Biography
Who is Hanka Paldum?
Early life and family
Hanka Paldum was born in Čajniče to parents Mujo and Pemba. Her father worked as a logger and her mother wove carpets. She had three brothers named Avdo, Mustafa, and Smail, and two sisters named Raza and Rasema. Hanka began helping with housework at age five.
When she was seven, her family moved to the Vratnik neighborhood in Sarajevo. She sang in her primary school choir and practiced during train trips to Rudo. Her brother Mustafa encouraged her to perform at the Bratstvo cultural association. Marijan Ravlić helped her secure local appearances. She won amateur competitions that provided prizes like cinema tickets and chocolate with rice.
First recordings and Radio Sarajevo
She passed an audition for Radio Sarajevo and took vocal lessons. Hanka recorded over one hundred sevdalinkas for the radio archives, starting with Moj behare. In 1973, producer Mijat Božović helped her release an EP. This included the singles Ljubav žene and Burmu ću tvoju nositi, recorded with the Radio-TV Sarajevo folk orchestra.
She released five more EPs before her first studio album, I Loved Unfaithful Eyes, debuted on February 13, 1974. She later won a prize at the Pjevamo danu mladosti festival for the song Pokraj puta rodila jabuka.
Rise to fame and hits
Hanka gained popularity with the hit song Voljela sam oči zelene, which also had a Slovenian version. At the Ilidža Festival, she performed Ja te pjesmom zovem. This track was almost disqualified by judge Milan Radić, but songwriter Julio Marić ensured it remained in the contest.
In 1978, she recorded Voljela sam, voljela in a studio owned by Nikola Borota-Radovan. This single sold more than one million copies across Yugoslavia. She earned the Oscar of Popularity and three Golden Stars. She also went on a tour of Yugoslavia with Meho Puzić.
Musical innovation and Sarajevo Disk
Hanka Paldum co-founded the Sarajevo Disk record company with Muradif Brkić and Braco Đirlo. They signed the rock group Vatreni Poljubac. In 1979, she released the album Srebro i zlato. She worked with musicians like Goran Bregović, Bodo Kovačević, and Blagoje Kosanin.
Her 1980 album Čežnja mixed folk and rock styles. Despite criticism from some peers, the album sold over a million copies. She performed a solo concert at Dom Sindikata. The band included Lazar Ristovski, Džemo Novaković, Sanin Karić, Ljubiša Pavković, and Mico Radovanović. Nikola Borota-Radovan used electronic instruments and pop arrangements for her sound.
Family and personal life
Hanka married Muradif Brkić, who studied literature at the University of Sarajevo. Muradif served in the Yugoslav People's Army. They had two children named Minela and Mirzad. During the birth of her son, she was declared clinically dead but recovered.
Hanka also gained experience singing with accordion player Omer Pobrić. Her brother Mustafa passed away in 2007 from lung cancer at age 49. Her father Mujo died after a severe illness during her youth.
Birthday and age
Hanka Paldum was born on April 28, 1956, which makes Hanka 70 years old today. That birthday falls under the Taurus sign. Hanka shares the date with 64 other famous people.
Explore more
