Sofka Nikolić ( sr-cyr, Софка Николић; 1907 – 27 July 1982) was a Bosnian and Yugoslav singer of

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has ...

considered to be the first major music star in Yugoslavia. She recorded over 55

LP records The LP (from "long playing" or "long play") is an analog sound storage medium, a phonograph record format characterized by: a speed of rpm; a 12- or 10-inch (30- or 25-cm) diameter; use of the "microgroove" groove specification; and ...

Biography

She started to sing as a minor at local fairs and events and she later went on to sing in

kafana Kafana is a distinct type of local bistro (or tavern), common in former Yugoslav countries and Albania, which primarily serves alcoholic beverages and coffee, and often also light snacks (''meze'') and other food. Many kafanas feature live music ...

s of

Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see names in other languages'') is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its administrative limits. The Sarajevo metropolitan area including Sarajevo ...

and

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, where she was best-known for performance of Bosnian love songs

sevdalinka Sevdalinka (), also known as Sevdah music, is a traditional genre of folk music originating from Bosnia and Herzegovina. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sevdalinka is an integral part of the Bosniak culture, but is also spread across the ex-Yugoslavia ...

s. The first LP by Nikolić was recorded in 1927 and it contained several hits like '' Kolika je Jahorina planina'' and ''Kad bi znala, dilber Stano''. Her major concerts were in the 1920s, after which she moved to

Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; names in other languages) is the capital and largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and the crossroads of the Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. Nearly 1,166,763 mi ...

and married fellow musician Paja Nikolić. His orchestra was a regular on Nikolić's concert tours, including a number of concerts abroad in

Sofia Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and h ...

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Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

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and

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

. Sofka Nikolić's musical adaptations of folk poems and original compositions attracted a large number fans. Her songs was praised by

Josephine Baker Josephine Baker (born Freda Josephine McDonald; naturalised French Joséphine Baker; 3 June 1906 – 12 April 1975) was an American-born French dancer, singer and actress. Her career was centered primarily in Europe, mostly in her adopted Fran ...

Aleksa Šantić Aleksa Šantić ( sr-Cyrl, Алекса Шантић, (); 27 May 1868 – 2 February 1924) was a poet from Bosnia and Herzegovina. His poetry reflecting both the urban culture of the region. The most common themes of his poems are social inju ...

Branislav Nušić Branislav Nušić ( sr-cyr, Бранислав Нушић, ; – 19 January 1938) was a Serbian playwright, satirist, essayist, novelist and founder of modern rhetoric in Serbia. He also worked as a journalist and a civil servant. Life Br ...

and other famous artists. Nikolić had one daughter who died in an accident in 1936, after which Nikolić retired from public life. A street in

Bijeljina Bijeljina ( sr-cyrl, Бијељина) is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the provincial center of Semberija, a geographic region in the country's northeast. Administratively, Bijeljina is part of the Republika Srpska ...

is named after her.

Selected singles

*''Ali paša na Hercegovini'' * ''Cojle, Manojle'' * ''Kolika je Jahorina planina'' * ''Kad bi znala, dilber Stano'' *'' Moj dilbere '' * ''Čuješ seko'' *'' Igrali se vrani konji'' *'' Ja nabacih udicu'' * ''Lijepa li je u Alage ljuba'' * ''Zapevala bulbul ptica'' * ''Zone, mori Zone'' * ''Zulfe, mori Zulfe '' * ''Od kako je Banja Luka postala'' * ''Oj Boga ti, siva ptico sokole'' * ''Sagradiću šajku'' * ''Svu noć mlada'' *'' Uzmi sine Stanu'' * ''Tri put ti čuknam'' * ''Po mesečini, kraj šimšira''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nikolić, Sofka 1907 births 1982 deaths Musicians from Šabac Yugoslav women singers Serbian folk singers