Asim Brkan (born 1954 in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina) is an ex-Yugoslav singer, musician and artist.
He started his career in 1975. At the peak of his prime (1979-1985) he was one of the biggest stars in Yugoslavia, selling millions of copies and receiving recognition both from audience and critics. His greatest hits include “Jednom sam i ja volio” (Once upon time, I had also loved); “Najljepsu haljinu veceras obuci” (Put on your prettiest dress tonight); “Ko je majko onaj covjek” (Mother, who is that man?); “Vladaju ljubavi svijetom”( Love rules the world); “Imal` neko da mi kaze? (Is there anybody to tell me?); “Ema”, etc.
At the start of his career he signed a contract with a prominent Zagreb-based record label “Jugoton”. A few years later Brkan moved to Belgrade and switched to “PGP-RTB” , another major Yugoslav music production company. He worked with many important musicians: Aco Stepic, Boki Milosevic, Ljubo Keselj, Selver Pasic etc. Brkan achieved greatest success in Serbia and Bosnia, although he was almost quite as popular in the entire country. Besides his popular songs, he will also be remembered as an outstanding performer of Sevdalinka (traditional Bosnian song). He recorded many songs for Bosnian and Serbian radio and TV archive, written and composed by Sevdah legends: Jozo Penava and Ismet Alajbegovic -Serbo. Most of his career Brkan spent in Belgrade, capital of Yugoslavia.
At the early stage of Yugoslav civil war, he realised that situation in Serbia could be very dangerous for Bosniaks; so he left Belgrade and went with his family to Holland, later Germany. As a result of Yugoslav war, state collapsed and new music genre, called “Turbo-Folk” started domination in social and cultural life. As a honest and very emotional man Brkan could not accept “life in jungle” and low-profile music. Although the war was not finished, because of his patriotism, he returned to Bosnia. After few efforts to come back he eventually retired from his professional career in 1998. However, he will always be remembered as great singer, whose appearance, unique voice and evergreen songs made him a true member of ex-Yugoslav music anthology.
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