Last week, Dino Merlin, the Bosnia and Herzegovinian entry at Eurovision 2011, released his 11th studio album. Entitled “Hotel Nacional”, it took Dino six years to finish it. It’s the result of recording, editing, and writing in Sarajevo, New York, Zagreb, London, Vienna, and Istanbul.
All those miles have paid off as his album entered the Billboard charts for best selling album of the week in the “World Albums” category. He’s currently in 8th position, right before Taeyang, a South-Korean K-pop star. The chart also features global known names like Stromae and various artists featured on the 2014 FIFA World Cup official album.
His success is even sweeter because he is the first artist from Bosnia & Herzegovina ever to enter any of the Billboard charts. It’s a huge success for the entire region. Masala!
There are 12 songs on the album. Fans have already heard “Ruza“. Dino released it early as an appeal to help citizens affected by the Balkan floods. If it weren’t the floods, the album teaser would have been the song “Skoljka”, which means “Shell” in English.
The video starts off with Dino deciding to go to the sea. While shopping fans ask him to pose for a photograph, and afterwards they keep following him. During his escape, he rushes past some of the most beautiful scenery in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the Old Bridge in city of Mostar and the coast of Neum. Dino comes to the harbour, where he flees on a boat. His fans are unstoppable: They chart a yacht and chase him into the sea. When he finally stops caring, the group stops following him. It’s a parable on not assuming you understand everyone’s motivation. By the end of the video we learn that they were only chasing him to give him back his cell phone, which he left at the shop.
Dino premiered the song on the night Bosnia & Herzegovina played against Argentina at the World Cup. Bosnia & Herzegovina may have lost, but he won our hearts with this song. Despite not having a catchy chorus, his laidback and melodic voice help the song linger in our minds. Yasssss!
It’s also interesting that one of the backing vocalists is Maya Sar, who sang for Bosnia & Herzegovina in 2012.
Skoljka lyrics
Od zvijezdanog praha finog
Mjesec zlatne broseve kuje
Smijenuje se dan i noc, smijenuje se
Samo ja ih prerazlikujem
Gledam ptice koje tebi lete
Vjetar ludi što na sjever krece
Vrijeme se zaluti il’ zamete
Samo, samo tvoje lice nece
Samo tvoje lice nece
Ref.:
Svaku oluju isprati grom
A onda eto vedri eto ljepih dana
Volim te, povjeruj srcu mom
Toj skoljki, gdje si mirna
Gdje si sama
Volim te, povjeruj srcu mom
Toj školjki, gdje si mirna
Gdje si sama
Volim ptice koje tebi lete
Vjetar sto na sjever krece
Vrijeme sve zamete
Samo tvoje lice nece
Samo tvoje lice nece
Ref.:
Svaku oluju isprati grom
A onda eto vedri eto lijepih dana
Volim te, povjeruj srcu mom
Toj školjki, gdje si mirna
Gdje si sama
Volim te, povjeruj srcu mom
Toj skoljki, gdje si mirna
Gdje si sama
Shell lyrics
From fine star powder
Forges the moon golden brooches
The day switches to night
Switches
But only I can distinguish them
I see the birds fly to you
The crazy wind that moves North
The time gets lost, forgotten
Only, only your face won’t
Your face won’t
Ref.:
Every rinse is followed by a lightning storm
And then the clear, wonderful days come
I love you, believe in my heart
This shell,where you are calm
Where you are alone
I love you, believe in my heart
This shell, where you are calm
Where you are alone
I love the birds that fly to you
The wind that moves North
Time can forget
Only your face won’t
Only your face won’t
Ref.:
Every rinse is followed by a lightning storm
And then the clear, wonderful days come
I love you, believe in my heart
This shell, where you are calm
Where you are alone
I love you, believe in my heart
This shell, where you are calm
Where you are alone
Mashallah !!!