Мизар: Македония рок тобының тарихы

Macedonian rock band

Mizar ( ) is a Macedonian rock band from Skopje. They achieved a status of a cult band, especially in Macedonia and across the former Yugoslavian countries. The group is notable for its first self titled album, as it was the first popular music album in the former Yugoslavian countries in Macedonian. The album was a major success and it is listed among the top ten rock albums ever released in former Yugoslavian countries. Mizar was formed in 1981 in the then Socialist Republic of Macedonia. Because of the band's avant garde sound and image, its Christian leanings and support for Macedonian self determination, they were viewed with certain degree of suspicion by the former authorities. Still, the group received great media attention including numerous appearances on the national television. The 2014 documentary Mizar: The Star of Hope details the band's origins.

The band got its name after Mizar which is a guiding star for the orientation of travelers in the deserts. The name was given by Panta Džambazoski.

In their long history, Mizar has had 5 Revelations, all of them with different singers.

Mizar were formed in 1981 in Skopje as an instrumental trio of Gorazd Čapovski on guitar, Valentin Zabjakin on bass and Panta Dzambazoski on drums. In late 1981, Zabjakin left the band and was replaced with Ilija Stojanovski. Risto Vrtev joined on vocals soon after. In 1982, the group recorded a demo tape for Radio Skopje. They then sent this tape to Jugoslovenski Rock Moment (also known as YURM), who wrote a short but glowing review of the tape. During 1983, the band then had to break up shortly after due to the members' mandatory army commitments.

In 2001 a tribute album named Tribute to Mizar was released. It was a collection of Mizar cover versions by some of the most notable groups in Macedonia incl. Majakovski, the black death metal band Syniac and others. Two years later the first two albums of Mizar were re released on CD solely for the Macedonian market, but the record quickly spread across the countries of former Yugoslavia. Besides the albums, the CD also contained demos and live recordings. Mizar was reunited in early 2003 with their former member Goran Trajkoski as a vocalist, with whom, first they released the single (Gun Salute). That summer they played at the Exit festival in Novi Sad and in the alternative club Močvara in Zagreb. The entrance tickets included give away records featuring the new single. The following year a new album titled Terrible Beauty (is born) came out. During 2005 Mizar toured ex Yugoslavia, August 2005 Mizar toured Croatia together with Croatian gothic band from Zagreb Phantasmagoria (Croatian band), with its leader Tomi Edvard Sega. That was Jadran Tour Pula (Viva La Pola! festival), Zadar (Maya Pub), Split (O'Hara Club), Dubrovnik (Lazareti) and in the beginning of November they visited Serbia and Montenegro playing in Pančevo, Belgrade and Kragujevac.

During the summer of 2006 the former Mizar vocalist Goran Tanevski replaced Goran Trajkoski. In the beginning of November that year Mizar played in Belgrade and announced their new album featuring Tanevski as a vocalist. The album Pogled na cvetnata gradina was completed and released in 2007.

In 2010, Tanevski left Mizar again and was replaced by the Byzantine choir Harmosini. The album Deteto i beloto more was released in 2010. The album contains a re recording of "Hoden že" from Mizar's debut album. In 2014, they were selected as the support band for Simple Minds' concert at the Kale hall in Skopje. Their new album, at the time entitled Šarena Krava (Coloured Cow), was announced at that concert. Šarena Krava returns the band to its punk rock roots, removing all traditional Macedonian instruments and patriotic lyrical themes. Harmosini has been replaced with Jana Burčeska, the second female singer in the history of Mizar since Nora Stojanovic's brief tenure with the band in 1991. One song intended for the album, "Nebo", was released on the Balkan Under the Radar vol. 2 compilation in 2014.

On 26 June 2015, the documentary Mizar: The Star of Hope was released, featuring interviews with members of early Mizar lineups and discussing a hitherto unknown period in the life of the band: its beginnings in 1981 until 1986. Before the documentary, it was believed Mizar formed in 1983. To this day, Čapovski has remained the only constant member of Mizar since its formation in 1981. On 12 December 2022, Mizar's sixth album, by then retitled Večna praznina (Eternal Emptiness), was released.

Mizar's musical style is post punk, darkwave and gothic rock. Besides influences such as Joy Division for instance, Mizar also uses elements of traditional Macedonian folklore and Byzantine music. Another main part of their music is Tanevski and Trajkoski's vocals, which are based on Christian church chants.