Sevdalinka

Bosnian Musical Poetry

Today we will discuss Sevdalinka, which hails from the country now called Bosnia and Herzegovina. Although the music is ancient, the country is not. At least not by the name it is currently called. The history of this region is quite complex, so before we begin discussing the music, I will provide a short history of the region to better explain the influences that have taken place on this culture and of course, the music.

History of Bosnia

The South Slavic peoples have lived in the Balkan region since the 6th Century. Many of them lived in the region currently called Bosnia and Herzegovina. This territory was often caught in battles over territory with the Kingdom of Hungary and the Byzantine Empire, only for the Kingdom of Bosnia to later fall into the hands of the Ottoman Empire.

Significant changes to the population occurred during this occupation, including the conversion of the people to Islam. Two-thirds of the population identified as Muslim by the early 1600s. The Ottoman rule e…