Anabela

Anabela Atijas (Bukva; Анабела Атијас, Буква; born 26 January 1975), better known mononymously as Anabela is a Bosnian-Serbian singer and dancer.

She has two paternal half-sisters, Ilda and Aida (born 1985), who is an actress.

During winter break in late 1990, Anabela left Bosnia for Switzerland with her boyfriend, Nikola.

Shortly after they left, their home country Yugoslavia began breaking up and several wars started, including one in Bosnia.

Nikola returned to Bosnia, as his parents had been left behind.

He became one of the first victims of the war.

Anabela remained in Switzerland for a short period, and could not return to Bosnia because of border closures.

She had no family in Switzerland nor contact with family in Bosnia, so she decided to relocate to Belgrade.

Looking for a normal life, she gained some footing in Belgrade through the help of Nikola's family.

A refugee from Croatia hired Anabela to work as a secretary in his office.

After seeing a commercial advertising for the opening of the Đogani Dance School, she decided to sign up for dance classes.

Gazmen "Gagi" Đogani, a dance instructor at the Đogani Dance School, was attracted to Anabela and immediately offered to take her on a date.

Anabela described the relationship as an instant love.

The duo spent hours choreographing dances to Western songs by popular artists such as Bobby Brown, Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston.

She started her musical career in 1993 as a member of the Funky G.

Gagi decided to create an all-girl music group in 1993.

In 2009, she left the group and started a solo career.

The duo split, both professionally and privately, in 2009.

Anabela continued her career as a solo singer.

Montenegrin singer Nenad Knežević Knez and Serbian rapper Milan 011 wrote a song for the group, called Samo u snu.

Knez questioned Gagi's choice of having many different girls performing in the group, instead opting to have just Anabela perform.

Gagi agreed on a whim and asked Anabela to join his group, Funky G.

She released one studio album; Igra sudbine (2010) and several singles.

She experienced the greatest success in 2011 when she recorded the song "Beograd" with Elitni Odredi and DJ Shone.

Anabela Bukva was born in Goražde, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia to a Bosnian Muslim father Ahmed Bukva and Bosnian Serb mother Jadranka Polutak.

Her parents filed for divorce when she was three or four years old.

The divorce was finalized when she began first grade of primary school.

It was initially argued in court that Anabela would live with her father because her mother did not have the financial capabilities to care for Anabela.

The court did not favor this opinion, but could not make a decision.

Instead, the matter was given to Anabela to decide with whom she would live after the divorce.

Because of a strong connection with her father, Anabela chose to remain with her father.

Anabela describes herself and her father as being a "dream team"; they were inseparable.

She was immersed in music from an early age.

Her father would play the guitar for her, and the two would often sing duets together.

She grew up with her father's two half-brothers from her paternal grandfather's second marriage.

The older half-brother is four years older than Anabela, and the younger Anabela's age.

Because they were all close in age, Anabela viewed them as her brothers.

She was a self-described tomboy, and practiced karate.

She finished her primary education in Goražde, and decided to relocate to Sarajevo at the age of 13 for secondary education in foreign languages.

She lived in Sarajevo for two years, having moved between thirteen apartments during her short stay.