The star student with an agonising secret

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As an undocumented immigrant to the US from the Dominican Republic, Dan-el Padilla Peralta found himself living in a homeless shelter with his mother and brother. One day he found a book on Roman and Greek history which sparked his interest and imagination. It set him on course for a life of scholarship and academic success, and Dan-el is now a Professor of Classics at the prestigious Princeton University. He spoke to Jo Fidgen. During the siege of Sarajevo in the 1990s, Amira Medunjanin would sing traditional Bosnian Sevdalinke songs for her neighbours while they hid from the shelling. She’s now one of the country’s biggest stars and credited with keeping the traditional music alive for a modern audience. Meanwhile Camil Metiljevic does his own bit – he is the last man in the city to make the Saz, a traditional instrument at the heart of the musical tradition. Outlook’s Mariana Des Forges went to Sarajevo to meet them both. Photo: Dan-el Padilla Peralta reading as a child in a homeless shelter. Credit: Jeff Cowen