An Evening of Sevdah: Love Songs of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Last Saturday we attended a very spirited performance of traditional Bosnian love songs known as sevdalinke (songs of sevdah or love) at Seattle's Town Hall. My paternal grandfather is originally from Bosnia so I remember many of these beautiful melodies from my childhood and hearing them again brought back countless memories. Sevdalinke have elaborate harmonies, are emotionally charged and traditionally sung with passion and fervor. Their roots reach back to the times of the Ottoman Empire rule in the Balkans, beginning in the 16th century, and a combination of Ottoman, Sephardic and Slavic influences make them stand out among other types of folk music from the Balkans.

A particularly beautiful one is Emina (based on a famous poem by Aleksa Šantić) performed by a legendary singer Himzo Polovina. For a taste of modern interpretations of sevdah listen to a performance of Čudna jada od Mostara grada (Strange pain in the city of Mostar) by Mostar Sevdah Reunion or one of my favorites, Žute dunje (Yellow quinces) performed by legendary Yugoslav rock band Indexi.