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Balkan region has had a chequered past, especially in last two decades. War and animosity has taken a heavy toll on countries situated in this region. Yet if there is one thing that has managed to bind the people together, then its music. What has proved to be its nemesis on political front has also turned out to be its most fascinating cultural strength. Yes, I am talking about different ethnic communities residing in the region. Whether it’s Croatia or Bosnia or Serbia, they all are laden with numerous ethnic groups and have their own rich musical tradition. Talking about Bosnian music, it smells of a unique flavor that is hard to find anywhere else. It’s a beautiful amalgamation of diverse cultures like Serbian, Croatian, Greek and Turkish. European music has played its own part in evolution of Bosnian music.
Bosnian songs display a great inclination towards emotions and no other form shows it better than Sevdalinka. It’s basically a traditional song that borders on culture of folk music. One can find an eclectic mix of emotion in Sevdalinka. Emotions like, love, pain, longing, sadness, separation and melancholy are amazingly expressed in these folk songs. It has been greatly influenced by Turkish music that has its own class. Instruments like guitar, clarinets, saz, violins, snare drums and upright bass are used in Sevdalinka.
The country has produced singers of great repute in this form of music. Famous among them are, Muhamed Mesanovic-Hamic, Emina Ahmedhodzic, Kadir Kurtagic and Hasim Muharemovic. These singers were considered as the golden class of Sevdalinka. Even today, artists like Zaim Imamovic, Himzo Polovina, Hanka Paldum, and Safet Isovic have kept the tradition alive. Apart from ethereal Sevdalinka, other genres like rock and hip-hop have also made a great entry in the country. There are good numbers of popular rock bands in the country like Plavi orkestar, Indexi, Zabranjeno pušenje, Divlje jagode, Bijelo dugme, Crvena jabuka and Hari Mata etc.
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