English
Riječki pjesnik (nastanjen u Mošćeničkoj Dragi), autor desetak knjiga poezije, dvije monografije, jedne biografije i niz putopisa i turističkih kataloga, član Društva hrvatskih književnika, putnik i novinar, organizator kulturnog ljeta Mošćeničke Drage i okolice, performer i glazbenik. Već desetak godina (od 2012. god) stvara i nastupa sa svojim Midnight blues bendom kojeg čine Luka Čargonja na bubnjevima, Marko Sedlak na gitari, Vedran Mijić na bas gitari, Josip Rubinić na trubi, Mauro Staraj kao česti gost na klavijaturama, Dean Černeka – video art. Njihovi su koncerti odličan spoj polupjevne ekspresivne poezije, bluesa, rocka i jazza, a sve začinjeno video artom i fotografijama Deana Černeke. Osim autorskih stvari sviraju i blues standarde Doorsa, Muddy Watersa, Blues Brothersa, Tom Waitsa, John Lee Hookera, Stonesa, itd.. Brojni nastupi na Ljetnoj pozornici Opatija (mala scena), Rijeci (Filodramatica, Tunel club, Caffe bar Nad urom, brod Arca Fiumana, River Pub, Trsat), Zagrebu, te Sloveniji i sjevernoj Italiji, Švicarskoj, Slovačkoj i Češkoj, svjedoče kvalitetu ovog projekta. Rezultat ovog trinaestogodišnjeg nastupanja i stvaranja su dvije knjige (Midnight blues i Big bang osobne misije) te pet cd-a: BIG BANG, MIDNIGHT BLUES, DEVIL IN LOVE, MIDNIGHT MAN, KAKO STOJE STVARI, LOCKDOWN BLUES. Pjesme se izvode na hrvatskom i talijanskom, te na engleskom jeziku. Koncert, odnosno blues performance, traje sat i trideset do dva sata. Politički angažirane pjesme, socijalna tematika, filozofske dionice pojedinih stihova, ljubavna, pa i buntovna Starajeva lirika, te neizostavni blues standardi dominiraju koncertom koji drži publiku u neizvjesnosti do samoga kraja. Ovo nije klasičan blues koncert, već koncertno-kazališna predstava aktualne političke i socijalne zbilje u kojoj živimo. Sve to zajedno okrunjeno je izvrsnim video artom Starajevog dugogodišnjeg prijatelja, Deana Černeke. Projekt koji svakako treba doživjeti. Ideja je u Opatiji idućeg ljeta obilježiti 30 godina umjetničkog rada. Naime, 05.08.1995. promovirana je moja prva zbirka pjesama po naslovom GRAD BEZ KRISTA. Tada je sve krenulo. Do 2024. objavio sam 8 zbirki poezije, dvije monografije, jednu biografiju i spomenute nosače zvuka. Bezbroj performancea, happeninga, izložbi, promocija knjiga i cd-a, koncerata, predstava množi se u mom umjetničkom radu. No sve nosi glazba i literatura, no prvenstve
A poet from Rijeka, currently based in Mošćenička Draga, author of around ten poetry books, two monographs, one biography, as well as numerous travel writings and tourist catalogues; member of the Društvo hrvatskih književnika, traveler and journalist, organizer of the cultural summer events in Mošćenička Draga and the surrounding area, performer and musician. For more than a decade (since 2012), he has been creating and performing with his Midnight Blues Band, consisting of Luka Čargonja on drums, Marko Sedlak on guitar, Vedran Mijić on bass guitar, Josip Rubinić on trumpet, Mauro Staraj as a frequent guest on keyboards, and Dean Černeka responsible for video art. Their concerts are an excellent fusion of semi-sung expressive poetry, blues, rock, and jazz, enriched with Dean Černeka’s video art and photography. In addition to original material, they perform blues standards by The Doors, Muddy Waters, The Blues Brothers, Tom Waits, John Lee Hooker, The Rolling Stones, and others. Numerous performances at the Summer Stage in Opatija (small stage), as well as in Rijeka (Filodrammatica, Tunel Club, Caffe Bar Nad Urom, the ship Arca Fiumana, River Pub, Trsat), Zagreb, and in Slovenia, northern Italy, Switzerland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic testify to the quality of this project. The result of these thirteen years of performing and creating are two books — Midnight Blues and Big Bang osobne misije — and five CDs: BIG BANG, MIDNIGHT BLUES, DEVIL IN LOVE, MIDNIGHT MAN, KAKO STOJE STVARI, and LOCKDOWN BLUES. Songs are performed in Croatian, Italian, and English. The concert, or rather blues performance, lasts between one and a half and two hours. Politically engaged songs, social themes, philosophical passages within the lyrics, as well as Staraj’s love poetry and rebellious spirit, together with unavoidable blues standards, dominate a concert that keeps the audience in suspense until the very end. This is not a classic blues concert, but rather a concert-theatre performance reflecting the political and social reality in which we live. All of this is crowned by the outstanding video art of Staraj’s long-time friend, Dean Černeka. A project that definitely deserves to be experienced live. The idea is to mark 30 years of artistic work in Opatija next summer. Namely, on August 5th, 1995, my first poetry collection titled GRAD BEZ KRISTA (City Without Christ) was promoted. That was the beginning of everything. By 2024, I had published eight poetry collections, two monographs, one biography, and the aforementioned sound recordings. Countless performances, happenings, exhibitions, book and CD promotions, concerts, and theatre performances have shaped my artistic career. Yet at the core of it all remain music and literature above all.