Azra Kolaković (1 January 1977 – 2 October 2017), known by her stage name Donna Ares, was a Bosnian singer, songwriter, writer and pianist. She is considered the most talented Bosnian artist who wrote both music and lyrics for her songs, and was also involved in graphic design. She released a total of 6 studio albums and a book about the fight against cancer. She died at age 40 following a three-year long battle with

uterine cancer Uterine cancer, also known as womb cancer, includes two types of cancer that develop from the tissues of the uterus. Endometrial cancer forms from the lining of the uterus, and uterine sarcoma forms from the muscles or support tissue of the ute ...

Early life

Azra Kolaković was born in the northwestern

Bosnia Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...

n city of

Bihać Bihać is a city and the administrative centre of Una-Sana Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated on the banks of river Una (Sava), Una in northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina, in th ...

to Muslim and ethnically

Bosniak The Bosniaks (, Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Бошњаци, ; , ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to the Southeast European historical region of Bosnia (region), Bosnia, today part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and who sha ...

parents Osman and Ajka. She attended local music schools and graduated in 1995, during the

Bosnian War The Bosnian War ( / Рат у Босни и Херцеговини) was an international armed conflict that took place in Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. Following several earlier violent incid ...

. She started attending a music academy, but stopped due to the ongoing war in the country. In 1997 she started her solo singing career, under her stage name Donna Ares. She competed in the Croatian Dora competition to represent

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

in the

Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), often known simply as Eurovision, is an international Music competition, song competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) among its members since 1956. Each participating broadcaster ...

Illness and death

Kolaković had been

fatigue Fatigue is a state of tiredness (which is not sleepiness), exhaustion or loss of energy. It is a signs and symptoms, symptom of any of various diseases; it is not a disease in itself. Fatigue (in the medical sense) is sometimes associated wit ...

d and losing weight for months before being hospitalized in early October 2014. She was diagnosed with

She died at age 40 of the illness in her hometown on 2 October 2017, while in a coma. She was buried two days later next to her father who had died in 2006.

Discography

Studio albums

*''

Ti me više ne voliš ''Ti me više ne voliš'' (''You Don't Love Me Anymore'') is the debut studio album by Bosnian pop singer Donna Ares Azra Kolaković (1 January 1977 – 2 October 2017), known by her stage name Donna Ares, was a Bosnian singer, songwriter, writ ...

'' (1998) *''Čuvaj se dušo, ja sam tatin sin'' (2002) *''

Jackpot Jackpot or Jackpot! may refer to: Comics * Jackpot (character), a series of three Marvel Comics superheroes * ''Jackpot'' (British comics), a 1979–1982 British comic book * ''Jackpot Comics'', a 1941 American comic book from MLJ Publications ...

'' (2004) *'' Nemam razloga za strah'' (2006) *'' Fantastična'' (2009) *'' Povratka nema'' (2011)

Remix and live albums

*''Live Mix I'' (2000) *''Live Mix II'' (2001) *''Live Mix III'' (2003)

Compilation albums

*''The Best Of Donna Ares (Nemoj da pogađam)'' (2003) *''Mega mix'' (2003) *''Best Of Donna Ares (To mi nije trebalo)'' (2006) *''Deset godina sa vama (Live)'' (2007) *''The Best Of Donna Ares (Želim da te gledam)'' (2010)

Other works

She is author of her autobiography book entitled ''Soba za nikoga'' (lit. 'Room for Nobody'), published in 2015 by

Buybook Buybook is a Bosnian Publishing company, publishing and bookstore company based in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Established on December 26, 1996, by authors Goran Samardžić and Damir Uzunović, Buybook quickly established itself as a signifi ...

; in the illustrated book, she confession-talks her disease, hospital days and remission recovery.

References

External links

*
2015 interview
for Maxmagazin.ba 1977 births 2017 deaths Musicians from Bihać 21st-century Bosnia and Herzegovina women singers Bosnia and Herzegovina folk-pop singers Hayat Production artists Grand Production artists BN Music artists Bosniaks of Bosnia and Herzegovina Deaths from uterine cancer Deaths from cancer in Bosnia and Herzegovina 20th-century Bosnia and Herzegovina women singers {{BosniaHerzegovina-singer-stub