A quite famous Italian rock band wrote, in the 90s, a whole album on the bosnian conflict. They recorded an impressive live concert in a cd entitled “La guerra, la terra” (the war, the earth), and the most touching song is indeed “Cupe vampe” (gloomy flames).

I watched them playing it in Banja Luka, but the public was expecting the typical italian melodic pop and were not prepared to this, so it wasn’t that successful. But I still listen to it in the nights spent driving through the Balkans, and sometimes it makes me cry.

You can find the video on youtube (I’d like to embed it here, but don’t know how): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fikgO8dkU6o

(code to embed:
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Here the lyrics in Italian and a translation I did in English:

di colpo si fa notte, s’incunea crudo il freddo
la città trema, livida trema,

brucia la biblioteca, i libri scritti e ricopiati a mano
che gli ebrei sefarditi portano a Sarajevo, in fuga dalla Spagna

s’alzano i roghi al cielo,
s’alzano i roghi in cupe vampe

brucia la biblioteca degli slavi del sud
europei dei balcani
bruciano i libri
possibili percorsi, le mappe, le memorie e l’aiuto degli altri

s’alzano i roghi al cielo,
s’alzano i roghi in cupe vampe

s’alzano gli occhi al cielo,
s’alzano i roghi in cupe vampe (2)

s’alzano i roghi al cielo,
s’alzano i roghi in cupe vampe

di colpo si fa notte, s’incunea crudo il freddo
la città trema, come creatura.

cupe vampe, livide stanze
occhio al cecchino
etnico assassino

alto il sole, sete e sudore
piena la luna, nessuna fortuna
ci fotte la guerra che armi non ha
ci fotte la pace che ammazza qua e la’
ci fottono i preti, i pope e i mullah
l’ONU, la NATO, la civilta’

bella la vita dentro un catino
bersaglio mobile di ogni cecchino
bella la vita a Sarajevo citta’
questa e’ la favola della vilta’
——————————————-

suddendly the night comes, a biting cold roughly pierces through
the town thrills, grey, thrills,

the library is burning, the handwritten and copied books
the sefardites jews carried to Sarajevo, fleeing Spain

blazes raise to the sky,
blazes raise in gloomy flames.

it is burning the library of the southern slavs,
europeans of the balkans
the books are burning
potential paths, roadmaps, memories, and the help of the others

blazes raise to the sky,
blazes raise in gloomy flames

eyes raise to the sky,
blazes raise in gloomy flames (2)

blazes raise to the sky,
blazes raise in gloomy flames.

suddendly the night comes, a biting cold roughly pierces through
the town thrills, like a living being

gloomy flames, grey rooms,
beware of the sniper
ethnic murder

high up the sun, thirst and sweat
full moon, no luck
we’re fucked by the war, which doesn’t use weapons
we’re fucked by the peace, which kills here and there
we’re fucked by priests, popes and mullahs
by the UN, the NATO, the civilisation

beautiful life inside a basin
mobile target of every sniper
beautiful life in Sarajevo town
this is the fairy of vileness