Dino Merlin is the most renowned singer/songwriter of Bosnia and Herzegovina and one of the greatest and most popular music artists in the Balkans.
In 1983 he established the pop rock band Merlin, for which he wrote both music and lyrics as well as being the band’s lead vocalist, becoming one of the most admired frontmen in the former Yugoslavia. He started his solo career in 1991 under the stage name Dino Merlin. He has written around 150 songs, many of which are considered classics, and are among the most popular songs in the region.
Dino has represented his country three times in the Eurovision Song Contest. He wrote the music and co-authored the lyrics for “Sva Bol Svijeta” (The Heartache of the World, 1993) in Ireland, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s first ever entry. Dino again represented Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1999 in Israel, with his song “Putnici” (Travellers), featuring Beatrice Poulot, and coming in 7th place. His third Eurovision entry, “Love in Rewind”, came 6th in 2011 in Germany, which is the country’s second best result in the history of its participation in the contest.
Throughout his career Dino has collaborated with many internationally acclaimed artists, including Cat Stevens (UK), Mustafa Sandal (Turkey), Lutvi Bošnjak (Tunis), Edo Zanki (Germany), Arjinder (UK), Gani Tamir (Israel), Kempa Orchestra and Hüsnü Senlendirici (Turkey) as well as some of the biggest stars of the region, including Zdravko Čolić, Goran Bregović, and others.
Notable concert successes abroad include the Vic Theatre in Chicago, Le Bataclan in Paris and the Gasometer in Vienna, as well as in major stadium venues throughout the region. At the invitation of the then Mayor of Rome, Walter Vetroni, Dino performed at the 2002 benefit concert for peace, "Glocal Forum", at the Colosseum in Rome, along with a host of acclaimed artists such as Ray Charles, Mercedes Sosa, Khaled and others.
He is the author of the lyrics for the first official national anthem of Bosnia and Herzegovina, “Jedna si jedina” (“Our One and Only”). An award-winning musician and humanitarian, he is also the president of the Association of Composers and Music Artists in Bosnia and Herzegovina which is the umbrella organization for the protection of music copyright in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Dino Merlin's latest album Hotel Nacional was featured upon release in the top 10 of the Billboard World Albums list.
Dino lives and works in Sarajevo.
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