Vedran smailovic biography definition

Fifteen hundred children were among those dead and 15, among the injured. Hundreds of shells hit the city every day and in one case, July 22,there were shells counted. Ten thousand apartments were destroyed, and thousands more damaged. But during this terrible time, there was one man who became a symbol of hope.

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On the afternoon of May 27,mortar shells hit a group of people waiting to buy bread in a market. Twenty-two people were killed and more than 70 were injured. Vedran Smailovic, a well-known cellist of the city, saw it and was deeply disturbed. The next day he came to the spot, by then covered with flowers as tribute, and began to play his cello.

He had not planned this, but he did it instinctively, and as people gathered around him, there was a sense of healing.

Vedran smailovic biography definition: Vedran Smailović (born 11 November

There were snipers on the hills, and the cellist could have been killed at any time, but he played on. For another two years, he played at different places in the city, in the midst of ruined buildings, dressed in a white shirt and black tail coat, as if he was playing on the stage in an orchestra. Soon he became a symbol of courage for Sarajevo, and for the whole world.

People called him mad, but he responded that it was the war that was mad. Inspired by him, classical and other music was composed, books were written, and other artists and musicians came to Sarajevo. There are more than 20 books, films, plays, and songs, on the siege, as well as video games. Joan Baez joined him one day, Susan Sontag came to Sarajevo, as well as other world famous artists.

Vedran smailovic biography definition: Vedran Smailovic, otherwise known as

Locally too, there was a surge of creativity, even while the city was dying. With the siege of Sarajevo, he was trapped in the city. With the destruction of the national theater and concert halls, he took to the streets to play with a group he had formed, the Sarajevo Opera String Quartet. Within months, two members of the quartet had been killed by mortar fire or snipers.

Thus Smailovic began playing as a soloist, a living memorial to the dead. He risked his life daily as mortar shells and bullets flew around him. His courage soon attracted international attention. Last December, friends brought him out of the country. Since then, Smailovic has played live before tens of thousands of people, has been seen around the world on television, and has given dozens of interviews.

Yet he has no home of his own. If you ask him his mission, he'll tell you that what is happening in Sarajevo is not about ethnic strife but about exploiting people's fears and differences as a way to gain power and political advantage. He will tell you that the fires engulfing Sarajevo are burning everywhere, and that Sarajevo is our warning to put an end to such madness.

It seemed totally appropriate, on that cold winter morning in Belfast, that such a man was paying homage to such a troubled city and province. The day before, he had travelled to Enniskillen, some 80 miles southwest of Belfast, to play his cello at the War Memorial where 10 people died in when an IRA bomb went off without warning. He'd also made a point to meet Senator Gordon Wilson, whose daughter Marie died in the blast.

Dirty sort of talk is not going to bring her back to life After Enniskillen, Smailovic travelled to Londonderry, some 70 miles north of Belfast, where there are signs of progress and regeneration after much violence. Throughoutthe World Tribune will feature on the cover historical acts of cultural diplomacy that shifted public sentiment and even thawed tensions between nations.

On May 27,several grenades exploded in front of a bakery in Sarajevo, killing 22 and wounding citizens in line to buy bread. He also played at funerals, graveyards and buildings destroyed in the Siege of Sarajevo the longest siege of a capital city in modern warfare. Archived from the original on 7 September The Australian. Retrieved 31 January Economic Voice.

Vedran smailovic biography definition: Cellist Vedran Smailović, who played

The My Hero Project. Retrieved 5 December External links [ edit ]. Authority control databases. United States.