Amira Medunjanin

AMIRA was born in Sarajevo at the time when the popularity of traditional music in the former Yugoslavia was at the high tide, and sevdah held a special place for her. The sevdalinke (sevdah songs) she learned from her mother were the most beautiful of songs. Her fascination with the oral tradition of Bosnia and Herzegovina led her to devote herself to creating a unique voice within sevdah to explore its expressive capacity to the full. She had spent years searching in vain for to find people who shared her ideas about sevdah, and for the best way to present it.

Dubbed "Bosnia's Billie Holiday" by music journalist and author Garth Cartwright, the comparison reflects the way in which Amira turns sevdah inside out, finding new contexts and forms within a tradition that is hundreds of years old.

After guesting on Mostar Sevdah Reunion's album A Secret Gate in 2003, Amira recorded her debut album, Rosa, (Snail Records, 2005), which garnered great reviews in the UK and across Europe, featuring in several "Album of the Year" lists.
In April 2009 Amira released Live album, a recording of a concert held at the Jazz Fest Sarajevo in 2008. At the same time, in April 2009, Amira released the album named Zumra. The album represents the innovative approach to the musical tradition of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Macedonia by fusing contemporary accordion and arrangements to the traditional melody, lyrics and vocal styling. Zumra was released in March 2010 by Harmonia Mundi / World Village. Album Amulette, has also been released by Harmonia Mundi / World Village on October 3rd 2011. Synergy that is achieved there is completely refreshing and it contributed to the development and popularization of two diametrically opposite musical genres. Unique musical style and virtuosity of Bojan Z set new boundaries and provided a unique stamp on the treatment of compositions that are hundreds of years old. Her latest album, Silk and Stone, has been released by Aquarius Records in May 2014.

Discography:

- A Secret Gate (2003 Connecting Cultures)
- Rosa (2005, Snail Records)
- Live (2008, Gramofon) @ Jazz Fest Sarajevo
- Zumra (2009, Harmonia Mundi/World Village)
- Amulette (2010, Harmonia Mundi/World Village)
- Silk and Stone (2014, Aquarius Records)
- Damar (2016, World Village)
- Ascending (2018, Croatia Records/Town Hill Colony)
- For Him and Her (2020, Croatia Records)

Dubbed "Bosnia's Billie Holiday" by music journalist and author Garth Cartwright, the comparison reflects the way in which Amira turns sevdah inside out, finding new contexts and forms within a tradition that is hundreds of years old.

After guesting on Mostar Sevdah Reunion's album A Secret Gate in 2003, Amira recorded her debut album, Rosa, (Snail Records, 2005), which garnered great reviews in the UK and across Europe, featuring in several "Album of the Year" lists.
In April 2009 Amira released Live album, a recording of a concert held at the Jazz Fest Sarajevo in 2008. At the same time, in April 2009, Amira released the album named Zumra. The album represents the innovative approach to the musical tradition of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Macedonia by fusing contemporary accordion and arrangements to the traditional melody, lyrics and vocal styling. Zumra was released in March 2010 by Harmonia Mundi / World Village. Album Amulette, has also been released by Harmonia Mundi / World Village on October 3rd 2011. Synergy that is achieved there is completely refreshing and it contributed to the development and popularization of two diametrically opposite musical genres. Unique musical style and virtuosity of Bojan Z set new boundaries and provided a unique stamp on the treatment of compositions that are hundreds of years old. Her latest album, Silk and Stone, has been released by Aquarius Records in May 2014.

SEVDAH

“It is not easy to find a single word in English that can stand for the Bosnian concept of sevdah, although yearning perhaps comes closest.
Like the Spanish duende, it carries multiple meanings – love, hopeless love, endless love, a desire that chills and fevers the lover like malaria, and like malaria can never be shaken off – but in the end, it’s a way of life, and a narrative that tells the story of itself.”

Kim Burton