The history of the tambura band known today as "Savski Valovi" ("The Sava Waves" - Sava is a river in Croatia) begins in late October of 1999 when at the Zaprešic-fair Tambura orchestra "Gaj" from Zaprešic (3 members of "Savski Valovi" play in it - Danijel Rožankovic, Petar Sremac & Hrvoje Ban) and KUD "Zgubidan" from Marija Gorica (in which Tomislav Glogovic and Nikola Pušic play) perform on the same day. Noticing the skill of performing, by which they differ from other members of "Zgubidan", Petar Sremac approaches to Tomislav and Nikola and invites them to start coming to Zaprešic and rehearse with the other band members few times a week. They accept the offer and the band of five members is formed (first rehearsal was held on 25th of October 1999 and on that very same day, 16 years earlier, Tomislav Glogovic was born and that date, except being Tomislav's birthday, becomes the birthday of "Savski Valovi").

At this point I must mention the support that was given to the band by the conductor of "Gaj" Mr Ivan Kresnik who allowed them to rehearse in the room where "Gaj" rehearses (a part of "Ljudevit Gaj" elementary school) and use the school instruments (bas, bugarija, bisernica). The first months the newly formed band rehearses zealously 3 to 4 times a week (which is a big change considering the members only had 2 rehearsals a week with their orchestras before) and "The Green Notebook" (the pale-green notebook with names and chords for the songs the band has learned to play) is being rapidly filled with popular tambura and other songs.

There are few things about the band that are worth mentioning - for more than half a year nobody sings in the band (they just play) and it has no name in that period (except Little band "Gaj", an unofficial name strongly opposed by Tomislav and Nikola who are not members of TO "Gaj" but KUD "Zgubidan" from Marija Gorica lead by Mr Dragutin Vucenik), also, the song in the honorary, first place in the notebook is "Govori se da me varaš", a song very significant for "Savski Valovi", who in their early phase mostly play "Zlatni Dukati" ("Najbolji hrvatski tamburaši") songs. As the time goes by, the strange sound mixture of two A-basprims (brac), a D-bugarija (kontra), a G-bisernica (prim) and a G-bas begins to sound better and better.

All five members of the band begin playing in TPD "Zvono" (a tambura orchestra and a choir) in Savski gaj (a part of Zagreb, notice the symbolism, 3 members of the band play in TO "Gaj", in Savski gaj and the band is eventually named "Savski Valovi", cool, right?)...

For more history and info about Savski Valovi please visit http://go.to/savskivalovi