Azem KurticSarajevoBIRNOctober 13, 202516:19Large crowds gathered in silence on Monday for the funeral of Halid Beslic, a Bosnian folk singer whose music touched hearts all over the former Yugoslavia.
People follow the funeral motorcade towards the graveyard in Sarajevo. Photo: Klix.ba.
In silence, many in tears, thousands of people gathered on Monday in the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, for the funeral of much-loved folk singer Halid Beslic, who died on October 7, aged 72, after being hospitalised since late August.
Before the funeral, a commemoration was held in the National Theatre in Sarajevo, where family, friends and local and regional celebrities attended and shared their goodbyes.
One of the biggest Bosnian music stars, Edin Dervishalidovic, known as Dino Merlin, gave an emotional speech during the commemoration, where he spoke about the last time he saw Beslic in hospital.
“A warm room. An October night. Some gentleness in it. He dozed, and in his sleep a curse slipped from his lips when we turned him onto his side. We laughed. I told him Sidran’s and Gljiva’s jokes. We laughed a little again. So we wouldn’t cry. To cheat the pain. To cheat death. I brought him Merci chocolate. Merci, Halid,” Dervishalidovic said.
The Federation entity, one of two enitites in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Brcko District, a semi-autonomous administrative unit in the country, declared a day of mourning on Monday.
On Sunday, memorial gatherings in honour of Beslic were held in more than 150 locations across four continents. In Sarajevo, more than 20,000 people sang his songs in unison.
During a career which began in 1979, Beslic released 19 studio albums, with dozens of songs that remain hits among people of all ages – songs that became evergreen standards at communal celebrations, on radio playlists and in taverns.
Beslic was known for his close relationship with the audience, and often performed at lavish weddings and other big celebrations. When he was not present, his music was usually performed by other singers.
Beslic was born in Sokolac, around 50 kilometres from Sarajevo. He was one of the few music stars in the region who lived a fairly modest life, untainted by scandals, and had the image of being a “man of the people”.
During the 1992-95 war in Bosnia, Beslic held more than 500 humanitarian concerts around Europe. He used the proceedings to help Bosnian refugees fleeing the conflict.
In his media appearances, Beslic often emphasised that he wanted to be remembered “as a good man”.
Source link: balkaninsight.com
