Igor Paspalj – Virtuosity on the Path to Global Recognition

The road to the top was anything but smooth. From teenage “jamming” in a small heavy metal band, through formal classical education, becoming the best student and later a senior teaching assistant at the Academy of Arts in Banja Luka, to thousands of performances in clubs, weddings, bars, and on the scorching beaches of the Middle East.

Speaking to Hedonist, Paspalj recalls that it all began when he was 13 or 14 years old, somewhat casually, mostly to impress girls. He realized the guitar would become his life the moment he accidentally heard “Eruption” by Eddie Van Halen.

“My first guitar teacher, Branislav Stojić, gave me a cassette with practice exercises. He had recorded them over some compilation tape. When the last exercise ended, ‘Eruption’ started playing. My reaction was… Wow. What is this? I want to play this! Then came: ‘Slow down, kid, that takes time.’ I told myself, dead serious: This is what I want to do. It was pure genius,” Paspalj recalls.

This was the early 1990s — a time without the internet or YouTube. Nothing was readily available, and reaching the right material required real effort. That’s when he discovered guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen, who completely fascinated him. The first instructional videos followed, and he practiced up to eight hours a day.

“Desire is the most important thing. I never cared how many years it would take. I just wanted to play it. If you have the desire and the will, you will practice. Virtuosity is achieved through practice. It’s important to organize a routine and work on all techniques. Once you master the technique, you only need to maintain it.”

Paspalj’s style has been shaped by classical music as well as guitarists such as Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Paul Gilbert, Vinnie Moore, Steve Morse, and, more recently, Guthrie Govan, Martin Miller, Fedor Dosumov, and Andre Nieri — musicians he describes as “monstrously good.”

He has collaborated with numerous regional musicians and singer-songwriters, working on arrangements and live performances. A major turning point came when he moved to Dubai, following his wife — a graduate composer — who found work with an airline.

“I went to visit her. I really liked the Emirates. While I was there, I applied for several jobs. The very next day, they called me, we finished the interview over Skype, and they asked when I could start. Within a month, I returned to Banja Luka, resigned from the Academy, and began teaching at the American School of Dubai.”

Parallel to teaching, he resumed performing. In the UAE, he played with an ex-Yugoslav cover band fronted by Ivan Zeljković Zeka, known as the host of the Serbian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. He collaborated with British and Filipino musicians, changed around fifteen bands, and eventually settled with Sweet Chili Jam Band, a rock cover group made up of South Africans, with whom he became close friends. They signed a long-term contract with one of Dubai’s largest beach bars.

“On weekdays, we played for around 2,000 people, and on weekends up to 4,500. Six days a week, eleven months a year — there are no performances during Ramadan. Fridays were double shifts. During the day, we played brunches, which are very popular there, as well as corporate events for companies like Sony. In five years, I played over 1,500 gigs. Life in the Emirates is good — you live in flip-flops and shorts. But I couldn’t stay forever. You earn well, but everything is extremely expensive, and it’s hard to save.”

The pandemic brought live performances to a halt. Just before that, however, Paspalj’s popularity skyrocketed thanks to his engagement with JTC Guitar, a London-based company that represents the world’s largest online guitar learning community. His global breakthrough came after winning Jam of the Month for a composition by Italian guitarist Claudio Pietronik. Shortly after, his JTC debut reached three million views.

“We quickly agreed on collaboration. JTC works with all the biggest names in the guitar world — and who wouldn’t want to work with them? That’s when my social media popularity took off, along with numerous business offers.”

He has since recorded with guitarists such as Andy James (Five Finger Death Punch), Marco Sfogli, Al Joseph, and Justin Derrico (guitarist for American pop star Pink). Being named Best Guitarist of 2020 caused an exponential surge in views — and media attention.

“I’m surprised by the level of media interest — not only regional, but also from the diaspora, France, Canada, and the United States. Newspapers, portals, TV stations… sometimes two appearances a day. Job offers are coming from everywhere — the UK, Morocco, Canada, Lebanon, and even Bangladesh. Because of COVID, everything is on hold, and I’m focusing on online work, but performing worldwide as a solo artist would be an incredible challenge.”

A feature on Paspalj is set to appear in the April issue of Guitar World, with rumors even suggesting a cover story — something he is especially proud of, having grown up reading the magazine. In addition to prestige, the editorial team awarded him a PRS S2 McCarty guitar, along with professional audio and video production.

Travel as a Passion

Igor Paspalj considers himself a hedonist, and beyond music, he finds the greatest pleasure in traveling. Thanks to his wife’s job in aviation, they benefited from discounted airfare and explored half the world — Thailand, Africa, Asia, South and Central America, and Europe.

“That’s my passion — I absolutely love it. Rio de Janeiro left the strongest impression on me; I consider it the best place in the world. Also, Bangkok it’s unbeatable for partying. As a country, Cuba impressed me the most, even more than Colombia. It’s hard to choose because every place has something unique. Africa has a special scent in the air. The colors are different, more intense. Palm trees there are green as if photoshopped. In Dubai, they’re covered in sand, and on our coast, they somehow look pale.”

The Fender Philosophy

Much like the eternal iPhone vs. Samsung debate, the guitar world has its own classic question: Fender or Gibson? Paspalj is a firm believer in the Fender philosophy, as it suits him best. He chooses guitars selectively, knowing exactly what he needs. He also owns a custom-made guitar built by Zoran Simić from Modriča, whom he describes as a wizard of guitar making.

He enjoys listening to technically demanding bands like Dream Theater for their complex arrangements, also highlighting Toto. His favorite band of all time, however, is Whitesnake.

“If I could choose who to work with, it would definitely be Whitesnake.”

• Interview by: Ognjen Matavulj
• Originally published in HEDONIST Magazine, Issue 04, 2020