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In March 2011, Ceca was charged with [[embezzlement]] and was also accused of [[Illegal possession of a firearm|illegal possession of eleven weapons]]. Ceca had sold fifteen players of FK Obilić to several international football clubs (like to [[Fenerbahçe]]). Serbian state prosecutors accuse Ceca of taking for personal use an illegal share in the sale of fifteen players. Ceca denied having been involved in any kind of illegal activities, saying that her late husband was responsible for FK Obilić and that the eleven illegally possessed weapons found in her home also belonged to him.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/29/serb-singer-ceca-charged | location=London | work=The Guardian | first=Ed | last=Vulliamy | title=Serb singer Ceca charged with embezzlement | date=29 March 2011}}</ref>
In March 2011, Ceca was charged with [[embezzlement]] and was also accused of [[Illegal possession of a firearm|illegal possession of eleven weapons]]. Ceca had sold fifteen players of FK Obilić to several international football clubs (like to [[Fenerbahçe]]). Serbian state prosecutors accuse Ceca of taking for personal use an illegal share in the sale of fifteen players. Ceca denied having been involved in any kind of illegal activities, saying that her late husband was responsible for FK Obilić and that the eleven illegally possessed weapons found in her home also belonged to him.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/29/serb-singer-ceca-charged | location=London | work=The Guardian | first=Ed | last=Vulliamy | title=Serb singer Ceca charged with embezzlement | date=29 March 2011}}</ref>


Ceca was sent to house arrest in May 2011 and was released on 22 February 2012. She was sentenced to one year house arrest and a fine of 1.5 million Euros. According to the verdict and other court records, she already paid one million of the fine and the third part of it is guaranteed by putting mortgage on her luxury villa in Belgrade. Even that this case is finished, Ceca has other court cases (for violent criminal behavior, repaying credit from Komercijalna bank and returning debt to Vojislav Đurković, former member of paramilitary unite which was under control by Ceca's late husband Arkan.)
Ceca was sent to house arrest in May 2011 and was released on 22 February 2012. She was sentenced to one year house arrest and a fine of 1.5 million Euros. According to the verdict and other court records, she already paid one million of the fine and the third part of it is guaranteed by putting mortgage on her luxury villa in Belgrade. Even though this case is finished, Ceca has other court cases (for violent criminal behavior, repaying credit from Komercijalna bank and returning debt to Vojislav Đurković, former member of paramilitary unite which was under control by Ceca's late husband Arkan.)


===Politics===
===Politics===

Revision as of 22:32, 21 May 2014

Ceca
Ceca during a concert in 2006
Ceca during a concert in 2006
Background information
Birth nameSvetlana Veličković
Also known asCeca
Born (1973-06-14) 14 June 1973 (age 51)
Žitorađa, SR Serbia, Yugoslavia
GenresTurbo folk, pop folk
OccupationSinger
InstrumentsVocals
Years active1988–present
LabelsKommuna, PGP-RTB, PGP-RTS, Grand Production, Miligram Music, Ceca Music
WebsiteCeca-online.com

Svetlana Ražnatović (née Veličković) (Serbian Cyrillic: Светлана Ражнатовић, pronounced [sʋětlana raʒnǎːtoʋitɕ]), known by her stage name Ceca (Цеца, pronounced [tsěːtsa]; born 14 June 1973) is a Serbian turbo folk singer, and one of the most popular singers in Serbia. She started her career as a folk singer in 1988. Being one of the highest paid artists in the Serbian music industry, she pursues Serbian modern folk-pop-dance music: performing to various types of music, mainly Balkan/Southern European folk or plain pop with ethnographic elements. Due to her enormous popularity, she is sometimes called the Mother of Serbia.[1][2][3]

Early life

Ceca was born Svetlana Veličković (pronounced [ʋělitʃkoʋitɕ]) in the village of Žitorađa, then part of Yugoslavia. She lived with her parents, father Slobodan and mother Mira, until 1991, when she eloped to Switzerland with her boyfriend at the age of 18. She has a sister named Lidija.

Career

Ceca had her first public appearance at the age of nine, in her hometown, and at the age of thirteen she sang in a hotel on the Montenegrin coast, while vacationing with her parents. Here, the acclaimed singer and accordion player Mirko Kodić noticed her, and helped her in recording her first studio album Cvetak zanovetak (The Nagging Flower, 1988). At the age of fifteen, she performed at the Ilidža Music Festival in Sarajevo, at which her song "Cvetak zanovetak" won the competition, and became a hit. Ceca was mentored by Dobrivoje "Doca" Ivanković, a composer and producer of folk music, who launched many careers in the 1970s and 1980s (most notably that of Šaban Šaulić.)

Her first two albums, Cvetak zanovetak (1988) and Ludo srce (Crazy Heart, 1989) were made in the traditional Serbian folk music style with some songs, such as "Volim te" (I Love You), having a more modern production. Pustite me da ga vidim (Allow Me to See Him), she quickly became a very popular teenage star and idol for many people in Serbia. Her third album, was a major hit in the former Yugoslavia. Ceca became the best-selling artist of the Belgrade TV's record label PGP-RTB and third best-selling female folk artist in Yugoslavia, behind Lepa Brena and Dragana Mirković. She continued in the same direction with her next album, Babaroga (1991) which included a music video for the song "Hej vršnjaci" (Hey Peers) composed of footage from her eighteenth birthday gala event.

At the age of 17, Ceca was cast in the role of Koštana, a beautiful gypsy singer and dancer, in Stojan Stojčić's directorial effort of Nečista krv (Impure Blood), a movie based on the works of Serbian playwright and novelist Borisav Stanković. Even though she had acted alongside actors such as Rade Šerbedžija, Ljuba Tadić, she felt that her role was unimportant and therefore asked for her scenes to be removed because of "low quality." The troubled production took years to complete and received poor critical reception upon its release in 1996.

She continued to work with Marina Tucaković and later with Tucaković's young protégé Aleksandar Milić Mili, with whom she continues to work today. Her next three albums, Šta je to u tvojim venama (What Is In Your Veins?, 1993), Ja još spavam u tvojoj majici (I Still Sleep In Your Shirt, 1994) and Fatalna ljubav (Fatal Love, 1995), broadened her popularity and included hit songs such as "Nije monotonija" (It Is Not Monotony) and two covers of hit Hanka Paldum songs: "Tražio si sve" (You Wanted Everything) and "Volela sam volela" (I Loved, I Loved.) With a more modern production of music, music videos, and an evolving style, her popularity grew, as demonstrated by her 1996 album Emotivna luda (Emotionally Crazy) and 1997's Maskarada (Masquerade). The song "Nevaljala" (Naughty) from Maskarada became the number one hit in Serbia for seventeen consecutive weeks. Her recording schedule became erratic because of the birth of her two children, Veljko in 1996 and Anastasija in 1998, and having to deal with family tragedy.

She released her tenth studio album, Ceca 2000 (1999), which featured multiple hit songs: "Crveno" and two covers "Crni sneg" and "Sviće dan". Her eleventh album Decenija (Decade, 2001) had two hit songs, "Tačno je" (It's Correct) and the title track. Ceca's twelfth album was Gore od ljubavi (Worse Than Love), released in 2004, and her thirteenth studio album Idealno loša (Ideally Bad, 2006) contained the hit songs "Manta, manta" (Dizzy, Dizzy) and "Koža pamti" (Skin Remembers.) She released her fourteenth studio album Ljubav živi (Love Lives) in June 2011.

Ceca has refused many contracts offered by various European musical companies, citing lack of time. She has sold over ten million albums, mainly in Balkan countries.[citation needed]

In June 2013, she held a concert in Belgrade in front of thousands of fans for her 40th birthday.[4]

Personal life

The Veličković family has St. Nicholas as their patron saint (slava).[5]

Svetlana lived at home until her move to Switzerland in 1991 at the age of eighteen.[5] She dated Dejan "Šaban" Marjanović, a minor Belgrade gangster, who was murdered.[6][5] She was then in a relationship with former FK Borac footballer and restaurateur Haro Samardžić.[5]

While performing for the Serb Volunteer Guard (SDG), a paramilitary force also known as Arkan's Tigers, in Erdut on 11 October 1993 during the Croatian War, she met her husband, Željko "Arkan" Ražnatović, a military commander who in addition to leading the said paramilitary force was one of the most influential individuals in the 1990s Belgrade. When the Party of Serbian Unity (SSJ) was formed, she was asked by Arkan to perform.[7] He was married at the time, and the divorce that ended that marriage was finalized just two months before their wedding. Arkan proposed to Ceca on 7 January 1995 and they married one month later on 19 February. Their wedding was broadcast on television, made headlines in newspapers, and was portrayed by Serbian media as a "Serbian fairytale." They had two children, a son Veljko in 1996 and daughter Anastasija in 1998. Ceca's parents, Mira and Slobodan were against the marriage of their daughter to a paramilitary member."[8]

Arkan was shot on 15 January 2000 in a Belgrade hotel by four gunmen. Despite having been shot in the head, he remained alive for a brief period of time but died in Ceca's arms in the backseat of the car that was taking them to the emergency room. After fifteen months of mourning, she made her first public appearance in April 2001 in a television interview. "A part of me died that day... I will always love him, and only him, I'm sure of that...," she said in the interview.

Reformist Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić was assassinated on 12 March 2003, prompting Serbian authorities to launch Operation Sablja. Ceca's luxury Belgrade home was raided as part of the crackdown on the network of criminals and nationalists behind the assassination.[9] The raid led to a thorough investigation. She was arrested on 17 March 2003 and charged with illegal possession of multiple firearms. Ceca was one of dozens of people detained in the crackdown and she spent three months in prison. She also claimed the firearms were brought to the house by her late husband.

In 2011, Ražnatović pleaded guilty to embezzling millions of euros from the transfers of players from the football club FK Obilić, which she inherited from her late husband, and again illegal possession of eleven weapons. Ceca had sold fifteen players of FK Obilić to several international football clubs (such as Fenerbahçe.) Serbian state prosecutors accused her of taking for personal use an illegal share in the sale of fifteen players. Ceca denied having been involved in any kind of illegal activities, saying that her late husband was responsible for FK Obilić and that the eleven illegally possessed weapons found in her home also belonged to him.[10] Under a plea bargain, Ražnatović was ordered to spend eight months under house arrest, avoiding the maximum sentence that the charges against her carry, 12 years in prison.[11][12]

Other activities

Football

She inherited the football club FK Obilić from her deceased husband and became its president. She often appeared at matches in fur coats and imposed strict monetary punishments on players who performed poorly as Obilić, former champion of Yugoslavia, was sinking on the rankings table. Unfortunately, just as it has quickly arisen from the lower ranks the club has fallen just as fast and lower, currently competing in the amateur local league.

When Miljan Miljanić stepped down from his presidential post at the Football Association of Yugoslavia in September 2001, the press openly cheered Ceca's election for the post campaigning that they would have "the most beautiful president". One of the notable supporters to the idea of offering the post to Ceca was Velibor Vasović. The former Ajax captain stated that one of the pros of appointing her as the new president is the fact that at the time she was one of the few people who were investing money in Serbian football.

Instead the former Crvena Zvezda player Dragan Stojković Piksi was elected to the post.

In March 2011, Ceca was charged with embezzlement and was also accused of illegal possession of eleven weapons. Ceca had sold fifteen players of FK Obilić to several international football clubs (like to Fenerbahçe). Serbian state prosecutors accuse Ceca of taking for personal use an illegal share in the sale of fifteen players. Ceca denied having been involved in any kind of illegal activities, saying that her late husband was responsible for FK Obilić and that the eleven illegally possessed weapons found in her home also belonged to him.[13]

Ceca was sent to house arrest in May 2011 and was released on 22 February 2012. She was sentenced to one year house arrest and a fine of 1.5 million Euros. According to the verdict and other court records, she already paid one million of the fine and the third part of it is guaranteed by putting mortgage on her luxury villa in Belgrade. Even though this case is finished, Ceca has other court cases (for violent criminal behavior, repaying credit from Komercijalna bank and returning debt to Vojislav Đurković, former member of paramilitary unite which was under control by Ceca's late husband Arkan.)

Politics

Ceca was appointed the honorary president of the Party of Serbian Unity (SSJ) formed by her late husband, Željko Ražnatović (Arkan). She has not been politically active and claims to have only accepted the position in honor of her deceased husband. After clashing with the president of the party, Borislav Pelević, on many issues, Ceca withdrew herself from politics completely.

On the night of 17 March 2004, Ceca and Kristijan Golubović (close associate of Arkan) gathered demonstrators in front of the government building in Belgrade to speak about the situation in Kosovo and the burning of more than 300 Serbian Orthodox churches in Kosovo.

Charity

Ceca is the president of the "Third Child" humanitarian fund. Her organizations prime goal is to increase the birthrate in Serbia and to help families who already have three or more children. She has held several humanitarian concerts raising money for food, clothing, and sundries to benefit the Serbs in Kosovo, after the 2004 unrest in Kosovo in March 2004.

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

  • To Miki, To (1990)
  • Babaroga (1991)
  • Kukavica + Tašmajdan (1993)
  • Hala Pionir (1995)
  • Marakana (2002)
  • Live Ušće (2006)
  • Live Ušće 2 (2013)

Remix albums

Filmography

  • Sve O Ceci... (1993)
  • Svadba Decenije (1995)
  • Impure blood... (1996)
  • Usce live dvd (2006)
  • Making Of "Gore Od Ljubavi" (2004)
  • Ceca specijal (2012)

References

  1. ^ "Press Online :: Life style :: Uspon i pad srpske majke". Retrieved 2013-06-18. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  2. ^ ""Kandže" su naoštrene: JK i Ceca na sudu, ali zašto je "srpska majka" tužna? (FOTO)". Retrieved 2013-06-18. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  3. ^ "Noć srpske majke | B92 Blog". Retrieved 2013-06-18. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  4. ^ "Svetlana Ceca Raznatovic set Usce on fire with 150,000 fans [video] – InSerbia News". Retrieved 9 July 2013.
  5. ^ a b c d Žitije sa pevanjem i pucanjem;Vreme, 19 May 2005
  6. ^ "Beauty and the beast". Guardian. 1 May 2013. Retrieved 3 January 2004.
  7. ^ http://www.pressonline.rs/sr/vesti/magazin/story/54129/BILA+SAM+UDATA+ZA+MAFIJU.html
  8. ^ "Žitije sa pevanjem i pucanjem". Vreme. 1 May 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2005.
  9. ^ "Serbian Pop Diva Investigated Over Soccer Transfers". rferl. 1 May 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2010.
  10. ^ Vulliamy, Ed (29 March 2011). "Serbian singer Ceca charged with embezzlement". London: The Guardian.
  11. ^ "Serbian pop singer Ceca, widow of warlord Arkan, avoids jail term". Guardian. 1 May 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  12. ^ "Ceca u kućnom pritvoru". RTS. 1 May 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2011.
  13. ^ Vulliamy, Ed (29 March 2011). "Serb singer Ceca charged with embezzlement". The Guardian. London.
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