Interview with Božo Vrećo
By Robert Šoko 2024
Let us learn the correct way of addressing you: what are your pronouns?
A timeless soul, but without gender, because if I am and live love, then love certainly has no gender. That is who I am.
Your view on the queer community in present-day Bosnia/the Balkans?
This is an environment that does not accept diversity, unfortunately. It is a deeply conservative and homophobic society where it is not safe to think differently, let alone live differently. I don’t think anything has changed in that regard even today. We live in a time of religious fanaticism, judgment, inequality, and discrimination.
Future of sevdalinka in Bosnia?
As someone who performs across Europe and the world, I see how important it is to spread this cathartic energy, to sing this tragic metaphysical form emotionally and like a mantra, reminding us how strong we can truly be, how love can guide us, and how real our mission of kindness is.
I believe the inclusion of sevdalinka in UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage opens previously only slightly ajar doors for its deeper study, integration, and exploration of the scientific essence of the form.
As an ambassador of the new creative and performance wave in sevdah, I carry a message of light, love, hope, and resistance to all evil across continents.
Every concert of mine is a victory for authenticity, freedom, duality, and devotion to let the song speak through me and to become the song that lives within me. It is a mission of love—divine love that knows no boundaries, no finality, and that will remain an eternal seal of all the peoples who have contributed to the creation of sevdalinka. Most notably, the Sephardic Jews, who brought melismas, ballads, and metrics; Byzantine chants; Islamic calls to prayer; and, of course, the polyphonic melodies and refrains paired with texts from Herzegovina that together form this treasure of our land.
Growing up in Foča — what was it like?
Difficult, misunderstood, and harsh. The war brought suffering and the loss of my father when I was five years old. I faced constant insults and was forced into a system that created uniform people—identical to one another, without their own opinions, thoughts, or dreams.
At 18, I left to study archaeology in Belgrade and began my life as a free person. My entire life has been one of suffering and revolution, dealing with people who acted like beasts, trying to subdue and mold me, to stifle my creativity and duality through total discrimination and confinement. They failed then, as they fail now. My love is stronger than any hatred, and that is my guiding force.
Do you think prejudices can be reduced through music? Even though there was a massive hype around international music styles in the 2000s and 2010s, today we live in the most right-wing era since WWII.
You must never give up on yourself, your authenticity, your talents, and your perseverance to realize them. It’s important not to yield to the judgmental masses but to continue your mission as a free artist.
Freedom is the most significant form of creating art. It is the metamorphosis of the artist and the transformation into a higher stage of creativity that transcends boundaries.
The link between music and being queer; coming out (as an artist/musician): did your musical career encourage you to “come out,” or was it the other way around?
It helped me transform into a being of freedom, a butterfly that spreads fragile wings from its cocoon toward the sky, risking them being burned by the sun or broken by the wind, but unafraid of the sky and desperate to fly. That flight is, in essence, the point of life—to free yourself from society’s chains, create your world, live it, and let the love of the soul take on the role of a guide that infallibly knows where, when, and how.
I listened to my heart, God, and intuition, and that always helped me. When I listened to others, I made mistakes and gave up, which is why I no longer do so.
Is there an icon or role model that inspired you?
My mother and my sister. The only muses to whom I owe everything and love the most in the world.
Once you told me you do not play in nightclubs—why?
I do, though not often. In January 2025, I will perform at the iconic jazz club Moods in Zurich, but otherwise, my confirmed venues are theaters, churches, concert halls, and fortresses. I am there to create magic for God, to whom I dedicate every song in prayer and gratitude.
I enjoy identifying with the energy of the place where I perform, exploring it to its fullest.
This is the archaeologist and archivist in me, always finding something unreal and special in every concert venue.
And that’s when the magic begins its circle.
What is your take on the so-called BalkanBeats scene/hype in Europe and the world over the last 20 years?
I like this influx and domination because the Balkans have always had strong, surreal, rich music and a very inspiring influence on the whole world. It is mystical, mythological, archaic, and polyphonic, making it an indispensable gem in the creation of today’s music in all directions—if genres even exist, as I truly believe they don’t. Music is always a victory and inspiration. All combinations are allowed, and experimentation is possible. Music born of improvisation is the essence of music.
Do you think it is better/smarter to vote for Trump or listen to the trumpets?
Listen to the trumpets, of course!
You are very imaginative, creative, and provocative/brave, with a significant impact on public opinion in “our societies.” What could be your secret?
To be unapologetically yourself, fearless, and free. To listen to your instincts and follow your mission. To be grateful to God and authentically yourself.
Freedom, Courage, and Love—the three key things that change the world for the better.
My grandmother Anka had tattoos on her hands, which always impressed me. Why are your hands tattooed in the manner of Bosnian Catholic women?
This tradition dates back to the Illyrian heritage of our region—matriarchy and the marking and tattooing of Illyrian women as an important status, tradition, and wedding ritual.
Much later, through the centuries, this tradition continued as a form of resistance against the violent Ottoman practice of abducting girls for harems. To protect themselves from such fates, women tattooed crosses, branches, and symbols, which deterred the invaders from taking them and destroying their homes.
How (can we learn) to love this world?
Always be in love and spread it. Give it with all your might and do not fear this giving. Love is a guide, a shield, and the divine within us.
If you have love within you, you also have God. Sarajevo, for me, is the city of my creative birth and will always be part of my heart—a city where I burned and loved.
+++ This interview is a part of our greater imagination aiming at completing a BalkanBeats Book +++
+++ This interview is a part of our greater imagination aiming at completing a BalkanBeats Book +++
Božo Vrećo (born 18 October 1983) is a Bosnian musician. Prior to his musical career, Vrećo worked as an archaeology professor. He began performing professionally with the band Halka in 2013, and gained fame within and away from the Balkans at sold-out concerts and international music festivals.
Vrećo performs as both female and male, as he sees himself as a person of both genders.
“Freedom, Courage & Love”
an Interview with Božo Vrećo
by Robert Šoko & Robert Rigney, Berlin 2024
Let us learn the correct way of addressing you: what are your pronouns?
A timeless soul, but without gender, because if I am and live love, then love certainly has no gender. That is who I am.
Your view on the queer community in present-day Bosnia/the Balkans?
This is an environment that does not accept diversity, unfortunately. It is a deeply conservative and homophobic society where it is not safe to think differently, let alone live differently. I don’t think anything has changed in that regard even today. We live in a time of religious fanaticism, judgment, inequality, and discrimination.
Future of sevdalinka in Bosnia?
As someone who performs across Europe and the world, I see how important it is to spread this cathartic energy, to sing this tragic metaphysical form emotionally and like a mantra, reminding us how strong we can truly be, how love can guide us, and how real our mission of kindness is.
I believe the inclusion of sevdalinka in UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage opens previously only slightly ajar doors for its deeper study, integration, and exploration of the scientific essence of the form.
As an ambassador of the new creative and performance wave in sevdah, I carry a message of light, love, hope, and resistance to all evil across continents.
Every concert of mine is a victory for authenticity, freedom, duality, and devotion to let the song speak through me and to become the song that lives within me. It is a mission of love—divine love that knows no boundaries, no finality, and that will remain an eternal seal of all the peoples who have contributed to the creation of sevdalinka. Most notably, the Sephardic Jews, who brought melismas, ballads, and metrics; Byzantine chants; Islamic calls to prayer; and, of course, the polyphonic melodies and refrains paired with texts from Herzegovina that together form this treasure of our land.
Growing up in Foča — what was it like?
Difficult, misunderstood, and harsh. The war brought suffering and the loss of my father when I was five years old. I faced constant insults and was forced into a system that created uniform people—identical to one another, without their own opinions, thoughts, or dreams.
At 18, I left to study archaeology in Belgrade and began my life as a free person. My entire life has been one of suffering and revolution, dealing with people who acted like beasts, trying to subdue and mold me, to stifle my creativity and duality through total discrimination and confinement. They failed then, as they fail now. My love is stronger than any hatred, and that is my guiding force.
Do you think prejudices can be reduced through music? Even though there was a massive hype around international music styles in the 2000s and 2010s, today we live in the most right-wing era since WWII.
You must never give up on yourself, your authenticity, your talents, and your perseverance to realize them. It’s important not to yield to the judgmental masses but to continue your mission as a free artist.
Freedom is the most significant form of creating art. It is the metamorphosis of the artist and the transformation into a higher stage of creativity that transcends boundaries.
The link between music and being queer; coming out (as an artist/musician): did your musical career encourage you to “come out,” or was it the other way around?
It helped me transform into a being of freedom, a butterfly that spreads fragile wings from its cocoon toward the sky, risking them being burned by the sun or broken by the wind, but unafraid of the sky and desperate to fly. That flight is, in essence, the point of life—to free yourself from society’s chains, create your world, live it, and let the love of the soul take on the role of a guide that infallibly knows where, when, and how.
I listened to my heart, God, and intuition, and that always helped me. When I listened to others, I made mistakes and gave up, which is why I no longer do so.
Is there an icon or role model that inspired you?
My mother and my sister. The only muses to whom I owe everything and love the most in the world.
Once you told me you do not play in nightclubs—why?
I do, though not often. In January 2025, I will perform at the iconic jazz club Moods in Zurich, but otherwise, my confirmed venues are theaters, churches, concert halls, and fortresses. I am there to create magic for God, to whom I dedicate every song in prayer and gratitude.
I enjoy identifying with the energy of the place where I perform, exploring it to its fullest.
This is the archaeologist and archivist in me, always finding something unreal and special in every concert venue.
And that’s when the magic begins its circle.
What is your take on the so-called BalkanBeats scene/hype in Europe and the world over the last 20 years?
I like this influx and domination because the Balkans have always had strong, surreal, rich music and a very inspiring influence on the whole world. It is mystical, mythological, archaic, and polyphonic, making it an indispensable gem in the creation of today’s music in all directions—if genres even exist, as I truly believe they don’t. Music is always a victory and inspiration. All combinations are allowed, and experimentation is possible. Music born of improvisation is the essence of music.
Do you think it is better/smarter to vote for Trump or listen to the trumpets?
Listen to the trumpets, of course!
You are very imaginative, creative, and provocative/brave, with a significant impact on public opinion in “our societies.” What could be your secret?
To be unapologetically yourself, fearless, and free. To listen to your instincts and follow your mission. To be grateful to God and authentically yourself.
Freedom, Courage, and Love—the three key things that change the world for the better.
My grandmother Anka had tattoos on her hands, which always impressed me. Why are your hands tattooed in the manner of Bosnian Catholic women?
This tradition dates back to the Illyrian heritage of our region—matriarchy and the marking and tattooing of Illyrian women as an important status, tradition, and wedding ritual.
Much later, through the centuries, this tradition continued as a form of resistance against the violent Ottoman practice of abducting girls for harems. To protect themselves from such fates, women tattooed crosses, branches, and symbols, which deterred the invaders from taking them and destroying their homes.
How (can we learn) to love this world?
Always be in love and spread it. Give it with all your might and do not fear this giving. Love is a guide, a shield, and the divine within us.
If you have love within you, you also have God. Sarajevo, for me, is the city of my creative birth and will always be part of my heart—a city where I burned and loved.
+++ This interview is a part of our greater imagination aiming at completing a BalkanBeats Book +++
