Andrija Bajic Memorial Set for Friday as Family Feud Erupts
Serbian folk music mourns a legend on Friday, July 10, at the MTS Hall, while the singer's family fights publicly over the burial and his name.
- A memorial for Andrija Bajic is set for Friday, July 10, at 2 p.m. in the Grand Hall of the MTS Hall, organized by the SEMUS artists' union.
- The folk music singer died on July 7 at the age of 89, and a date for the funeral has not yet been announced.
- SEMUS has asked the City of Belgrade to bury him in the Alley of Distinguished Citizens at the New Cemetery.
- His widow, known as Mala Cana, says she has filed a lawsuit against the singer's daughters over abuse and has left their shared home.
A memorial for Andrija Bajic has been scheduled for Friday, July 10, at 2 p.m. in the Grand Hall of the MTS Hall in Belgrade, organized by the Union of Serbian Estrade and Music Artists. The legend of Serbian folk music died on July 7 at the age of 89, and colleagues and fans will say goodbye at the venue where the biggest names of the domestic scene gather.
The timing was confirmed by the artists’ union, which has run the farewell from the start. The Grand Hall of the MTS Hall, the former Sava Center, has hosted major awards and concerts for decades, so the choice of that space signals how much Bajic meant to folk music. The funeral date, however, is still unknown.
Why is the burial date still unclear?
The funeral has not been set because, according to unofficial sources, the necessary paperwork is still being awaited. SEMUS has submitted a request to the City of Belgrade for the singer to be buried in the Alley of Distinguished Citizens at the New Cemetery, the honorary section reserved for people who left a mark on culture and public life. That decision rests with the city, so the ceremony date is tied to the process.
Until then, the memorial remains the central place of farewell. Colleagues from the scene, associates and fans who grew up with Bajic’s songs are expected to gather. For many lovers of folk music, his voice was the sound of an era, and the songs he left behind are still sung at celebrations and weddings across Serbia.
A family feud spills into public view
Alongside the grief, an open family dispute is playing out over the singer’s name. His widow, known as Mala Cana, says she has filed a lawsuit against Bajic’s daughters, citing abuse, and that she has left their shared home. She spoke about it to the media, describing relations within the family as strained and difficult.
On the other side, Bajic’s eldest daughter has spoken out and publicly asked that no one offer her condolences. Her post, which fans found heartbreaking, showed just how deep the rift in the family runs. Instead of a shared farewell, a fight over the singer’s name is unfolding in front of the public at the very moment when, by custom, the family would be together.
What stands apart from all the quarreling is the music. Bajic raised the folk song to the level of art and brought it into grand halls, which is exactly why he is being honored in a space carried only by the greatest. Friday’s memorial will be a chance, at least for a few hours, to put grief ahead of disputes.
Do you think family disputes should be set aside while Serbian folk music says goodbye to one of its legends?
