In Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), before the outbreak of war in 1992, mixed marriages were considered a reflection of the multiethnic communities in the former Yugoslavia and a mirror to the slogan of “brotherhood and unity”.
Sevdalinka (also known as sevdah) is the folk musical expression of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The word sevdalinka comes from the Arabic word sawda which means ‘black bile’ – one of the four bodily ‘humors’, which was believed to determine the melancholic state.
Nataša and Elvir Čelebić, born in 1976 and 1978 respectively, embarked on their love story 20 years ago. Today, it is crowned with two children, Boris (born in 1997) and Ena (born in 2003), demonstrating that love knows know boundaries.
The “Love Tales” project allowed our correspondents to tell ordinary people’s stories through research and fieldwork. Despite the obstacles society has unfairly placed before these interethnic couples, they have prevailed in telling their stories.
Adisa and Vehid Ahmedović have been married for 27 years. They say it feels like they have been married for at least twice as much. Because they work together they are always next to each other. They were both born in Kakanj, where they still live today. They got married at a young age. Vehid, known as Crni, was 23 at the time, and Adisa was 18. They got married during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in 1993.
They met three years ago, and ever since then their life has been colored with new meaning. The love they feel for each other gives them strength, will, and faith. Arijana and Marko from Jajce both have disabilities, but their blindness does not hinder them from setting life goals which they bravely chase.