Damir Avdić alias Bosnian Psycho is everything in one: poet, guitarist, one-man band, actor, writer, playwright, thinker, singer-songwriter or even anti-singer-songwriter. Which begs the question, why did it take one hundred and sixty-seven episodes to feature him on Balkan Express? We have no idea. But it stops now.

To bill Damir Avdić as a musician is doing a great disservice to every other aspect of his work. But seeing as this here show is primarily intersted in music, this is what we're focusing on that. And at any rate, his music is integral, or at least complementary to his other works, as well.

Hailing from the Bosnian industrial town of Tuzla, it is no wonder that social issues are at the core of Avdić's poetic. But in this he takes no prisoners. He tells his stories from the viewpoint of Bosnia today, at the twilight of a modern world controlled by fake religion, commercialized revolution, and false democracy serving as a cover for capitalist brutality.

That said, it would be a mistake to interpret Avdić's works as some sort of a naive pining fort he supposedly glorious days of Yugoslavia. It is as much about paths abandoned as it is about paths never taken. And in his latest album, Damir Avdić is taking on the rest of the world, too.

Damir Avdić initially made a name for himself as a member of a Bosnian hardcore punk outfit Rupa u zidu / Hole in the wall. And punk remains the main modicum of Avdić's musical expression today, even though it just one of the many tools he uses to share his stories.

As a solo artist, Damir Avdić released as many as nine albums. His debut solo release, …od trnja i žaoka / of thorns and stingers came out two decades ago, while his latest, titled Mainstream Horror was released in 2022. He also penned five novels and contributed music to several theathre plays and motion pictures.

Today, Avdić's act is not simply a concert, it is a performance. He is a one man troupe, using his voice, his body, his stage presence and his considerable guitar skills, to impart a story onto the public. He is an activist performer, but not in-your-face. Sometimes despondent, often critical but always hopeful. And, regardless of the venue, he performs in Bosnian, because – and we quote – those who want to understand, will.

And that's all the time we have for today. Check out Damir Avdić on Bandcamp, Spotify and wherever you get your music from and Balkan Express will be back next week.

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Balkan Express brings you the latest and/or the greatest in music from the Balkans. On air every Tuesday at 11am on Ara City Radio, it is hosted by Aljaž aka @pengovsky who once did the world a solid and vowed never to sing again in public. Which is how he ended up doing radio.