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Lejla Piljević Kezo: I can’t imagine life without the violin

Lejla Piljević Kezo is one of the best BiH violinists. This instrument has been an inseparable part of her life and professional path for 30 years. She has been a member of the Sarajevo Philharmonic since the age of 18, the local audience knows her through performances with the band NOBS, and she has collaborated with many well-known singers.

She did a fantastic house version of the sevdalinka “Cudna jada od Mostara grada”, which delighted the audience, and she played a part in the promotional video of Bosnia and Herzegovina made by BiH adventurer and travel writer Robert Dacešin.

Collection of violins

– I started playing as a girl. I was five or six when I played my first notes on the violin. At the time, it all seemed like child’s play, but very quickly during my growing up and education, I decided that it would be my profession. Playing an instrument requires a lot of practice and sacrifice, but I don’t regret it for a moment because I really love my job. I can’t imagine my life without the violin. Of course, many private and business obligations come with age, but the violin is always present in my life – says the 36-year-old violinist.

She is grateful to the man who was her mentor through musical education and who influenced her musical opus, as well as her pedagogical work.

– That is Professor Dejan Mihajlović. Unfortunately, he is no longer among the living, but his works will surely be passed on to many more generations of quality violinists – she points out.

She has several violins in her private collection, and each of them has a special meaning in her musical life.

– I have both acoustic and electric violins. They all marked some period of my career, so I couldn’t decide which is my favorite – says Lejla.

She also referred to her work with the Sarajevo Philharmonic and her collaboration with stars.

– The Sarajevo Philharmonic is a high-quality collective of top professionals and good friends, so even demanding musical works and concerts are not an obstacle when you work in such an environment. It is important to me that the person I work with, in addition to knowledge, also has good human qualities. I was lucky to collaborate with many singers. If I have to choose, I would single out Halid Bešlić, Željko Bebek, Duško Kuliš… – says this excellent violinist.

Free time

In popular gathering places, the audience has the opportunity to listen to her at the performances of the band NOBS, and she revealed to us what is new in the work of this band.

– NOBS (no ordinary balkan sound) is a band with a really wide repertoire. All musicians are great professionals, so we adapt the performance to the audience. If you’ve been in this business for a long time, you can evaluate what the audience wants to hear at a given moment. The band consists of vocals, drums, bass guitar, guitar, keyboards, accordion and, of course, violin. A month ago, we released our first song “Sto života”, and in the coming period you can expect many more surprises – she adds.

We were also interested in what music she listens to in his free time, and how she manages to balance her business and private life.

– Depending on my mood, I listen to all kinds of music. It is important to me that it is a quality composition, regardless of the genre. In each track I try to find inspiration for some of my performances. When it comes to responsibilities, I really have a lot of them and I don’t know how I would achieve them all if I didn’t have the enormous support and help of my family. I try to spend every free moment with them – says Lejla.