Antonije Pušić, better known as Rambo Amadeus, is a Belgrade-based Montenegrin singer-songwriter. A self-titled "musician, poet, and media manipulator", he is a popular phenomenon on the music scenes of the former Yugoslavia.
His songs combine satirical lyrics on the nature of common people and silliness of local politics. He uses a mixture of musical styles including jazz and rock (converging towards drum and bass lately), and self-conscious ironic wit (for example, his most popular alias is "Rambo Amadeus Svjetski Kilo Car"— "Rambo Amadeus the World Kilo Tzar", formerly "Rambo Amadeus Svjetski Mega Car"— "Rambo Amadeus the World Mega Tzar" (changed in 2012 because of his belief in the importance of modesty in an environmentally conscious society). His stage name itself is made from John Rambo and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Known also as a "charming king of jovial pop", his concerts are never mere repetitions of recorded songs, but a mixture of musical improvisation and humor exploiting all aspects of human nature in a crude manner. Some fans compare his style and career path with Frank Zappa.
Before taking up music as a career choice, Rambo was an accomplished competitive sailor. Between 1972 and 1984, he represented Yugoslavia in numerous international regattas. During this period he was champion of Montenegro several times, an 8-time South-Adriatic champion, national title winner in the junior category, as well as International Đerdap Cup winner in 1980. He still occasionally attends and participates in some recreational sailing regattas in the Gulf of Kotor.
He began to sing and compose during first year of high school which soon led to involvement with various local bands in Herceg Novi and Titograd. One of his first performances saw him play the mandolin in an orchestra that entertained guests of Herceg Novi's Plaza hotel.
In 1985, he moved to Belgrade in pursuit of higher education. Parallel to his university studies, he also played with various amateur bands and musicians.
He has remained popular over the past three decades and aside from his own music career, he has engaged TV presenting and writing music for films and theatre.
