Sarajevo’s Sevdalinka Fest starts

SARAJEVO - Anatolia News Agency

Sarajevo Philharmonic string quartet Adora took stage at the opening. AA photo

The festival, on the theme of Sevdalinka, the traditional folk music of Bosnia, has opened in the capital city of Bosnia Herzegovina, Sarajevo.

The opening ceremony of the festival, in its third edition this year, was held in Pivnica in Sarajevo. The Sarajevo Philharmonic string quartet Adora took the stage for the opening of the festival. Many Sevdalinka artists, musicians, politicians and guests attended the opening.

Lamiya Haciç, spokeswoman for the festival, said that they believed that this festival, which has become a tradition, would be held for long years in the future. “The general aim of the Sarajevo Sevdalinka Festival is to protect the traditional Bosnian folk song Sevdalinka. Sevdalinka is a story about everyone in Bosnia Herzegovina,” added Haciç.

The famous Sarajevo Sevdalinka artist Amira Medunjanin said that she was very happy that there was a festival to introduce Sevdalinka in Bosnia Herzegovina. She added that there were many guests attending the festival every year. Medunhanin, who is going to take the stage in the festival also added, “Sevdalinka is a life style for me. This is something that helps people to become better.”

There are also nine different artists from Europe at the festival, who will appear alongside the Bosnian artists Amira Medunhanin, Mariya Şestiç, Divanhana and Mostar Sevdah Reunion.