Jadranka's story

Jadranka has a wonderful voice -- it's calm, clear and strong. I can see the comparison to Baez. She plays with a saz, a beautiful, mandolin like instrument that is Persian in origin. Eighteen years ago she went to Japan and has lived there ever since, so now she sings in Japanese as well as Bosnian and incorporates Japanese instruments in her music (They don't sound as terrible as in solos playing Japanese music.) While this is interesting on the face of it, her back story is even more intriguing.

She didn't intend to emigrate to Japan from Sarajevo, her hometown, though she was fascinated with that country. She only meant to visit, then got stuck when the war broke out here. She had been a celebrated singer in former Yugoslavia, including a star turn singing at the 1984 Olympics.

She is married now to a Japanese man, though she never talks about her personal life -- usually a clue that this is the most interesting part. For years, it turns out, she was involved with a Franciscan friar here. At a critical junction, however, he chose to remain in the church rather than abandon it for her.

Her most famous songs are about that lost, sad love. "Sve smo mogli mi" We could have been everything if only the day had been longer, for example.

Since the break up the friar has gotten important in political circles and he's grown hugely fat. She jogs, looked great during the concert in trim black pants and blouse.