Jadranka Stojaković

Jadranka Stojaković
Background information
Born 24 July 1950
Sarajevo, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yugoslavia
Occupation(s) Singer
Instruments Vocals

Jadranka Stojaković (born 24 July 1950) is a Bosnian singer-songwriter popular in the former Yugoslavia, known for her unique, beautiful voice. Her most famous hits are "Sve smo mogli mi", "Što te nema" and "Bistre vode Bosnom teku".

Early life

Born in Sarajevo to a family of school teachers (her father is from Doboj, her mother from Dalmatia), Stojaković's first years were spent in a small village near Bosanski Novi where her parents got assigned to teach.

Her parents soon divorced and she moved with her mother to Sarajevo, before soon continuing on to Dubrovnik, Gradac na Moru, Vareš, small towns which experienced shortages of primary school teachers where her mother would get work. They eventually settled in various villages around Sarajevo, which is where Stojaković spent a notable part of her childhood.[1]

Career

At the age of 16, Stojaković joined her uncle Vukašin Radulović's jazz group and performed with them throughout the country as well other parts of Europe (mostly Germany).

In 1981 she sang backing vocals with Ismeta Dervoz for Yugoslav representative Vajta at the 1981 Eurovision Contest in Ireland.

At the 1984 Winter Olympics, held in her native Sarajevo, she sang the official theme song of the Games. Around that time, she was awarded the prize given to Yugoslavia's best artist. She was among the country's most talented and admired singers and songwriters.

Since 1988, Stojaković has resided in Japan for 23 years until 2011 when an accident happened and she fell on stage, tripping on a cable during a concert, which lead to injury and severe disability. After receiving a ridiculously small compensation for her injury, Stojaković moved back to Bosnia and is currently fighting the disability that threatens not only to take away her voice, but also her life. In addition to the illness, Stojaković also has to fight with Bosnian officials to regain her rightful property, an apartment in Sarajevo that was taken away from her while she was abroad.

Nonetheless, this diva whose song "Što te nema" was listed among top ten ethnic songs of Europe, still has her famous positive attitude and remains filled with strong determination to compose and write her beautiful music.

Discography

  1. Dawn, LP 8018, 18.06.1981., Diskoton, Sarajevo
  2. To rest a little soul, LP 8052, 1982., Diskoton, Sarajevo
  3. I love you more and more, LP 3149, 1985., Sarajevo, Sarajevo disk
  4. I believe, LP 2122677 03.02.1987., Beograd, PGP RTB
  5. Baby Universe, 1996, Croatia Records

In 1997, she performed the ending theme for Konami's video game, Vandal Hearts on the Sony PlayStation.

References

  1. ↑ Sevdalinke sam slušala uz meku rakiju, Blic, 14 September 2008

External links