1989, due to political unrest, she moved to Dusseldorf, Germany.

The Amsterdam-based Bosnian music producer Dragi Šestić started shortly after the 2000 millennium, a quest for the 'disappeared' singer and knew around 2001 to find her out. He convinced her to make a new album for his Snail Records in 2002 and brought with her and Mostar Sevdah Reunion, the Bosnian band - "The Mother Of Gypsy Soul". In 2005, "The Legends of Life" was released. This group gave from 2003 concert series, particularly in Europe. The music of the group is a mix of gypsy and Balkan music, jazz and sevdah. Her last album, Frozen Roses, was released in 2009.

Personal life

Buttler died of cancer on 26 April 2010, aged 65, in Beograd.

Discography

1. Ljiljana Petrović: «Djelem, Djelem Daje» with Ansambl Zorana Pejkoviča (1981) RTV Ljubljana LD 0720
2. Ljiljana Petrović: «Pevam Do Zore - Zabavljam Druge» with Orkestar Dragana Kneževica (1983) RTV Ljubljana LD 0868
3. Ljiljana Petrović: (self-titled) with Orkestar Dušana Mitrovica-Nivoda (1984) RTV Ljubljana LD 1242
4. Ljiljana Buttler & Mostar Sevdah Reunion: «The Mother of Gypsy Soul» (2002) Snail Records
5. Ljiljana Buttler & Mostar Sevdah Reunion: «The Legends of Life» (2005) Snail Records
6. Ljiljana Buttler: «Frozen Roses» (2009) Snail Records

Awards

• "Davorin" Bosnian Music Awards: The Best Ethno Album Of The Year 2003 ("The Mother of Gypsy Soul")

Films

• "Sevdah - the Bridge that Survived" - by Mira Erdevički 2005

External links

• Obituary in The Guardian
• Snail Records - The Official record label
• Ljiljana Buttler -My Space page