Revision as of 05:53, 23 April 2006

Hari Mata Hari is a popular music band from Bosnia-Herzegovina. Hari Mata Hari is the stage name for the singer Hajrudin "Harija" Varešanović. The group originated from the city of Sarajevo, the captial of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The group has achieved over 1,000 concerts and 5,000,000 albums sold to date. Their songs are one of the most famous and popular love ballads in the former Yugoslav era. Hari Mata Hari was the official singer of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the 2006 Eurovision held in Athens, Greece.

The music band, Hari Mata Hari, has constantly changed its group members. Today, the group is composed of Hajrudin Varešanović (vocal), Izudin Izo Kolečić (precussion), Karlo Martinović (solo guitar, background vocal), and Nihad Voloder (bass guitar, background vocal). Most of the songs of Hari Mata Hari are aranged by Hajrudin Varešanović, but the lyrics are written by Fahrudin Pecikoza - also known as Peco.

Hari grew up in the town of Vratnik, an area near the city of Sarajevo. His grandfather was one of the more famous singers of traditional Bosnian Music called Sevdalinke. At the age of six, Hajrudin began to sing and learn to play the guitar. At the local cultural organization, he was asked to sing, then at the age of ten he sang with the group sastavu "Omi", and later for the group "Sedam šuma". In Vratink, Hari recorded his first song "Zašto da ne uzmem nju." After finishing electrical school, Varešanović began to study Philosophy and attended classes on natrual politics, but never completed the courses. Music took much of his time, as did his love for photography.

In 1979, Hari joined the group "Zov" with whom he recorded the hit song "Poletjela golubica sa Baščaršije." The song is still sung today and respected by many Bosnians. Next, Varešanović sang with the group "Ambasadori", with whom, it is said, that he matured into a professional. After his mandatory military serving in the town of Niš, he appeared into the music stage by himself releasing the (1984) album "Zlatne Kočije." In September of 1985, Hari Varešanović together with the group members of "Baobab", Izo Kolečić, Edom Mulihalilović, Pjer Žalic, and Zoran Kesić, that won the festival Nove nade, nove snage', creates the musical group "Hari Mata Hari." The same year, the group Hari Mata Hari proclaimed their new album "U tvojoj kosi." In 1986, Hari Mata Hari leaves Pjer Žalica "Badžo" and Zoran Kesić, who are replaced by pianist Adi Mulihalilović and bass player Neno Jeleč, the same place will be replaced by Željko Zuber. Their album of 1986, Ne bi te odbranila ni cijela Jugoslavija, was voted as the best album of the year, and on Jugovision, the national competition for the Eurovision candidate of the former Yugoslavia, Hari Mata Hari, in 1986, received fifth place for the song "U tvojoj kosi," and the fourteenth place for the song "Nebeska kraljica" in 1987 in Belgrade.

1988 brought a lot of prosperity to the group. Hari began to record for the recordning company Jugoton, based in Zagreb. The lbum "Ja te volim najviše na svijetu" from 1988 sold over 300,000 copies, and carried 10 songd that are still listen to tday (2006) - (Igrale se delije, Javi se, Sedamnaest ti je godina sa Tatjanom Matejaš Tajči, Naše malo misto, Ja te volim najviše na svijetu, Hej, kako si, Zapleši, Kad dođe oktobar, Ruža bez trna, Poslednji valcer sa Dunava). This propserity was followed by another great album called "Volio bih da te ne volim", which sold over 500,000 copies - (Svi moji drumovi, Na more dođite, Što je bilo bilo je, Pazi šta radiš sa Tajči). Then in 1990, Hari Mata Hari releases another album called "Strah me da te ne volim". This album sold over 700,000 copies - (Prsten i zlatni lanac, Otkud ti k'o sudbina, Ostavi suze za kraj, Daj još jednom da čujem ti glas, Nek' nebo nam sudi).

The collapse of Yugoslavia and the wars that ensued, left a mark in Hari Mata Hari's career. In 1994, the group releases the album "Rođena si samo za mene" through the recording company Diskoton, located in Sarajevo. Some of the songs from the album are: Ja ne pijem with Haris Džinović, Nije za te bekrija, Nije zima što je zima, that had solid sale and success. With that album, most song activities stopped, due to the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In late 1994, the group release another album, while they were refugees in Germany. The album was called "Ostaj mi zbogom ljubavi" - Bilo je lijepo dok je trajalo, Ti si mi droga, Ja sam kriv što sam živ, te obrada pesme Poletjela golubica sa Halid Bešlić. Those albums were made by only Hari i Izo, the rest of the group would not join back until 1997-1998. The group was composed of (including Hari and Izo) Karlo Martinović, Miki Bodlović, Adi Mulihalilović, and Emir Mehić. The reutrned to the music scene with a great hit album called "Ja nemam snage da te ne volim". It was released in 1998 - (Ne lomi me, Emina, Ja nemam snage da te ne volim, Gdje li si sada ljubavi, U pomoć).

In 1999 Hari Varešanović was chosen to represent Bosnia and Herzegovina for Eurovision. However, he was disqualified due to an issue on the song status. Hari sold the song "Starac i more" to someone in Finland, a few years prior to his entry into the Eurovision. Dino Merlin, who was the runner up, was sent to Eurovision instead, who received seventh place. Hari, toghether with Hanka Paldum, recorded the duet "Crni snijeg" in 2001.

=Discogrpahy

• 1985 - U tvojoj kosi
• 1986 - Ne bi te odbranila ni cijela Jugoslavija
• 1988 - Ja te volim najviše na svijetu
• 1989 - Volio bi' da te ne volim
• 1990 - Strah me da te volim
• 1992 - Rođena si samo za mene
• 1994 - Ostaj mi zbogom ljubavi
• 1998 - Ja nemam snage da te ne volim
• 2001 - Sve najljepše od Hari Mata Hari
• 2001 - Baš ti lijepo stoje suze
• 2002 - Ružmarin i najljepše neobjavljene pjesme
• 2002 - Live
• 2004 - Zakon jačega

See also

• Sarajevo school of pop rock
• List of Bosnians

• Male singers
• Musicians from Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Musicians of former Yugoslavia
• Eurovision contestants