Sevdalinka Music of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Possibly, the main characteristic and identifiable Bosnian music is the Sevdalinka which is a type of emotional, melancholic folk song that is often describes the sad as well as love and loss, the death of a dear person or the heart break. The Sevdalinkas were folk performed with a saz, a Turkish string instrument, which was later replaced by the accordion.

  

source of picture: www.hurriyetdailynews.com

However, the most modern arrangement to the scorn of some traditionalist, is a typically a vocalists joined by the accordion along with the snare drums, upright bass, guitar, clarinets and violins. The Savdalinkas are special to Bosnia and Herzegovina as they are not only a combination of Turkish and Bosnia music, especially the Muslims religious melodies called ilahije/nasheeds. Example of the song that is combining all the three influence are the Kad ja podoh na Benbasu, the unofficial anthem of the city of Sarajevo, and the Krajo Tanana Sadrvana. While it is not common as it once was, the traditional Sevdalinka singers like the Kadir Kurtagic, Emina Ahmehodzic, Hasim Muharemovic and Muhamed Mesanovic-Hamic are still famous to the extent that their recordings are available.

The most modern performers of the silvana Armenulic, Safet isovic, Himzo Polovina, Zaim Imamovic and Hanka Paldum have used the non -native instrument such as the accordion, clarinet, violin and guitar.