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Dino Merlin: An Homage to Bosnia’s Music Icon

3 January 2012 2,505 views 22 Comments by:

KCRW DJ and Bosnian native Valida shares her affection for Dino Merlin:

It’s no small feat to have a career spanning over 25 years, but Bosnia’s favorite pop crooner, Dino Merlin, has managed just that. From his early debut back in 1985 as a front man of Sarajevo’s indie-pop outfit, Merlin, Dino has captivated audiences from all walks of life and ethnic background with his powerful mix of pop, rock, and traditional Bosnian themes of unrequited love, longing and redemption.

I have been a fan since I was a little girl. It was the title track from his debut “Broke Times” that took all of former Yugoslavia by storm. It is a playful 80s synthpop number which dominated the underground dance-floors.

Next came his sophomore “Something Beautiful Ought to Happen” tour de force which featured at least 5 No.1 Hits. I still listen to that album and it’s a favorite at house parties when right around the midnight hour, a guitar will miraculously appear out of nowhere, and all will gather around and sing until the early morning hours. My favorite songs from this album are definitely “Throughout Bosnia Blossoms Bloomed” and “Is Sarajevo Where It Once Was”.

Today, Dino mainly sticks to tried and true musical blueprint but he is not scared to venture out and explore new formats, often resulting in interesting collaborations with musicians from other parts of Ex-Yugoslavia and beyond.

He is the type of artist that is equally well received in Zagreb, Sarajevo and Belgrade, and few can claim his type of success or unifying power, especially since the 90’s war.

So you can imagine my excitement when I got to do a remix for him. I have known him for a number of years and the topic of collaboration has come up a few times in the past but I never felt ready.

Finally, when I saw him in Sarajevo this summer, I decided it was time. Upon my return, he sent the vocal parts for his brand new single, Undo, and gave me complete artistic freedom to reinterpret the song. Below is my remix (which you can download here) as well as a video for the original verison.

Dino Merlin “Undo” (Valida’s LA Nights Remix) by Valida

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I hope you like my take on it! Thanks for reading and listening.

– Valida

 

http://www.dinomerlin.net/

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22 Comments »

  • lejla_la said:

    Géniale!!!

    # 3 January 2012 at 9:48 am
  • Sabi said:

    Amazing song, beautiful remix!

    # 3 January 2012 at 10:12 am
  • Stephen said:

    This remix is everything KCRW stands for. On the road, headed home at 3am, staring at the freeway lines flickering in front of you… your friends in the back seat are too lost in their own thoughts to say anything at all. The only thing that works is 89.9. Perfect.

    # 3 January 2012 at 9:40 pm
  • Leila C said:

    Love it! Remix is simply beautiful!
    Thank you!

    # 3 January 2012 at 11:56 pm
  • Sandra said:

    Great remix…great song :)

    # 4 January 2012 at 12:11 am
  • Kells said:

    Another stellar remix V! Keep them coming.

    # 4 January 2012 at 4:37 pm
  • Pokaho said:

    Valida keeps knocking these remixes out of the park – beautiful! Keep up the good work….

    # 4 January 2012 at 4:55 pm
  • Viki said:

    Great! :) )))) Bravo, Valida!

    # 5 January 2012 at 2:10 am
  • valida said:

    thank you all so much!!! means a lot…

    # 5 January 2012 at 8:02 am
  • Ron said:

    Nice job with the Dino Merlin remix, Valida. Quite a haunting, mellow track – ideal for the car stereo in the wee small hours. Keep up the good work!

    # 5 January 2012 at 9:10 am
  • valida said:

    next time you're in Sarajevo we'll go see him live… :)

    # 5 January 2012 at 9:28 am
  • sneak said:

    when i was a little girl, i used to tell people my mother was *this* close to marrying dino merlin. now i'm going to start telling people YOU were *this* close to marrying dino merlin. OK, maybe no one should marry him… but what i'm trying to say is THIS REMIX IS GREAT. well done!

    # 5 January 2012 at 10:34 am
  • valida said:

    haha…he is already married, silly…has two beautiful kids…

    # 5 January 2012 at 10:44 am
  • sneak said:

    shhhhhhhhh.

    # 5 January 2012 at 11:17 am
  • Justine said:

    I love it!!

    # 7 January 2012 at 9:52 am
  • ninichissima said:

    love the remix! original song is not bad either

    Did you have to do with original version as well?

    # 7 January 2012 at 1:21 pm
  • Sierra Drucker said:

    Wow! Such a classy remake – you reinvented it Valida.

    # 7 January 2012 at 4:55 pm
  • valida said:

    hey there…i was given only his vocal parts….everything else, including the female vox is your truly… :) and I agree, the original version is nice too…

    # 8 January 2012 at 2:10 am
  • valida said:

    Thank you!!! Coming from you, this means a lot!!! :)

    # 8 January 2012 at 2:42 pm
  • Sandokan said:

    It really has your touch! Well done Lida!

    # 10 January 2012 at 1:14 pm
  • earthtoeli said:

    good to see you making music again, Valida!!! this sounds lovely!

    # 31 January 2012 at 11:28 am
  • valida said:

    Thanks Ellei!! time to wake up from a 7-year hiatus!

    # 4 February 2012 at 4:08 pm

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