While many pizza shops in Kragujevac offer their own unique takes on Serbian-style pizza, I was pleasantly surprised to discover incredibly authentic and absolutely scrumptious Italian pizza at a restaurant called Favola. I have been going to Favola since arriving in the city, and it has quickly become a weekly staple that I always look forward to. The staff already knows me so well that they no longer even need to ask me what I want to order!
I have been listening to more Serbian music lately, and I have become infatuated with some of the classics. I recently attended a karaoke night where students and faculty could choose songs to perform, and two of my favorites were Hajde Da Ludujemo (“Let’s Go Crazy”) by Tajči and Ona To Zna ("She Knows That") by Idoli.
Hajde Da Ludujemo was Yugoslavia’s entry in the 1990 Eurovision Song Contest, held in Zagreb, where it finished in seventh place. The song remains a classic. Additionally, Tajči continues to be a beloved singer, although she now identifies as Croatian. One of the song’s catchiest lyrics is “Tvoje su usne kao čokolada,” which translates to “Your lips are like chocolate” and perfectly captures the song's playful, romantic spirit.
Ona To Zna is by Idoli, one of Yugoslavia’s most famous bands, and a group that holds a special place in my heart. They were one of my early introductions to Serbian culture when I attended a screening of Behind the Smile (Iza osmeha), a documentary about Vlada Divljan, the co-founder of Idoli, at the Serbian Film Festival in Washington, D.C., last October.
