Dino Merlin

Early life and first steps in music

Dino Merlin, born Edin Dervišhalidović on 12 September 1962 in Sarajevo, grew up in the historic Alifakovac neighbourhood. His parents divorced when he was seven, and his mother raised him. At the age of twelve, she gave him a guitar, which changed his life. Two years later, he started writing his own songs. He drew inspiration from Yugoslav artists such as Bijelo Dugme and Zdravko Čolić. While studying at university, he formed his first band, Merlin, together with childhood friends.

Building a career with the band Merlin

Merlin’s early career brought many challenges. To support his family, he worked in a metal factory while pursuing music in his spare time. Nevertheless, his determination paid off. In 1985, the band Merlin released its debut album. Over the following years, the group recorded five studio albums and gained wide popularity in Yugoslavia. Merlin became known for his songwriting skills and emotional performances, which helped the band build a loyal audience.

War years and personal loss

The outbreak of the Bosnian War deeply affected Merlin’s life and career. Several members of the band Merlin, including their long-time manager, lost their lives during the conflict. These tragic events left a lasting impact on him. For a short time, he even considered leaving music behind. However, his strong connection to songwriting and performing helped him continue during this difficult period.

Start of a successful solo career

In 1991, Merlin began his solo career. He released albums such as Moja bogda sna in 1993 and Fotografija in 1995. His breakthrough came in 2000 with the album Sredinom. The record achieved enormous success and sold around 2,000,000 copies across the former Yugoslav republics. During the accompanying tour, Merlin performed more than 200 concerts. One of the highlights was a record-breaking show at Sarajevo’s Koševo Olympic Stadium, attended by about 80,000 people.

Musical style and collaborations

Merlin’s music mainly falls within pop, yet he often blends rock, folk, jazz and classical influences. His lyrics focus on themes such as love, loss, nostalgia and social issues. Over the years, he collaborated with well-known artists, including Haris Džinović and Goran Bregović. His work earned him many awards, among them Zlatni melos, MTV Europe Music Awards and Porin awards.

Eurovision and national significance

Merlin also played an important role on the international stage. He represented Bosnia and Herzegovina at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1993 with Sva bol svijeta. In 1999, he returned as a songwriter and performer with French singer Béatrice for the song Putnici. Later, in 2011, he again represented his country with Love in Rewind. In addition, the Bosnian state government invited him to write the country’s first national anthem, Jedna si jedina, which remained in use until the late 1990s.

Continued success after 2000

After 2000, Merlin strengthened his position as one of the leading artists in the Balkans. He released successful albums such as Burek in 2004, Ispočetka in 2008, Hotel Nacional in 2014 and Mi in 2021. Each release attracted strong public attention and large concert audiences. His long career showed consistency and artistic growth.

Recent work and legacy

In recent years, Merlin remained active as a recording artist. In 2021, he released the single Jedan dan jedna noć. This was followed in 2022 by Krive karte and Kako da ti kažem. In November 2023, he presented Skoro će zima. Today, Dino Merlin stands as one of the most influential figures in Bosnian and regional music, with a career that spans decades and reflects both personal and national history.