Scaring the record collectors away.

This record was put out by Diskos which was a record label in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina (Yugoslavia at the time). The lower right “platinum” designation suggests that the record was a bestseller. I’m not quite sure how many units needed to be pressed to get this rating. Probably not more than 8,000 which makes this record a rare find in spite of the label’s obvious desire to harness the marketing power of a meaningless “platinum” logo.

The title reads “I Am Wounded Like a Bird.” Ornithological references make for emotional metaphors. As powerful as this title is it suggests weakness and fragility. Bajo on the other hand looks like a forward leaning orangutan who has just recently mastered the sitting skill. There’s never been a more inappropriate singer/song match. If Bajo were a bird he’d drop off a tree like a rock.

So what about this singer named Bajo? All wrapped up in a sparkle generating striped suit like a Christmas gift from a cheap relative. His physique suggests the ability to produce guttural sounds deeper than Barry White’s midnight moans. I don’t know if it is the imperfection of the photographic equipment of the day or a birth defect but Bajo’s head is extra wide. Well, he certainly needed a lot of room in there to memorize all the lyrics.

We’ll never know what happened of Bajo. Does he know what an MP3 is? Is he still a dapper man or he prefers casual wardrobe? Does he travel around the world a lot or is he confined to a solitary cell on the men’s block? Does he still sing like a bird or he robs people for living — both possibilities seem equally unpleasant.