Global Pop & Folk Legends Codexery

Silvana Armenulić

Yugoslav singer and actress, dubbed Queen of Sevdalinka.

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Silvana Armenulić, born Zilha Bajraktarević, was a Yugoslav singer, songwriter, and actress. Dubbed the “Queen of Sevdalinka,” she was one of the most prominent performers of sevdalinka and folk music in the former Yugoslavia, known for her distinctive singing style and recognizable vocal timbre.

Background

Zilha Bajraktarević was born in Doboj, the third of eleven children in a Bosnian Muslim family. Her father owned a cake shop called Jagoda. She survived diphtheria as a child and began singing early, learning mandolin in elementary school. By eighth grade she had lost interest in school and became a local kafana singer.

She adopted the stage name Silvana after the Italian actress Silvana Mangano, because friends said she resembled her. She married tennis player Radmilo Armenulić in 1960; they had a daughter, Gordana, in 1965. The marriage ended after Radmilo allegedly cheated with singer Lepa Lukić, though they remained legally married until her death. Her biggest hit, 'Šta će mi život,' was written by Toma Zdravković, whom she had helped early in his career after finding him sleeping on a bench in Leskovac in 1958.

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Test yourself

Three questions drawn from this entry’s sources. Pick an answer to check it.

1. In what year did Silvana Armenulić die?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is 1976.

From the source: “Zilha Armenulić (; 10 February 1939 – 10 October 1976), professionally known as Silvana Armenulić, was a Yugoslav singer, songwriter, and actress. Dubbed the “Queen of Sevdalinka” (“kraljica sevdalinke”)'''', she was one of the most promine”

2. In what year was Silvana Armenulić born?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is 1939.

From the source: “Zilha Armenulić (; 10 February 1939 – 10 October 1976), professionally known as Silvana Armenulić, was a Yugoslav singer, songwriter, and actress. Dubbed the “Queen of Sevdalinka” (“kraljica sevdalinke”)'''', she was one of the most promine”

3. In which place was Silvana Armenulić born?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Doboj, Kingdom of Yugoslavia.

From the source: “Born Zilha Bajraktarević in Doboj, Kingdom of Yugoslavia, she was the third of thirteen children in a Bosnian Muslim family.”

Answers checked against the source article

Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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