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BIOGRAPHY
Alexandra Sladjana Milosevic Hagadone was born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. Her talent for music became very apparent at the early age, so she started education in classical music at the age of five, playing piano. Few years later, her interest turned to studying violin. At the age of twelve she became a singer and a bass-guitarist in a rock and roll school band, though she had not given up violin playing. She recorded a first single at the age of fifteen, playing violin and singing Indian influenced music with a group “Ganesha”. From then on, her interests had shifted towards various artistic expressions such as acting, playing music and dancing in the fringe theatres and experimental movies. She acted in Belgrade’s “Ex Art” Theatre, “Atelje 212” Theatre and in “Academic Kino Club Krsmanovic”. As a violinist, a member of "Belgrade Radio - Television Orchestra", her career continued doing studio work. Nevertheless, playing in a big orchestra appeared to be an obstacle for a further creative development, so she decided to proceed as a soloist. As a singer, she had won her first prize at “Maglaj Youth Festival” in 1974. In 1976, she toured the former Soviet Union as a soloist in “Sasha Subota Orchestra”, where she had recorded a “Compilation of World Hits” LP and a single "Mikado" for Soviet label “Melodia”. Besides extensive touring with hundreds of concerts performed throughout former Soviet Union, she took part in numerous TV shows. One of the highlights was her interpretation of Marina Cvetaieva’s poem “I Like When You Are Yearning for Me”, sung in Russian on Moscow TV, in a special birthday greeting for Soviet Union’s President Leonid Brezniew. Being in constant discordance with restrictive regime and the media, despite all the efforts, she could not release a solo record in her homeland Yugoslavia for many years. Thus, she invests her funds and finally manages to produce and release the first single in 1977. Unexpectedly, it had achieved an immediate success hitting no. one on the charts. Alexandra S. Milosevic's provocative first song “Au, Au” caused controversial reactions.
1977, Belgrade debut However, her creative potential, persistence and consistence of ideas had won over. She stimulated and influenced younger musicians and other less courageous, to follow her path.
1978
From then on, every song she had released hit the top of the charts: “Au, Au”(1977), “Sympathy”(1978), “Sexy Lady” (1978), then “Amsterdam”, and “Obviously I'm not Indifferent”, off of an “Anxious to Waste the Night Away” LP (1979). Alexandra’s fame spread throughout the entire region and the surrounding countries. At midnight, Hungarian audience celebrated with Alexandra an arrival of the New Year 1979, through her one hour performance on National TV, Budapest. Alexandra represented TV Belgrade on a “Eurovision Song Contest” in 1981, with a song “Recipe for Love”.
Alexandra’s band in 1981
In 1982, as a Special guest, she embarked with her band on a national Yugoslav tour with English rockabilly legends the “Matchbox”. In 1983. she started a band “Neutral Design” in Munich, Germany and released a self - titled album. Musicians who took part in this project collaborated with stars and bands known worldwide such as: “Santana”, “Nina Hagen Band”, “Splif” etc. Songs off of this LP were broadcasted and sold in West Germany, Sweden, Yugoslavia and other European countries. A single “Das Licht von Kairo / Miki, Miki” released in Yugoslavia, became a mega hit. At “Opatia Festival 1984.” Alexandra S. Milosevic won a “Special Award for Interpretation” for the composition “Samsara”. Another great success followed, with Maxi-single “Princess”, a duet with Dado Topic, which premiered at the “Eurovision Song Contest” in 1984. In the summer of that year, Alexandra filmed a 24 minutes animated show “The Girl in a World of Chips”, for Bosnian TV, Sarajevo. The show was awarded a Plaquette at the international “Montreux TV Festival”. It also took “The Best Yugoslav TV Show of the Year” award on national “Struga TV Competition”.
In 1983
Alexandra had continued cooperation with her colleagues abroad and moved to London to work with the likes of Alan Darby (“Fashion”, ex-“Cockney Rebel”), Russell Bell (“Gary Newman Band”) and Peter Godwin (David Bowie's songwriter). She also did music for commercials for BBC 1 Advertising Department. As a composer and arranger she contributed in the making of Alan Darby's LP, released in Great Britain in 1985, on CBS Records.
“Sexy Lady”’ photographed in 1998.
She took part in the “U.S.E. Project” (‘United States of Europe’ song performed by Alan Darby, author Midge Ure of “Ultravox”), recorded in Stevie Wonder’s studios in Paris where she took a role of a vocal producer assistant. In 1985, composition “Princess” was awarded a “Grand Prize” at “Mesam International Festival” Belgrade, Yugoslavia, winning “Song of the Year” title. She supported organization of Yu Live-Aid (International movement for hunger relief in Africa, originated by Bob Geldoff UK) and took part in a song dedicated to the cause, titled “In a Million Years” (1986). Next success, composition “Fantastic Journey”, was performed on “Mesam International Festival” 1986. Belgrade, Yugoslavia. Soon after, Italian National Television with producer Gian Luigi Morgia, filmed Alexandra’s 20 minutes show for RAI 2 TV channel.
Alexandra and Eddie Grant in 1986
In 1988, Alexandra did a successful remake of a song “First Snow” at the author’s (Dr. Spira - Dusan Mihajlovic) request. Album “Alexandra Sladjana Milosevic & Darko Kraljic’ with mellow jazz ballads, (an exception to her rock style), was recorded in 1987. That same year, a song off of the album “Without Hope” won “Grand Prize” at “Mesam International Festival” in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. During her career, Alexandra performed title songs for several movies: “Crazy Years”, “National Class” and for few documentary movies. Frequently she had been a guest vocalist and a guitarist on other musician’s albums such as: Dado Topic, “Leb i Sol”, Goran Milosevic (Alexandra`s brother, star singer, ex “Generation 5”), “Nityananda”, “Yu-group” and others. She took part in numerous humanitarian projects. She was the originator and the executive producer of the Charity Festival “United Yu-Rock Forces”, organized for the benefit of paraplegics, in Belgrade 1988. “Belgrade Paraplegic Organization” nominated her an “Honorable Member” for the support she had given to the cause.
“Kosovo Charity Ball” contestants, Los Angeles 1995
Thus far, doing concerts she had moved through hundreds of USSR cities, from the Polar region of Murmansk to the south of the Island of Crim. From Niagara Falls through Chicago, Cleveland, Mississippi, New York to Los Angeles and many other cities in the USA, West Germany, Hungary, Greece, China, Canada and the entire former Yugoslavia. In 1988, she joined the group of young classical composers from “Belgrade Conservatorium” recording and performing new classical artistic music. In 1989, composition “Toccata” by Igor Gostuski with Alexandra’s vocal interpretation, had won two first prizes at the “Experimental Classical Music Contest” in Opatia and Munich. That same year, Alexandra Sladjana Milosevic was invited to take part in the “Invitational Contest of International Friendly Cities Singers Meeting in Beijing”, China. She had won a "Special Honorary Award" for an overall two-part competition that included interpretation of a traditional Chinese song and her original music. In a free form competition she had won a “Silver Cup Award”. Since she was so well received by Chinese audience, for whom this was one of the first encounters with western music, she was invited to perform in various concert-venues and television shows.
China - Beijing competition, 1987
The success of the first tour in China resulted in yet another invitation in 1989, when she performed a number of concerts and TV shows including a concert at the famous Pierre Cardin’s “Maxim’s”. Chinese “Hundred Flowers Records” signed and compiled Alexandra’s hit songs for their market in 1989. Upon returning to Europe she co hosted a TV periodical titled “Cultural Bridge Beijing-Belgrade”, produced by TV Belgrade, Yugoslavia. Further on, she continued to contribute in maintaining and developing cultural relations between China and Yugoslavia. In 1989, she joined “Baby Sister”, headlining band on Sunset strip rock club scene in Los Angeles, California. A contract with a legendary American manager Richard Papasian (“Steppenwolf”, “Journey”, “Montrose”) and his production - management company “Artists at Work” was soon signed. After completing short tours in Yugoslavia and Switzerland she worked on a new demo - material in London. In 1990, she continued working on her album with American recording and production team in Los Angeles that included major American celebrities, such as “Guns'n'Roses`s” songwriter West Arkeen, Lary Wilkens (“Little Feat”), Jeff Buckley, Derek Davies (“Babylon A.D.”, author of the title track for “Robocop 3”), John Buxter with whom she did music for a Canadian CD-Rom production company.
USA TV “Carol Vitale Show”, 1994 In the meanwhile she worked on improving her guitar skills, studying with Hollywood’s MIT reputable instructors: Scott Henderson (Chick Corea, Joe Zawinul, “Tribal Tech”), Bruce Bouillet (“Racer X”- with Paul Gilbert), Scott Van Zen (“KISS” collaborator), James Hagadone and others. During that time she appeared on American TV shows and live scene.
Los Angeles, 1994
Besides furthering her musical career, she enrolled in a Business school and specialized in the investment field, becoming a stockbroker. In this position she worked in film industry (“Renegade Film Productions”), digital communications (“Digital Communications Inc.”), interactive multimedia industry and projects in developing new computer technologies. After connecting with Tania Delic's “International Trust Peace Fund”, which enabled continuation of her musical endeavors, she visited Yugoslavia in 1995. She recorded five new songs among which “Times are Changing” a collaboration with American author Derek Davis (“Babylon A.D.”). She scripted and directed an animated video clip for “Times are Changing” in 1995. The following 1996, she and her brother Goran Milosevic, recorded a duet “One must forgive” (also released on Goran’s album). Alexandra continued appearing in numerous TV shows and live performances in Yugoslavia and Europe. In 1997, she started working on a material for the new album. During that period she visited China twice, where in Beijing she had directed a video clip for a title song “Harmony” for the album soon to be released. A video was a symbolic tale of man’s discordance with nature, which poses a treat to his existence. In spring of 1998, CD “Harmony - Compilation of Ballads vol. 1” was promoted in the artificial garden of Paradise, Alexandra designed for that purpose.
“Harmony” When Serbia and Belgrade were bombed by NATO in spring of 1999, Alexandra and her brother recorded and shot a video clip for “No More Tears”, a song they wrote together. It was an emotional call against violence and the sadness it consequently causes. Finish singer Ianne Hurme recorded this song for Finish market, where it reached a considerable success. The first video clip off of the album “Animal Tested” soon to be released, Alexandra scripted and directed in December of 1999. It was a controversial “Legalize Freedom”, which was, due to the rules of the repressive political regime, immediately banned on almost all TV stations in Yugoslavia.
“Legalize Freedom” video clip frame, 1999 On the 13th of January 2000, a Serbian Christian New Years celebration day, Alexandra delivered the award to the “Most Resisting Media Reporter”, political prisoner at the time. The celebration - protest was organized by “Otpor” (Yugoslav Youth Resistance) at the main Belgrade’s town square. During the protests against the authoritarian political regime of, at the time Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, Alexandra Sladjana Milosevic took an active role. Later that year, over 100 000 people were present on Belgrade's Republic Square during the Democratic Opposition gatherings organized by NGO “G 17+”, when Alexandra took stage to play a set with her band. She joined the efforts of the people of Serbia in their strife for freedom and request for the new government. She also took part in “Vreme je” (The Time has Come) project conceptualized by “ANEM” (Association of Independent Media) and “G17 +”. She sang and played the song in support of the awakening of the democratic awareness in Serbia and the first free elections. She had played concerts on public squares during the entire democratic campaign and spoke on the media in favor of it. After speaking at a Press Conference in Belgrade’s Media Center in July 2000 with Mladjan Dinkic, one of “G17+” leaders (former Treasurer in Djindjic’s Government, Minister of Finance of Serbia in 2004), she was arrested in her residence. There was neither explanation nor there were any charges brought up. After questioning, she was let free. Radio / TV “Voice of America” soon reported about this harassment, which has continued for Alexandra for some time. In the year 2000, Alexandra’s album “Animal Tested” got released in Great Britain for “Wastelands Unlimited” Record Label. Alexandra commented: “This album of mine is created to challenge stupidity and backwardness, and is a voice against all-out manipulation.” The second clip off of the album “My Cross is Bleeding”, was also self written and directed in summer 2000.
“My Cross is Bleeding” video clip frame, 1999
In October 2000, Alexandra was a panelist at the Symposium “Cultural Politics and Development of Serbia” in “Sava Centar”, Belgrade, organized by the “Center for Contemporary Arts”, where she presented the “Plan for the Reform and Restructuring of Yugoslav Music Industry”. It was her, both by experts and the media, well received debut into official politics. Alexandra Sladjana M.H. addressed the crowd of approximately one million people from the City Hall balcony on the 5th of October 2000, while the final overthrow of Milosevic was taking place. She, and few of her colleagues, actors and politicians, kept the crowds awake during that historical night when Slobodan Milosevic and the members of his regime finally stepped down.
Protests, during 2000 In autumn 2000, she directed a video clip “Ko ce reci ljudima” (Who will Tell the People) the third single off of the “Animal Tested” CD. Due to her efforts in bringing new solutions to the disorganized music industry, “Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia” appointed Alexandra Sladjana Milosevic a “Coordinator of the Reform of Music Industry in Yugoslavia” in March 2001. RTS Radio “Program 202” produced 8 episodes of a one hour weekly radio show she wrote and hosted, titled “Animal Tested”. Alexandra Sladjana M.H. first literary achievement (with co-author Dr. Jasmina Malesevic) “Adam Don't Get Mad”, was published and released by “Draslar Partner”, on the 4th of September 2001. As a director and a screenwriter, Alexandra S.M. promoted the book, putting up an outdoor theatrical performance in Belgrade’s Knez Mihailova Street. One of the critic’s highlights of the book “Adam Don't Get Mad” is the commentary made by one of the world most famous living authors Paulo Coelho: “When I first met Alexandra in ‘97, I was struck by the boldness and originality of her self-expression. Then I spoke to her and quickly noticed her acumen and sharp wit. Over the years we've kept in touch. I've learned that Alexandra is not only a versatile and eclectic person, but a highly resourceful individual as well. She has something that I've always admired in people: a heart to dream and courage to make her dreams come true. I hope that this book will just be the beginning of a long and rewarding writing career”.
Alexandra as Lilit for “Adam Don't Get Mad” cover In the year 2002, Alexandra’s record label PGP - RTS, released the greatest hits compilation “Metamorphosis”, a triple CD box set. The compilation was to celebrate her 25 Years Jubilee. Alexandra also shot “Metamorphosis”, one hour TV show, for the national TV RTS.
From “Metamorphosis” TV show In November of the same year, PGP - RTS signed the distribution of “Animal Tested” CD for Yugoslav market. Alexandra wrote and directed a documentary titled “Music Industry of America” for TV RTS in 2002. Material was filmed in Los Angeles, USA. It was a five episode - serial, shown on national TV RTS in the summer of 2003. In a thirty minutes form, each episode covered the most significant issues that Alexandra tackled in her Reform of the Music Industry Plan, such as record labels role, songwriting, producing, union matters, copyrights, piracy, music in movies and the musicians place in corporate business. The first episode titled “Sheep Culture”, featured Don Grierson, long time A&R Director of Sony / Epic and EMI.
Alexandra and Don Grierson
The second episode “Richman and the Poorman” featured producer Peter Rafelson, (best known for composing “Open your Heart”, Madonna’s hit single).
Alexandra and Peter Rafelson in “Rafelsons Studios” The third, titled “Who Lobbies for you?” featured panelists from the “American Federation of Musicians”. The fourth “Sex and a Bit of a Sin” was filmed on a movie set of an indie movie “A Day in a Girls Life” (staring James Woods in a leading role). “Jealousy of Gods”, the fifth episode covered the role of managers / agents and the musician’s view of the music industry. It featured one of the latest shows of “Great White”.
Alexandra and “Great White’s” frontman Jack Russell The serial had generated significant public interest and media coverage. Its primary goal was to inform Serbian general as well as professional audience of the complex matters concerning global and local music industry. Her latest video clip “Uniform”, she filmed and directed in Los Angeles in autumn of 2002.
Shooting of “Uniform”
Most part of 2003. Alexandra had dedicated to upgrading her academic education at the USA Santa Monica College, in her Los Angeles home.
Photo shoot in 2003 For several years, Alexandra has been holding a teaching position at “Pragma” PR School in Belgrade, Serbia where she educates students in Personal PR strategies and techniques. Alexandra S.M.H. appears on her records as a singer-songwriter, arranger, producer, guitarist (electric and acoustic, both rhythm and lead), violinist, bass player, keyboard player and percussionist. She took part in over 1500 TV and numerous radio shows, shot, scripted and directed video clips and other TV forms. She occasionally writes articles for various magazines and book commentaries. Besides Serbia and Montenegro, and former Yugoslavia, she took part in concerts, TV and radio performances in China, Soviet Union, Germany, Greece, Italy, Hungary, USA and Canada. There are about 3000 magazine and newspaper articles and approximately 300 magazine covers of her already. Although frequently in collision with the establishment for preceding the ongoing tendencies, she is a recipient of many honors and awards. In her long career she supported and promoted young talents and opened areas for new, progressive artistic expression. Her name can be found in several encyclopedias. Her hit songs became evergreens. Her hobbies are painting and taking care of animals. “Currently she is engaged in several projects, one of which is preparing songs for a new album; she is also working on three books simultaneously: “The Shepardess” “Manly Woman” and Mechanical Priestess”.
Recently,
Association “Ars et Norma” has started a “Campaign for the Better World”
project, funded by the United States Embassy in Belgrade.
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Alexandra's site developed by Audiografix & Ars et Norma |