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| Although it appears landlocked, Neum is Bosnia/Hezegovina's only coastal town. |
Before starting this blog, I probably would have said "good riddance", but using this blog to look in depth into Eurovision, I am genuinely disappointed that they don't enter. I've learned to love music from the Balkan region, and not having a Bosnian entry in Eurovision makes this Eurovision lover sad.
But it's not going to stop me from ranking the previous Bosnian entries.
I have to say that most of the Bosnian entries are pretty serious in the "Balkan Ballad" style, like the very first entry Bosnia sent, back in 1993:
Fazla "Sva bol svijeta" 1993
Although the song sounds quite dated--you can tell by the orchestration it's from the early 1990s, "Sva blo svijeta" is worth listening to because it is one of the few times where the politics of the time are overtly shown at Eurovision. The Bosnian war was at its zenith in 1993, and Fazla was almost unable to get out of the country due to bombings. Just listen to the applause from the audience at the beginning of the song--an ovation that may never be repeated.
But the same straightforward, dramatic presentation can be seen in the most recent Bosnian entry:
MayaSar "Korake ti znam" 2012
It's a lovely romantic song that was negated by the strange styling. I was put off by the long limp hair and the oversized black dress. (Isn't it incredible how the most minor things can put down a perfectly decent song?)
Yet, the most memorable Bosnian entry is one that breaks that mold:
Deen "In The Disco" 2004
Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present you the gayest performance ever to grace the Eurovision stage. (Yes, even gayer that Conchita Wurst.) I jokingly say that this is the only song at Eurovision you can potentially get a sexually transmitted disease from. It's so not to my taste, but I think the over the top performance is exactly why it was successful and is definitely memorable.
6. Maya Sar "Korake ti znam" 2012
7. Alma & Dejan "Ostani kraj mene" 1994 I do love duets where the people actually look like they enjoy being together.
8. Alma Čardžić "Goodbye" 1997 The first peppy sounding song that Bosnia sent.
9. Nino Pršeš "Hano" 2001 The presentation of the song just failed to live up to its promise.
10. Fazla "Sva bol svijeta" 1993
11. Maria "Rijeka bez imena" 2007 I like Maya Sar's take on this basic song better.
12. Deen "In The Disco" 2004
13. Mija Martina "Ne brini" 2003 This is a song that is much better in English..
14. Amila Glamočak "Za našu ljubav" 1996 She has a nice voice, but the song is dull.
15. Dino & Beatrice "Putnici" 1999 Pretentious.
16. Laka "Pokušaj" 2008 I have a feeling that this is a cultural thing. I just dont get this.
17. Feminem "Call Me" 2005 ABBA did this much better.
18. Vukašin Brajić "Thunder and Lightning" 2010 Don't bother. It's horrible.
My top five Bosnian songs should be posted soon.
