Rock music videos in Serbia since the 1990s: The curious case of Jarboli

Abstract

In this article I focus on the remarkable music videos of Jarboli – one of the most influential alternative rock bands from Belgrade, Serbia, who have been active since the early 1990s. I argue that, in their total oeuvre, music video is an art form equal to other creative outlets that the band members and their closest associates have dabbled in throughout their careers (including: playing instruments, composing and/or producing music, writing poetry and novels, producing and directing short films, drawing, painting, making collages and presenting off-beat radio shows). I analyze four music videos that illustrate the band’s development from a quirky indie attraction to the most accomplished musicians of their generation, but also document and provide witty and insightful commentaries on the changes that Serbian society has gone through during the past two decades.