SARAJEVO, June 19 (Reuters) – When Bosnian band Dubioza Kolektiv released “U.S.A.” back in 2011, they never imagined their satirical song about leaving Bosnia for a better life in America would become their nation’s unofficial soccer anthem 15 years later.
The song captured the disillusionment of young people who had hoped for a better life abroad. Its catchy chorus – “I am from Bosnia, take me to America” – reflected a tongue-in-cheek take on migration and the “American dream”.
The song took on a new life this year when the soccer team’s shock playoff win over Italy sent them to the World Cup for only the second time since independence, bringing joy to a nation still suffering the effects of devastating war in the 1990s.
Dubioza Kolektiv updated the lyrics to celebrate Bosnia’s journey to this month’s tournament, where they have drawn one and lost one game so far in Group B.
They also released a new music video filmed in one of Sarajevo’s neighbourhoods, turning a song about leaving home into a rallying cry for national pride.
The video has been seen millions of times on YouTube.
(Reporting by Anna Lubowicka and Daria Sito-Sucic; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
