You’re Invited: Love songs for a cause

by Dzenita Mehic Saracevic

Do you love music? Are you open to something new and different, and filled with emotion, wisdom, honesty, sensuality and depth? If so, I would like to invite you to the concert of Merima Kljuco and Jelena Milusic, two extraordinary Bosnian and Herzegovinian artists who will be performing love songs from around the world on Sunday, Oct 27th at the Sidwell Friends Middle School.

The concert is organized by the women’s volunteer non-profit organization BHeart. Most of the Forest Hills neighbors who know me are aware of my passionate engagement with BHeart as one of its founding members. BHeart is special in focusing on issues such as children, education, families, arts and peace. Members of the organization, diaspora women from Bosnia and Hersegovina empowered by their life in this country, have realized how important their activism could be for both their community here and in their homelands. In fact, some of my Forest Hills neighbors were my inspiration, my role-models and a great source of support for this important work, and I will always be grateful to Jessica, Jane, Karin, Kate, Denise, Carol, Marlene, Patricia, Mary Beth…

In the last seven years of BHeart’s existence, we have helped children with special needs, supported women victims of war violence and collected funds for Roma children, especially girls – thus fulfilling a part of our mission to help disadvantaged women and youth in Bosnia and Herzegovina. About four years ago, we established an inclusive Bosnian-Herzegovinian School of Language and Cultural Heritage that takes all students, both children and adults, regardless of their origin.

We believe that by promoting Bosnian and Herzegovinian art and culture in the U.S., we can create a beautiful bridge between the countries so that is also what we do. We are a small organization, but persistent in effecting a positive change in the world so even the artists that we pick to promote are on a mission of spreading peaceful messages and courageously working for progressive causes. It would be lovely if you could come to our concert on Oct 27th so we could share with you Merima’s and Jelena’s imaginative music story about love and life, and more.

Details: The concert is at 5 p.m. on Sunday, October 27th at Sidwell Friends School (3825 Wisconsin Avenue) Tickets are $39 and must be purchased in advance. A portion of the proceeds will benefit BHeart’s programs.

Free parking is available on site. The garage entrance is at 3845 Wisconsin Avenue, at the corner of Wisconsin and Rodman Street. Look for signs and volunteers directing you to the Middle School Drama Studio.