Silvana Armenulić facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Silvana Armenulić
Pictured in 1971
Born	Zilha Bajraktarević (1939-02-18)18 February 1939 Doboj, Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Died	10 October 1976(1976-10-10) (aged 37) Kolari, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia
Other names	Zilha Armenulić Queen of Sevdalinka
Occupation	Singer-songwriter actress
Years active	1954–1976
Spouse(s)	Radmilo Armenulić ​ ​ (m. 1961)​
Children	1
Parent(s)	Mehmed Bajraktarević (1909–1966) Hajrija Bajraktarević (1916–2008)
Relatives	Mirjana Bajraktarević (sister) Dina Bajraktarević (sister) Sabahudin Bilalović (nephew)
Musical career
Genres	Sevdalinka folk
Labels	Diskos PGP-RTB Jugoton
Associated acts	Toma Zdravković Ismet Alajbegović Šerbo Cune Gojković

Silvana Armenulić (born Zilha Bajraktarević; 18 February 1939 – 10 October 1976) was a very famous singer and actress from Bosnia and Herzegovina. She was known for her unique singing style and powerful voice. Many people called her the "Queen of Sevdalinka," which is a traditional type of folk music from the Balkans.

Silvana's song "Šta će mi život" (What Do I Need a Life for), written by her friend Toma Zdravković, became one of the biggest hits in the former Yugoslavia. Sadly, her life ended too soon when she died in a car crash at age 37. Her two younger sisters, Mirsada "Mirjana" Bajraktarević and Hajrudina "Dina" Bajraktarević, were also professional singers.

Her Early Life

Growing Up and Finding Music (1939–1955)

Silvana, whose birth name was Zilha Bajraktarević, was born in Doboj, a town in what was then the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. She was one of thirteen children in her family. Her father, Mehmed, ran a cake shop, and her mother was Hajrija.

When Zilha was a child, she got very sick with diphtheria but thankfully recovered. Her family faced tough times, especially after her older brother Hajrudin died from a dog attack. After this, her father's business closed, which made things even harder for the family.

Zilha loved to sing from a young age. She believed she got her beautiful voice from her father, who also loved music. She would often sing to him while sitting on his lap. However, her father wasn't keen on her becoming a professional singer. In 1947, she started elementary school and learned to play the mandolin. She spent more and more time singing and playing, and less time focusing on school. By the time she was in eighth grade, she was already known locally for singing in kafanas (traditional cafes).

Moving to Sarajevo and Meeting Toma Zdravković

At 16, in 1954, Zilha moved to Sarajevo to pursue her singing dream. She lived with her aunt and sang in local cafes to earn money. One evening, she met a talented accordion player named Ismet Alajbegović Šerbo. He was so impressed by her voice that he wanted her to join his orchestra. Since she was underage, she needed her parents' permission, which they gave. Šerbo promised her a place to stay, food, and a good salary, marking her official start in show business.

In 1958, while in Leskovac, Zilha met Toma Zdravković, who would become a close friend and famous singer. She found him sleeping on a park bench, struggling and without money. She invited him to her performance and even let him sing. She was amazed by his voice and helped him get a job and eventually a record deal. They both became legends in the music world.

Choosing Her Stage Name

Later, Zilha moved to Belgrade, the capital city, to further her music career. There, she decided to use the stage name "Silvana." She chose this name because when she was younger, her friends used to call her Silvana as a joke. This was after they watched a movie called Bitter Rice (1949), because they thought she looked like the Italian actress Silvana Mangano.

Her Music Career

First Songs and TV Appearances

In Belgrade, Silvana often performed in the lively neighborhood of Skadarlija. She started getting offers from record labels. Her first recorded song was "Nad izvorom vrba se nadvila," a traditional Bosnian sevdalinka. However, it was released later. She first recorded duet songs with other singers like Petar Tanasijević and Slavko Perović.

Silvana quickly became one of the biggest folk music stars in Yugoslavia. She performed all over the country and appeared in popular TV shows like Ljubav na seoski način (Love in the Rural Way) and movies such as Građani sela Luga (Citizens of the Village Luga).

The Hit Song "Šta će mi život"

In 1969, Silvana released the song "Šta će mi život" (What Do I Need a Life for). This song, written by Toma Zdravković, became a massive hit, selling over 300,000 copies. It made both Silvana and Toma huge superstars.

Despite her success, Silvana faced criticism throughout her career, just as she did when she started. In 1972, she co-starred in the film The Deer Hunt. That same year, she had a disagreement with a TV director during a New Year's Eve show. She was asked to wear a bikini and jump into a pool, but she refused because she didn't like how she looked in a swimsuit. This led to her being banned from Yugoslav television for a while.

Throughout the 1970s, Silvana had many more hit songs, including "Rane moje" (My Wounds), "Ciganine, sviraj sviraj" (Gypsy, Play Play), and "Srce gori, jer te voli" (My Heart Burns, For It Loves You). She often performed for the country's leaders, President Josip Broz Tito and his wife Jovanka Broz.

Her Marriage and Family

Silvana met her husband, tennis player Radmilo Armenulić, in 1959. They got married on October 26, 1961. Their daughter, Gordana, was born on January 13, 1965. After seven years, Silvana and Radmilo separated, but they remained legally married until her death.

Their marriage was unique because Silvana was a Muslim and Radmilo was a Serb. Both their parents initially disapproved of the marriage. Silvana's father, Mehmed, even refused to speak to her until his death in 1965, when she returned home for his funeral.

Her Final Years and Death

Worries and a Mystic Meeting

In the last few years of her life, Silvana often worried about her future. In October 1971, she was in a car accident that almost took her life. This made her even more concerned about what might happen. She became very interested in astrology and psychics, trying to understand her fate.

In August 1976, just two months before she died, Silvana visited a famous mystic named Baba Vanga in Bulgaria. The meeting was strange and unsettling. Vanga, who was blind, sat with her back to Silvana and didn't speak for a long time. Finally, Vanga told her, "You will not be able to come back. Go, go. If you can come back in three months, do so." Silvana took this as a sign that she would die soon and left in tears.

The day before her death, on October 9, 1976, Silvana and her sister Mirsada were at a restaurant opening. Silvana accidentally hit her head on a decoration shaped like a stalactite, which caused a bad headache that lasted until the next day.

The Tragic Accident

On Sunday, October 10, 1976, around 9:15 PM, Silvana Armenulić died in a car crash. The accident happened near the village of Kolari in Serbia. Her 25-year-old pregnant sister, Mirsada, and a violinist named Miodrag "Rade" Jašarević also died in the crash. They were driving back to Belgrade after a concert.

Their car, a Ford Granada, was reportedly going very fast when it crossed into the opposite lane and crashed head-on with a truck. Silvana was sleeping in the passenger seat, and her sister was asleep in the back. The exact reason for the crash is not known, but it's thought that the car might have had a brake problem. The Ford Granada model they were driving had been recalled for "dangerous structural defects."

Between 30,000 and 50,000 people attended their funeral. Silvana and her sister were buried next to each other in the Novo groblje cemetery.

After Her Death

Singer Lepa Lukić was supposed to perform at the same concert that day but overslept. She believes that if she had gone, she would have died with them. Because of this tragedy, Lepa Lukić has not driven a car since.

During the war in Bosnia in the 1990s, Silvana's mother, Hajrija, and sister Dina moved to Denmark. In 2004, Hajrija filed a lawsuit against Silvana's ex-husband, Radmilo, claiming that an apartment he lived in belonged to their family. Radmilo stated that he was still legally married to Silvana when she died, and the apartment was left to their daughter, Gordana, for whom he became the guardian.

Silvana's mother, Hajrija, lived to be over 90 and passed away in 2008. Her oldest sister, Ševka, died in 2013, leaving Dina as the last living of the Bajraktarević sisters. Radmilo Armenulić, Silvana's former husband, still visits her grave and leaves flowers.

Her Legacy

Silvana Armenulić's music continues to be loved. Another famous Yugoslavian singer, Lepa Brena, has covered two of Silvana's songs: "Šta će mi život" and "Ciganine ti što sviraš."

On October 10, 2011, which was 35 years after her death, a Serbian TV show called Exploziv aired a special segment about Silvana. It included interviews with her surviving friends and her daughter, Gordana, and even showed a reenactment of the car crash.

In 2011, a writer named Dragan Marković released a book about Silvana's life called Knjiga o Silvani (Book About Silvana). Silvana's daughter, Gordana, was interviewed for the book.

Discography

Albums and Singles

Other Recorded Songs

Here are some other songs Silvana Armenulić recorded that were not on her main albums. Many of these are covers of old Bosnian sevdalinka songs.

• Aj, san zaspala
• Bol boluje mlado momče
• Bosa Mara Bosnu pregazila
• Ciganka sam mala
• Crven fesić
• Djevojka je pod đulom zaspala
• Djevojka viče s visoka brda
• Đul Zulejha
• Harmoniko moja
• Igrali se konji vrani
• Ko se ono brijegom šeće?
• Mene moja zaklinjala majka
• San zaspala
• Simbil cvijeće
• Sinoć dođe tuđe momče
• Svi dilberi, samo moga nema
• Ti nikad nisi htio znati
• Vrbas voda nosila jablana

Filmography

Film

• The Deer Hunt (1972)
• Saniteks (1973); a short film

Television

• Ljubav na seoski način ("Love in the Rural Way", 1970); 4 episodes
• Milorade, kam bek (1970); a TV film
• Građani sela Luga ("Citizens of the Village Lug", 1972); 2 episodes
• Koncert za komšije ("Concert for the Neighbors", 1972); a TV film