“She found solace in music, she brought, she brought some cassettes over, the old, the old cassette, front and back ones, um and some CDs. And uh she found, she, she, she found her release kind of within some of the songs, some of the like ballads if you will, um of some of the famous singers from Yugo- ex-Yugoslavia, Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia.” –

Performing

There are a number of people in Bowling Green’s Bosnian community who play music at home or perform out in public.  The music played might be traditional or popular music from the Balkans, or it might be popular songs from America or England.  The Bowling Green International Festival is one event where member’s of the community have an opportunity to perform for a broad audience, playing music that for them is representative of Bosnian culture.

Watch this video of Armin Hasanagic performing at 2014 International Festival in Bowling Green:

Below are photos of Armin Hasanagic, Emsud Delkic, and Msur Azra Mujanovic performing at the Bowling Green International Festival.

 

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Popular Bosnian Music

There is a great variety of music that is popular in Bosnia today.  The diaspora tends to keep in touch with the latest music being produced.  There are a number of popular Bosnian musicians who are well-liked by many of our Bosnian neighbors here in Bowling Green:

Hanka Paldum

Hanka Paldum is a famous sevdah singer in Bosnia.  Sevdah, or sevdalinka, is a traditional folk music of Bosnia.

Hear Mujo Music talk about sevdah music
Click here for the transcription of this audio clip.

Hear Muhamed Hasanović talk about sevdah music
Click here for the transcription of this audio clip.

Hear Amer Salihović talk about sevdah music
Click here for the transcription of this audio clip.

Watch this video of Hanka Paldum performing at the 17th Convention of Bosniaks in North which took place here in Bowling Green in 2012:

Dino Merlin

Dino Merlin is one of the most prominent commercially successful artists from Bosnia, and is often referred to as the “Michael Jackson of Bosnia.”

Hear Amer Salihović talk about Merlin
Click here for the transcription of this audio clip.

Hear Mujo Music talk about Merlin
Click here for the transcription of this audio clip.

Watch a this music video of Dino Merlin performing at the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest:

Dubioza Kolektiv

Dubioza Kolektiv is a band from Bosnia known for their fusion of hip-hop, reggae, dub, rock, and Bosnian folk music.

Watch a music video from Dubioza Kolektiv:

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La Gala

“…You get a concert here or like some Bosnian singer come, you, you’ll get the whole community out there, you know? Supporting them, and you know, and dancing along, singing, all of that stuff. So, it’s, it’s, it’s culturally we’re like pumped about music.” – Amer Salihović, 2016

Click here for the transcription of this audio clip.

La Gala, an events space at Circus Square Park in downtown Bowling Green, is a popular venue for concerts of touring Bosnian acts.

Listen to Mersiha Demirović talk about Bosnian concerts in Bowling Green
Click here for the transcription of this audio clip.

Photos from a Rock Ko Fol concert at La Gala taken by Mirnes Hajrić: