Hanka Paldum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hanka Paldum
Paldum in 2022
Born	(1956-04-28) 28 April 1956 (age 69) Čajniče, PR Bosnia and Herzegovina, FPR Yugoslavia
Occupation	Singer
Years active	1972–present
Musical career
Genres	Folk Sevdalinka
Labels	Nimfa Sound (record & music publischer label) Diskos Sarajevo Disk ZKP RTVL Jugodisk Gold Music Croatia Records
Associated acts	Hari Mata Hari Meho Puzić Južni Vetar Šerif Konjević Dragana Mirković Kemal Monteno Milić Vukašinović

Hanka Paldum (born 28 April 1956) is a famous Bosnian sevdalinka singer. She also helped start the record label Sarajevo Disk. Many people consider her one of the best female sevdah singers of the 20th century. She is very popular in her home country of Bosnia and in other parts of the former Yugoslavia.

Biography

Early Life and Family (1956–1971)

Hanka Paldum was born in Čajniče, a town in eastern Bosnia. Her parents, Mujo and Pemba, were Bosniaks. Hanka has an older brother named Mustafa and two sisters, Raza and Rasema. Her father worked as a logger, and her mother wove carpets to help the family financially.

Hanka, being the oldest girl, started helping her mother with chores when she was five. When Hanka was seven, her family moved from Čajniče to the Vratnik neighborhood in Sarajevo.

Discovering Her Voice

Hanka began singing in first grade as part of her primary school choir. She loved to sing throughout her childhood. She once shared a memory about singing on a train: "When the train went into a tunnel, I would sing. When it came out, I stopped because I was shy. Other passengers would ask who was singing so beautifully, and I just looked out the window as if it wasn't me. But inside, my heart was full of joy."

When Hanka was twelve, her brother Mustafa, who was part of a cultural group called Bratstvo, encouraged her. He would help her sneak out to sing at their events. She would sing for about 15 to 20 minutes, then quickly go back home.

The director of the local House of Culture, Marijan Ravlić, asked her parents if Hanka could sing at some local events. Her father agreed, but only if her older brother Mustafa was with her. Hanka then started singing in amateur contests, often winning prizes like chocolate or cinema tickets. She shared the chocolates, but her father's strict rules meant she couldn't use the cinema tickets.

After three years, Hanka showed her parents how much she loved music. She wanted to go to a music school. Her father wanted her to choose a career that would lead to a steady job. Around this time, her father, Mujo, became very ill and passed away. Her younger brother Mustafa also passed away in 2007.

First Recordings and Marriage (1972–1978)

Hanka passed an audition at Radio Sarajevo and began taking singing lessons. After two years, she made her first recordings for Radio Sarajevo. These were sevdalinka songs, which are traditional Bosnian folk music. Her first recording was an old sevdalinka called "Moj behare" (My Blossom). She recorded over a hundred sevdalinka songs for the radio archives.

In 1973, at age seventeen, Hanka released her first extended play (EP). A producer named Mijat Božović helped her record two songs, "Ljubav žene" (The Love of a Woman) and "Burmu ću tvoju nositi" (I Will Wear Your Wedding Ring). She released five more EPs over the next two years. Her first full studio album, I Loved Unfaithful Eyes, came out on 13 February 1974.

In 1975, Hanka won a top prize at a festival for amateur singers. Her song was "Pokraj puta rodila jabuka" (On the Roadside, a Tree Bore an Apple). Her prize was a chance to record a single for the Sarajevo Diskoton record label. This song became quite popular over time.

Mijat Božović continued to work with Hanka. He wrote a song for her called "Voljela sam oči zelene" (I Loved Green Eyes). This song quickly became a huge hit and is still one of Hanka's most famous songs. There is even a version in Slovenian.

After the success of "Voljela sam oči zelene," Hanka performed at the Ilidža Festival with the song "Ja te pjesmom zovem" (I Call You with My Song). The song was almost not allowed in the competition, but the songwriter insisted. It became a big hit and many other artists have covered it.

Meeting Her First Husband

Hanka met her first husband, Muradif Brkić, when she was in high school. He was a literature student at the University of Sarajevo. They started dating and got married in the late 1970s. Soon after, Muradif went for his mandatory service in the army. During this time, Hanka began her first big tour across Yugoslavia with Meho Puzić.

Hanka and Muradif had two children: a daughter named Minela and a son named Mirzad. Hanka had a very difficult birth when Mirzad was born, but she recovered.

Hanka also started singing in Sarajevo with Omer Pobrić, a talented accordion player. This helped her gain more experience in singing and performing.

Rise to Stardom (1979–1982)

In 1979, Hanka's husband finished his army service. He, Hanka, and Braco Đirlo started a record company called "Sarajevo Disk". They signed a rock band called "Vatreni Poljubac" (Burning Kiss).

Muradif heard a song by Milić Vukašinović called "Volio sam volio" (I Loved, I Loved) and suggested Hanka record it. Hanka was unsure at first, and Milić wasn't too excited either. But after hearing Hanka sing, Milić said, "When I felt the power and temperament of her voice, I knew we were going to take over Yugoslavia."

Hanka recorded her version, "Voljela sam, voljela" (I Loved, I Loved), in 1978. It sold over a million copies! Hanka became famous across Yugoslavia. She was invited to sing at many events and hold her own concerts. She won many awards, including the "Oscar of Popularity" and was named female artist of the year.

In 1979, she released another hit single, "Odreću se I srebra I zlata" (I Will Give Up Silver and Gold). At the same time, she was working on her full album, Srebro i zlato (Silver and Gold).

Milić Vukašinović was the main songwriter for her albums. Other famous musicians from Yugoslav folk, pop, and rock music also helped. For the first time in Yugoslav folk music, electronic instruments and pop music styles were used. This made Hanka's songs sound new and original.

With the song "Voljela sam, voljela" and the album Čežnja (1980), Hanka combined folk and rock music. Some music critics didn't like it, saying it changed traditional folk music too much. However, the public loved Čežnja. It broke many records and sold over a million copies. The new folk-rock style attracted many new listeners.

Hanka promoted her album Čežnja at the Opatija music festival and in Belgrade. She held her first solo concert in Dom Sindikata, a famous venue. A tour of Yugoslavia followed, and almost every song from the album became a hit. Popular songs included "Crne kose" (Black Hair), "Zbog tebe" (Because of You), "Čežnja" (Yearning), and "Zbogom" (Farewell).

In 1982, she released the album Sanjam (I’m Dreaming), again with Milić Vukašinović as the main songwriter. This album made Hanka an even bigger star in Yugoslavia. Because so many people wanted the album, it was produced and sold by four different companies.

Tours and Acting (1983–1991)

Hanka started a big tour, performing in large sports arenas across Yugoslavia. This was new for folk music artists. In Belgrade's "Dom sindikata," she held a record-breaking 14 sold-out concerts in just seven days! Like her previous album, almost every song on Sanjam became a hit, especially the title song "Sanjam" and "Ja te volim" (It's You I Love). Other popular songs were "Ljubav je radost i bol" (Love is Joy and Pain) and "Voljeni moj" (My Beloved).

She received many awards, including a Yugoslavian star award and four "Oscars for Popularity." She also won several festivals like "Ilidža" and "Vogošća."

Hanka performed in famous arenas like "Lisinski" in Zagreb, "Sava Center" in Belgrade, and "Zetra" in Sarajevo. She also held many concerts to raise money for good causes. She even represented Yugoslavia at an International Festival in Berlin.

Record companies were eager to sign Hanka for her new music. With her husband Muradif's help, Hanka chose Belgrade's "Jugodisk." It was said that she received the largest bonus in Yugoslavia's history. In 1983, she released the album Dobro došli prijatelji (Welcome Friends), again working with Milić Vukašinović.

Her next album, Tebi ljubavi (For You, My Love), released in 1984, was also a huge success. The songs were written by Mišo Marković. The biggest hit from this album was the ballad "Ali pamtim još" (But I Still Remember).

In 1985, Hanka recorded the album Nema kajanja (No Regrets) with composer Miodrag Ilić and the group Južni Vetar (Southern Wind). This album was very successful in the popular oriental folk style.

She returned to the studio with Milić Vukašinović in 1986 to record Bolno srce (Aching Heart). This album also had many hits, including the title song "Bolno srce," which won at the "Vogošća" folk music festival. On this album, she also recorded a sevdalinka called "Sjećaš li se djevo bajna" (Do You Remember the Stellar Maiden).

Hanka had a small role in the film Praznik u Sarajevu (Holiday in Sarajevo, 1991).

Later Career (1996–Present)

When Yugoslavia broke apart and war began, Hanka Paldum stayed in Sarajevo throughout the Bosnian War (1992–1995).

New Music and Concerts

In 1999, Hanka worked with Hari Varešanović, the lead singer of the band Hari Mata Hari, on her album Nek’ je od srca (Let It Be From the Heart). They recorded the hit song "Crni snijeg" (Black Snow) together. The ballad "Svaka rijeka moru stići će" (Every River Will Reach the Sea) was called the 'best song of the year' by radio stations.

In November 2004, Hanka held a big concert at the Zetra Arena to celebrate thirty years of her music career. Many famous guests joined her, including Halid Bešlić, Alka Vuica, Josipa Lisac, Esma Redžepova, Saša Matić, and Milić Vukašinović.

She continued to release popular songs later in her career, such as "Žena kao žena" (A Woman Like a Woman), "Što da ne" (Why Not), "Sarajevo," and "Dođi" (Come Here) in 2006. These were released on the album Žena kao žena. The ballad "Mojoj majci" (To My Mother) was the biggest hit from this album.

Collaborations and Recent Performances

On 7 November 2012, Hanka Paldum and Serbian singer Dragana Mirković sang their duet "Kad nas vide zagrljene" (When They See Us Embrace) for the first time at a concert in Zenica. The official music video for the song came out a year later, on 26 November 2013. The video shows Hanka singing about Bosnia in Sarajevo and Dragana singing about Serbia in Belgrade. At the end of the video, they meet on Stari Most in Mostar, hug, and dance. This video was widely shown in Bosnian and Serbian media.

During 16th night of Zenica summer fest 2019

Hanka Paldum performed a two-hour concert on 7 August 2019, as part of the 16th night of the Zenica Summer Fest.

Personal Life

Marriages and Children

Hanka Paldum's first husband was Muradif Brkić, who was the director of the record label Sarajevo Disk. They got married in 1976. Hanka and Muradif had two children: a daughter named Minela, born in 1981, and a son named Mirzad, born in 1985. Hanka had a very difficult birth when Mirzad was born, but she survived. Her ex-husband Muradif Brkić passed away on 26 May 2024.

Hanka later married a man named Fuad Hamzić, but that marriage also ended.

Discography

Filmography

Film

• Praznik u Sarajevu (Holiday in Sarajevo, 1991)

Television

• Në orët e vona (At Late Hours, 1982)
• Nad lipom 35 (Under the Linden, 2006)
• Lud, zbunjen, normalan (Crazy, Confused, Normal, 2009–12); 2 episodes