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

The Group

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

Hari grew up in the Vratnik neighborhood in Sarajevo's old town. 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 Vratnik, Hari recorded his first song "Zašto da ne uzmem nju." After finishing electrical school, Varešanović began to study Philosophy and attended classes on natural 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, Edo Mulahalilović, Pjer Žalica, 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 album "Ja te volim najviše na svijetu" from 1988 sold over 300,000 copies, and carried 10 songs that are still listened to today (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 Finland in 1997 and Finnish artist Janne Hurme recorded that song in Finnish, named "Heart Blood" ("Sydänveri"). Dino Merlin, who was the runner up, was sent to Eurovision instead, who received seventh place. Hari, together with Hanka Paldum, recorded the duet "Crni snijeg" in 2001. That same year (2001) the album "Baš ti lijepo stoje suze" came out with a few hit songs - (Kao domine, Zjenico oka moga, Baš ti lijepo stoje suze). In 2002 with the song "Ružmarin", that became an instant hit, Hari Mata Hari was one of the six finalists in the Croatian Radio Festival and represented Bosnia and Herzegovina for the OGAE in France. Also in 2002 Hari Mata Hari wins the first "Davorin" song of the year award, for the song "Kao Domine", the music for the song was written by Miki Bodlović and Hari Varešanović, with lyrics by Fahrudin Pecikoza. Then in 2003 Hari's song "Idi", brings him to the seventh Croatian Radio Festival and with the song "Navodno" (together with Ivana Banfić) goes to the Splitski festival. After his small-level concerts through Balkan, Europe, and Australia, the group began to record a new album. Franjo Valentić, Hari's long time friend joined the group, while at the same time Miki Bodlović left the group to start his own career in U.S. At the eighth Hrvatski radiski festival the group competed with the song "Nema čega nema". At the Splitski festival the group entered the competition with the song "Zakon jačega" recorded with Bosnian superstar singer Kemal Monteno. Later that year the group released another album under the name of the song "Zakon jačega", for Sarajevo's Diskoton, Zagreb's Croatia Records, and Belgrade's Haj-faj centar.

PBSBiH, through a public on-line voting system, chose Hari Mata Hari as the Bosnian representative for Eurovision. BH Eurosong gave the name "Vrijeme je za Bosnu i Hercegovinu", and the song was described as Bosnia's Romeo and Juliet. The first time the song was aired to the public was on May 5, 2006 on a special evening celebration held by "BH Eurosong 06" in Sarajevo's theater with live television airing, where Hari sang the song for the first time in public with a standing ovation. Six days later, Hari sang the song in his first stage appearance in Belgrade on the final evening of Evropesma 2006. The song "Lejla" is a powerful love ballad of far love with large themes of sevdah and local traditional instruments. The female name Lejla is a traditional Arab name. Eric Clapton and ZZ Top both used the name Lejla in their songs. It is said the title refers to a popular Bosnian song from 1981, when a song called "Lejla" was the Yugoslavian entry to the Eurovision Songcontest. It was sung by Bosnian Seid Memić Vajta and reached the 15th place in Dublin.

The lyrics of the song were written by Fahrudin Pecikoza and Dejan Ivanović with the music by Željko Joksimović. Joksimović, represented Serbia and Montenegro on Eurovision 2004 in Istanbul ("Lane moje", second place), the song was done without profit and solely voluntary. The music video of "Lejla" was directed by Pjer Žalica, along with Hari and the band, showing the old Bosnian traditions. It was recorded in several places of Herzegovina: on the mountains of Blidinja and on the national park/lake Hutovo Blato, on Ruištu, and in the beautiful city of Mostar, ending with the Stari Most in the older part of the city. The song received its name through on-line voting (with 3501 votes, other name ideas were "Zar bi mogla ti drugog voljeti" with 660, and "Sakrivena" with 462 votes).

Even with huge concerts in Sarajevo's "Skenderija" and "Zetra", Hari Mata Hari never had any problems filling up his concerts wherever he went in the former Yugoslavia areas. In 1999, the group played for seven days in Belgrade at the "Sava center". The album "Baš ti lijepo stoje suze" was another hit.

Hari Mata Hari continues to be one of the most well-known, popular and respected Bosnian musical groups of all time.

Hari Mata Hari finished in 3rd place at Eurovision Song Contest 2006 with 229 points.

Group Members

Current members

• Hari (Hajrudin) Varešanović - vocal
• Izudin Kolečić - percussion
• Karlo Martinović - solo guitar
• Nihad Voloder - rhythm guitar

Former Members

• Željko Zuber
• Neno Jeleč
• Adi Mulahalilović
• Edo Mulahalilović
• Miki Bodlović
• Pjer Žalica
• Zoran Kesić

Festivals

• 2002 - Croatian Radio Festival 2002
• 2003 - Croatian Radio Festival 2003
• 2003 - Split 2003
• 2004 - Croatian Radio Festival 2004
• 2007 - Croatian Radio Festival 2007

Discography

• 1985 - U tvojoj Kosi (In your Hair)
• 1986 - Ne bi te odbranila ni cijela Jugoslavija (The whole Yugoslavia wouldn't defend You)
• 1988 - Ja te volim najviše na Svijetu (I love you the most in this world)
• 1990 - Volio bi' da te ne Volim(I Wish I didn't Love You)
• 1991 - Strah me da te Volim(I'm afraid to Love You)
• 1992 - Rođena si samo za Mene(You were only born for Me)
• 1994 - Ostaj mi zbogom ljubavi
• 1998 - Ja nemam snage da te ne Volim(I have no strength to hate You)
• 2001 - Sve najljepše od Hari Mata Hari
• 2002 - Baš ti lijepo stoje Suze(Your tears look good on You)
• 2002 - Ružmarin i najljepše neobjavljene pjesme
• 2002 - Live
• 2004 - Zakon Jačega(The Law of the Strongest)

See also

• Sarajevo school of pop rock

External links

• Official website of Hari Mata Hari Template:Bs icon
• Eurovision information on Hari Mata Hari Template:En icon
• Bosnian Eurovision website Template:Bs icon
• Hari Mata Hari fan page Template:Bs icon
• Hari Mata Hari Mp3ovi

• Male singers
• Musicians from Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Yugoslav musicians
• Eurovision contestants