I watched in disbelief as Serbia started racking up high points (8, 10, 12), competing neck-to-neck the first slot with Ukraine before solidifying the number one spot. It was Eurovision history all over again. In 2004, Ukrainian Rustlana’s exotic and electrifying Wild Dancer inched above talented Serbian Zeljko Joksimovic’s beautiful ballads “Lane Moje” to snatch the first prize. Only three years later, the Serbs got their revenge. Sweet!

I guess Marija Serifovic’s “Molitva” was a song about homosexuals or promoting homosexuals because in the end, the Marija held hand with one of her female backup singers, completing a full red heart from each’s half. Coincidentally, Ukraine’s entry exploded the stage and cracked the audience up with its silly act and the singer’s transvestite costume.

Serbia “Molitva”

…read more on Sarajevo’s blog.

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The 1st runner up of the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest, “Lane Moje” representing Serbia, was written and performed by Zeljko Joksimovic, one of the most popular performers in the country.

As you are listening to the music and watching the clip, your head might start to wonder about the country hidden behind the song and murmur, “It must be a beautiful society.”

Zeljko also wrote the music for “Lejla,” performed by Hari Mata Hari, representing Bosnia in the 2006 contest. This performance finished 3rd. Both won the Press Award for the best songs.

You should know that all winners and the majority of top-placed finishes of recent Eurovision’s have been songs written in English and had catchy rhythm. “Lane Moje” and “Lejla” are typical sad, hear-wrenching love ballads with lyrics written in Serbian and Bosnian (hmm I try to be politically correct). They are indeed survivors against all odds.

See the Eurovision performance.

(I keep wondering how could such song lose.)

Tags: BeyondSarajevo, Bosnia, Serbia, Lane Moje, Eurovision Song Contest, Zeljko Joksimovic

I know this video has nothing to do with Sarajevo and Bosnia, but I simply can’t resist the pop, the beat, the melody. 

read the entire post and see the video

Collection of Sevdalinka audios: http://www.sevdalinke.com/muzika.php

Sevdalinka is an urban Bosnian love song, with the word “Bosnian” defining the geographical origin of sevdalinka, the word “urban” depicting its urban nature, and the word “love” denoting its content related theme.
The meaning of the word sevdah in the Turkish language denotes amorous yearning and ecstasy of love, and has its origin in the Arabic expression “säwdâ”, which encompasses and specifies the term “black gall

Tose is a twenty-something Macedonian pop singer who held a concert in Sarajevo when I lived there. Every morning walking on the streets, I saw this big poster feature a hip youngster holding out the popular orange soda Fanta bottle. I always thought the ad was ridiculous. One day, my roommate Ta. told me to go to the concert of a popular singer from Macedonia: “He’s young but he has a good voice.” I became slightly interested. If Ta. said so, it must be so. Ta. was a music major, one of those who had “weird” taste in music, despising stupid contemporary music and dig songs with hard-listening lyrics and melody. So for her to compliment Tose, he should be worth the praise.

I visited Ta. and family in the city Z. and listened to a duet by Tose and the Queen of Roma music from Macedonia, Esma Redzepova. She is a renowned gypsy musician/singer known not only for her music but also for her humanitarian; one of which is fostering some 50 boys. From a young age, I’ve always had this strange attraction to the Roma culture. So I paid more attention to Esma and her song, hoping to catch any melody or rhythm typical of Roma music. As dumb as I was about music, I could not tell which from which. In this duet “Magija”, according to Ta., played the most typical and famous Macedonian 7-beat rhythm, something like “123 12 12.” With much enthusiasm, she tapped her hands on her lap and table to demonstrate to me and teach me. “When you meet some Macedonians, show them this, and they willl be really impressed. It’s really famous.” I was able to remember and follow her lead only with one hand. I’m not musical inclined, so this the best I can explain to you. If you learn and know music, probably you can figure out what I’m talking about by listening to the song.

Technorati Tags: macedonia,  music, roma, video