Blizu Live Session: Tijana’s Authentic Live Recording of Album Favorites

Discover the magic of Blizu Live Session. Here, Tijana brings nine captivating songs from her second studio album, Blizu, to life. It’s an unfiltered live performance.

This intimate session also features the heartfelt duet Hram with Damir Kedžo. It’s a bonus track. The original album release did not include it.

Every note was captured live. This happened in February 2023. The location was the renowned Treći Rog studio in Novi Sad, Serbia.

What Makes Blizu Live Session Special?

In a world dominated by digital enhancements, Blizu Live Session stands out. It is a rare gem. For example, it’s a truly live recording. There are no backing tracks. No samples. And no autotune.

It’s all about raw synergy. This is between Tijana and her talented band. They deliver pure, in-the-moment music. As a result, it captures the soul of her album.

The session’s creation was a collaborative journey. For instance, the band rehearsed at Dule’s studio. There, they brainstormed ways to elevate the tracks.

They added lush strings to two songs. Additionally, they included an enchanting harp. They also experimented with guitars. For example, Laza played a baritone acoustic on Širina. He used a resonator on Blizu. Moreover, they added organ layers to Blizu. Finally, there was a soulful saxophone solo on Javna tajna.

Behind-the-Scenes: The Recording Process

The entire Blizu Live Session was recorded in just one dynamic day.

As guests arrived and departed, the setup evolved. For example, stage, lighting, and even wardrobe tweaks were tailored to each song.

Challenges arose. One was mic’ing the string quartet amid booming drums. As a result, this led to separate recordings. They were synced perfectly with the band’s take. They used click tracks for this.

Highlights include:

• Celtic Electric Harp by Željka Milošević on Ponovo ljubav. It was spotlighted after the second chorus. This added inspirational magic.
• Sax Solo by Buga on Javna tajna. It added emotional depth.
• Custom lighting effects in Gotovo. The Treći Rog team crafted them. Shoutout to Tigar and Ozi!
• Keyboards and electric guitars recorded direct-to-board. They were heard only through headphones. This ensured a clean, focused sound.

The Dream Team Behind Blizu Live Session

Aleksa Dinić led the audio. Meanwhile, Goran Kovačić helmed the video crew.

Their professionalism was key. It turned this ambitious project into a timeless capture.

Additionally, a huge thanks to Red Bull. They supported this quality-driven endeavor. As a result, Blizu Live Session will resonate for years to come.

“One thing we’re especially proud of is that this entire session was truly recorded LIVE. It’s 2023, and it’s becoming increasingly rare to come across musical creations that don’t heavily rely on modern technology.

Blizu Live Session consists solely of the sounds we played and sang at that exact moment — together, in full synergy. There are no backing tracks, samples, or autotune.

The band gathered for rehearsals in Dule’s studio, where we naturally came up with ideas on how to expand and enrich certain songs — deciding where to add specific instruments. We included strings on two tracks, a harp, experimented with guitars (Laza plays a baritone acoustic guitar on Širina and a resonator guitar on Blizu), added organ parts to Blizu, and a saxophone to Javna tajna.

We recorded everything in one day. It was dynamic — guests were coming and going, the stage, lighting, and even wardrobe changed slightly to serve the songs.

When we arrived at Treći Rog, we realized it would be impossible to properly mic the string quartet because the drum sound was extremely loud. We couldn’t physically move the strings further away, so they were recorded separately — right before each song, in the same space. The girls played to a click track (listening to the tempo in headphones), and their parts were later mixed with the band’s take.

Željka Milošević played the Celtic electric harp. This sound had already been used by Dule and Sara in the studio version of Ponovo ljubav, and since this was a live performance, we felt it was a great opportunity to highlight the harp and give it some special attention after the second chorus — especially since this sound originally inspired Dule to write the song’s music.

Of course, we invited our dear Buga to perform a beautiful sax solo on Javna tajna.

Tigar and Ozi from the Treći Rog studio were fantastic, helping enthusiastically with this complex production. The lighting effects in Gotovo were their creation — thank you!

Keyboards and electric guitars were recorded directly, without amplifiers, so all the sound was heard only through the musicians’ headphones, not in the room.

The head of the audio team was Aleksa Dinić, and leading the video crew was Goran Kovačić. Thanks to their utmost professionalism and dedication, we managed to capture the moment — in every single song.

And finally, but very importantly — I’m truly happy that Red Bull, a company synonymous with quality, stood behind this project. Together, we created something that will be listened to for a long, long time.

Enjoy!”

— Tijana

Stream Blizu Live Session now. Immerse yourself in Tijana’s genuine artistry. What’s your favorite track from the session? Let us know in the comments!

Credits:

Executive Producer: Tijana Bogićević
Audio Producer / Mix & Mastering Engineer: Dušan Alagić
Mixed at: L8NightStudio
Recording Engineer (on set): Aleksa Dinić
Audio Assistant / RSKC: Samir Dazdarević

Video Production, Set & Light Design: Liveshow.rs
Camera Operators: Nemanja Djordjević, Minja Vuletić, Ilija Pejoski
Steadicam Operator: Goran Kovačić
Directors of Photography: Goran Kovačić, Ilija Pejoski
Video Editing: Goran Kovačić, Ilija Pejoski
Color Grading: Goran Kovačić, Ilija Pejoski

Band:
Drums: Dejan Momčilović
Percussion: Sebastijan Kerekeš
Bass: Ištvan Mađarić Pićuka
Keyboard (Piano): Aleksandar Buzadžić
Keyboard / Organ: Miljan Davidović
Electric, Baritone Acoustic & Resonator Guitars: Lazar Arsović
Electric & Acoustic Guitars: Dušan Alagić
Backing Vocals: Jelena Đurić, Svetlana Palada

Guests:
Acoustic Guitar & Vocals: Aleksandra Milutinović
Vocals: Damir Kedžo
Saxophone: Gabor Bunford
Celtic Harp: Željka Milošević

Harp & String Arrangements: Dušan Alagić
Scores / String Co-Arranger: Dejan Timotijević Timke
1st Violin: Miljana Popović Materni
2nd Violin: Katarina Petković
Viola: Marina Živković
Cello: Tamara Ranković

Styling (Tijana): Vesna Jerković
Hair (Tijana): Dejan Jovanović
Makeup (Tijana): Dušan Rajković

Special Thanks: Marko Spalević, Branko Koprivica, DJ Tigar, Ozren Galović – Ozi, Jelena Bošković

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