All entries in the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest are known, but the actual contest is still two weeks away. As a warm-up, we introduce one of the entries every day in random order. Part forty is dedicated to the entry from Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Basic information

Performer:	Regina
Song:	Bistra voda (Clear water)
Language:	Bosnian
Music:	Aleksandar �ovi�
Lyrics:	Aleksandar �ovi�
Draw:	18th in the first semi final

The song

Bistra voda is an ethnic rock/pop ballad. Thelyrics to the song, whose title means Clear water, are rather complex and could be interpreted in various different ways:

Rodi me u majsku zoru
kupaj me u bistroj vodi
�uvam jedan svijet
Kad svi drugi odu
�uvam te dok sam živ

Bear me at dawn in May
Bathe me in the clear water
I watch a world
While all the others are leaving
I watch you as long as I stay alive

The band

Regina were founded in Sarajevo in1990 by the three instrumentalists Denis �abri�, Bojan Mili�evi� and Aleksandar �ovi�, who also writes the songs for the band. They started looking for a lead singer and after a long search, Davor Ebner was chosen. The band,whose songs are inspired by Irish rock band U2, enjoyed success all over the country. Whenthe civil war started, Regina escaped to Belgrade, where they continued their career and released six albums over the following years. In 2000, the band took a break when Aleksandar �ovi� started his solo career.

In 2006, Regina reunited when alloriginal members teamed up again for a radio festival in Serbia. They released a new albumcalled Sve mogu ja, whichturned out to be a success. In Janary 2009, it was announced that the band would represent Bosnia & Herzegovina in the Eurovision Song Contest and the song Bistra voda, another compositiosn by Aleksandar �ovi�,was the chosen song.

Thenational selection

Like in recent year, theentryfrom Bosnia & Herzegovina was chosen internally. Again, the entry was kept a secret fora while and officially presented in a gala programme with former and future contest representatives.

Bosnia & Herzeogivna in the Eurovision Song Contest

Bosnia & Herzegovina debuted in the EurovisionSong Contest as an independant country in 1993 having finished second in the Eastern Europe semi final. However, it would take until 1999 that the country reached the top ten of a Eurovision Song Contest final. Other top ten placings came in 2004, 2006 and 2008 and 2006 also marks the country's most successful year with a second place in the semi final and a third place in the final. Entries by the broadcaster from Bosnia & Herzegovina also took part under flag of Yugoslavia in 1964, 1965, 1973, 1976 and 1981.

Regini želimo svu sre�u i dobar rezultat u Moskvi!

Videos

The song presentation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAwK_3-Etpw&ap=%2526fmt%3D18&rel=0

The preview video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uEzkf4NJlg&ap=%2526fmt%3D18&rel=0

Regina with Izgledala je malo cudno: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fx3BuRI9eF0&ap=%2526fmt%3D18&rel=0

Regina with Sama: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoZ9S5WdP60&ap=%2526fmt%3D18&rel=0

Other parts of this series

1. France
2. Portugal
3. Romania
4. Denmark
5. Netherlands
6. Cyprus
7. Latvia
8. Ireland
9. Malta
10. Armenia
11. Germany
12. Serbia
13. Belgium
14. Greece
15. Croatia
16. Poland
17. Czech Republic
18. Iceland
19. Moldova
20. Switzerland
21. Slovenia
22. Andorra
23. Ukraine
24. Spain
25. Sweden
26. Montenegro
27. Finland
28. Lithuania
29. Russia
30. Turkey
31. Azerbaijan
32. Bulgaria
33. Belarus
34. Norway
35. Israel
36. Slovakia
37. United Kingdom
38. Hungary
39. Albania

Tomorrow, we will take a look at the entry from FYR Macedonia.

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