Some context: Born into a Bosniak family near Tuzla, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, she grew up in Brcko, the youngest child of Abid Jahic (c. 1928 - 22 October 2010) and Ifeta (nee Smajlovic; 15 April 1934 - 21 November 2014). Both of her parents are originally from villages near Srebrenik; her father was born in Jezinac and her maternal family hailed from Cehaje. Fahreta grew up in a Muslim home with sister Faketa and brother Faruk. At the start of the Bosnian War in 1992, her sister Faketa escaped to Canada, where she lives today, while Brena stayed in Belgrade where she had been living since 1980.
In early 1980, at the age of 19, Fahreta began singing with a band called Lira Show when the group's original singer Spasa left the band because her husband, a boxer, did not want his wife to be a singer. Sasa Popovic, the band's frontman, was initially opposed to the idea that Fahreta should be the band's new singer, but later changed his opinion. She subsequently moved to Novi Sad and then to Belgrade. Brena's first performance with Lira Show occurred on 6 April 1980 in the hotel Turist in Backa Palanka. Lira Show changed their name to Slatki Greh (Sweet Sin) in 1981. Brena and Slatki Greh premiered their first studio album, Cacak, Cacak, on 3 February 1982. It was named after the Serbian city Cacak. The album was written mostly by Milutin Popovic-Zahar, and the career-manager was Vladimir Cvetkovic. Since her career began in 1980, she has become arguably the most popular singer of the former Yugoslavia, and a top-selling female recording artist with more than 40 million records sold. That same year Lepa Brena and Slatki Greh appeared in the first part of Yugoslav classic comedy film Tesna koza with popular comedian Nikola Simic and actress Ruzica Sokic, which raised their profile and brought them almost instant fame. They would again team up with songwriter Milutin Popovic-Zahar for their second studio album Mile voli disko, released 18 November 1982. In addition to the title song, the album had a couple of other hit songs: "Duge noge" and "Dama iz Londona". In 1983, Lepa Brena and Slatki Greh ended their collaboration with Milutin Popovic-Zahar and Vladimir Cvetkovic. That same year Lepa Brena and Slatki Greh participated in Jugovizija, the Yugoslav selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, with the song "Sitnije, Cile, sitnije". The song was released on an extended play of the same name, along with another song. Their appearance on Jugovizija caused confusion among the audience, since the competition was considered exclusively reserved for pop singers. Although they did not qualify for the prestigious European competition, Lepa Brena and Slatki Greh won the contest, gaining even more popularity.
Did Brena become popular?
A: she has become arguably the most popular singer of the former Yugoslavia, and a top-selling female recording artist with more than 40 million records sold.
Some context: Van der Graaf Generator are an English progressive rock band, formed in 1967 in Manchester by singer-songwriters Peter Hammill and Chris Judge Smith and the first act signed by Charisma Records. They did not experience much commercial success in the UK, but became popular in Italy during the 1970s. In 2005 the band reformed. The band formed at Manchester University, but settled in London where they signed with Charisma.
Hammill's split with the group was amicable, and Banton, Jackson, and Evans, among others, all contributed to his solo work at various times. By 1975, the members of the band were ready to work with each other again, and they decided to reform the band. All the members were keen on carrying on with new music, with no nostalgia for their previous era, and did not want to play earlier stage favourites such as "Killer" (the opening track on H to He, Who Am the Only One) and "Theme One". "We didn't want to continue as if nothing had happened," said Hammill. The reformed band worked at a prolific pace, rehearsing, and touring France before recording three new albums in just 12 months, beginning with Godbluff (October 1975). Unlike the earlier work with John Anthony at Trident, the sessions were produced by the band themselves, and both the Melody Maker and Sounds thought they were a tighter and more cohesive unit than previously. The album in particular saw Hammill making significant use of the Hohner clavinet keyboard. Still Life followed on 15 April 1976. Banton considers this album one of his favourites by the group. In the summer of 1975, the band gigged in Italy without incident, but when they returned to tour there in November, the intense political situation the country was going through caught up with them. The opening concert in Padova was marked with clashes with communists delivering political speeches, and the audience started throwing missiles towards the stage. After a gig without incident in Genoa, the third day of the tour at the PalaSport in Rome, in front of 40,000 people, saw similar confrontations to the Padova gig. A fire broke out at the venue, but was brought under control. The next day, the band learned that most of their gear had been stolen from the tour van, including Hammill's blue Fender Stratocaster, christened "Meurglys". Despite threats from promoters that the band would continue the tour using hired equipment (which Jackson considered impossible given the electronic modifications he had made to his saxophones), they abandoned the tour. Miraculously, all of Jackson's saxophones had survived the theft. In December 1976, following World Record, Banton quit, quickly followed by Jackson in February 1977. Nic Potter returned to replace Banton, and in a typically eccentric move Jackson was replaced by a violinist, Graham Smith (formerly of Charisma folk-rock band String Driven Thing). This line-up produced the album The Quiet Zone/The Pleasure Dome (September 1977). The band also shortened its name to Van der Graaf. Charles Dickie then joined the band on cello, documented on the live double-album Vital, which saw a brief reunion with Jackson. By the time Vital was released, in July 1978, the band had already split, because of lack of record company support in the United States and financial difficulties. In 1982 a collection of out-takes and rehearsal recordings from the 1972-1975 hiatus was released (initially on cassette only), called Time Vaults. These are not studio-quality recordings.
Did they have any regrets about getting back together?
A:
By the time Vital was released, in July 1978, the band had already split, because of lack of record company support in the United States and financial difficulties.