Harmony and Fantasy - Harmonija i fantazija
In 2002, a successful Club in Leeds UK, called SpeedQueen, temporarily set up in the north west of Bosnia and Herzegovina to bring a new experience to the youth of the area.
Podcasts Educate, Inform and Entertain.
In a past post I wrote that after a long period of reflection, we decided that the focus of our content from Bosnia and Herzegovina would be this weekly blog/newsletter and audio podcasts.
I say “audio podcasts”, as there are content creators that publish video podcasts.
I am a great believer that audio is really the theatre of the mind, where no two listeners will paint the same pictures of what they are listening to. Audio really is a unique listening experience.
Add to this that I have been involved with broadcasting in various forms during my life and you can see why I am passionate about all things “radio”. It’s just the most amazing medium.
It’s the ultimate storytelling medium.
A (one of many) Radio Story
20 years ago, I set up and ran a radio station here in Bosnia and Herzegovina, based just outside Banja Luka, the country’s second city.
We were using the station as tool to foster inter-ethic tolerance within the 15-25 year old age groups. We were successful at the time.
Sadly, after the station closed in 2005, the wins that we had made faded away, as a more aggressive message of intolerance surfaced and started to dominate across the country.
Over time, memories fade, and, can change slightly from the reality that existed.
Thats why it’s super important, in my mind, to document experiences as much as possible.
To '“Set the Scene” and “Whet Your Appetite”, in 2002, a successful Club in Leeds UK, called SpeedQueen, temporarily set up in the north west of Bosnia and Herzegovina to bring a new experience to the youth of the area.
NATO at that time had a byline for their operation. It was “Mir i Tolerancija”, or “Peace and Tolerance”
SpeedQueen however, really hit the mark with youth audiences with their “Harmonija I Fantazija” or “Harmony and Fantasy”.
Yes, older generations were being persuaded that Peace and Tolerance was the way to go, but, in reality, the youth and next generations (who were the future) were looking for “Harmony and Fantasy”.
So, to that end, a future podcast and accompanying blog post will take you back to a particular set of events that happened in 2002 here in the north west of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In the meantime, here’s a rather old copy of a documentary made for Yorkshire TV about the first game changing visit to Bosnia, by that team of Club DJs and performers from Leeds.
I don’t own the copyright to this video, but I hope you’ll find it informative.
Oh, and as you watch, you might like to know that, in the words of the Blues Brothers:
“We’re putting the band back together”.
Passing On ….
It’s getting to that time in life that our role models, heroes and favourite celebrities are leaving us.
On 22 January 2022, Aki Rahimovski, the lead vocalist and songwriter, of Parni Valjak died at the age of 66.
And Finally
Thanks to Radovan in Australia for buying us some coffees last week.
We really appreciated it.So thanks so so much again 😀👍
It’s been a bit of a short form post this week I know, but in all transparency, we are working hard to bring you a high quality podcast and blog post in the very near future.
If you want to read back editions of the newsletter, listen to previous podcasts (we have quite an archive now), or catch other content, all this is available on the web interface, just like a regular blog.
Oh, and you can also share the newsletter with friends, relatives and colleagues using the button below.
Tamara and I appreciate your faithful readership, your comments, and your generosity!
THANKS SO MUCH ❤️