Jadranka Stojaković

Jadranka Stojaković
Stojaković in 2011
Background information
Born	24 July 1950 Sarajevo, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yugoslavia
Died	3 May 2016 (aged 65) Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Occupation(s)	Singer
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1972–2011

Jadranka Stojaković (24 July 1950 – 3 May 2016) was a Bosnian singer-songwriter popular in the former Yugoslavia, known for her unique voice. Her best known hits are "Sve smo mogli mi", "Što te nema" and "Bistre vode Bosnom teku".

Biography

Born in Sarajevo to a family of school teachers (her father Milan 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]

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 for SFR Yugoslavia's best artist. She was among the country's most talented and admired singers and songwriters.

Stojaković resided in Japan from 1988 until 2011. In 2009, she suffered an accident on stage, tripping over a cable during a concert. She was diagnosed as having a Amyothropic Lateral Sclerosis aka ALS, motor neuron disease.^[2] After receiving a small compensation for her injury, Stojaković moved back to Bosnia and continued to battle the disability. In addition, Stojaković was in dispute with Bosnian officials to regain her property, an apartment in Sarajevo that was taken away from her while she was abroad. Nonetheless, she was determined to compose and write more music.

After return from Japan, Stojaković performed several pre-scheduled concerts in 2011, but eventually retreated to a nursing home in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as she felt increasingly ill.^[3] She died in the nursing home on 3. May 2016.^[4]

Discography

Albums

1. Svitanje (Dawn), LP 8018, Diskoton Sarajevo, 1981.
2. Da odmoriš malo dušu (Rest Your Soul a Little), LP 8052, Diskoton, Sarajevo, 1982,
3. Sve te više volim (I love you more and more), LP 3149, Sarajevo disk, Sarajevo, 1985.
4. Vjerujem (I believe) LP 2122677, PGP RTB Belgrade, 1987
5. Baby Universe, Omagatoki Records, 1996^[5]

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
2. Pešević, Slobodan (11 October 2015). "Jadranka Stojaković: Brak mi nije bio suđen" [Jadranka Stojaković: Marriage was not meant for me]. Večernje novosti. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
3. Sanela Jovanović (24 November 2013). "Bolest joj oduzima sve više snage: Potresna ispovest kantautorke Jadranke Stojaković". Blic.
4. "Preminula Jadranka Stojaković". Blic. 4 May 2016.
5. "Jadranka Stojaković Discography". Discogs. May 2016.