Episode 73 - Interviewing Dragan Dji Dji Jankelic: The ”Bonham of the Balkans” Talks Music and More in Dayton’s Sister City of Sarajevo

Well it’s been a minute, but the Discover Dayton Podcast is back! This is an interview that’s about a year old now, and I hated sitting on it for so long. That said, last year was one of significant change for me as I went through a divorce, tried to move out of the country to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and then met someone and fell in love and am now engaged. So, since I’ll be sticking around, I’m starting the show back up! My guest on the show is arguably the most famous rocker in Eastern Europe, and his name is Dragan “Dji Dji” Jankelic. He was the drummer for the most popular ex-Yugoslav rock group in its day: Bijelo Dogma (or White Button). I met him by chance at a BnB in Sarajevo during a visit there last year and he was gracious enough to sit down with me for an interview. Known as the “Bonham of the Balkans,” Jankelic was famous for his innovative drumming techniques, such as being the first to introduce the use of double-bass pedals to the Balkans. In this interview we talk about all kinds of things that you won’t want to miss. And, if you think traveling to Bosnia and Herzegovina might be in your future but aren’t sure what all there is to do, head over to my new travel company website: www.gemcitytravels.com, and learn more about what awaits you there. I also plan on leading trips there in the future, so reach out if you’d like to learn more! Finally, I mention the ex-Yugo Rock Center in this podcast, which is run by some friends of mine and honors the rockers of the former Yugoslavia. I hope you’ll check out their website and consider going one day to visit with me! You can find them online at https://ex-yurock.com/. One more note about episodes - I won’t be publishing at the rate I was before. I’m hoping to put out between 1-2 episodes per week right now, so I hope you’ll savor them! Thanks for listening, and stay funky, Dayton.