The Federal Ministry of Culture and Sports continued today with the “European Heritage Days” programme on the Obala Maka Dizdara promenade, under the topic “Sevdalinka”.
“I can say that I am happy that we are continuing with our events. Special thanks to the media representatives who clearly recognized the importance of what we have been doing,” Minister Sanja Vlaisavljević said at the beginning of today’s event.
“On behalf of all employees, I want to thank you for supporting what we do every Wednesday. Today we will enjoy the traditional sevdalinka, the original song coming from the soul of the Bosnian people,” said the Advisor to the Minister, Damir Bunoza.
Azra Lojo-Hajro, Head of the Scientific-Research Department of the Institute for the Protection of Monuments, commented on the important jubilee that is being celebrated this year: “The whole year is dedicated to intangible heritage under the “Living Heritage” motto. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The celebration lasts the whole year, and the Federal Ministry of Culture and Sports has been marking this jubilee since September, when we started implementing the “European Heritage Days”, but in a completely different concept, which we can really be proud of”.
Sevdalinka was sung and played today on the promenade by members of the “Sevdah” Foundation: Damir Galijašević on harmonica, Senad Kačar on guitar, Namir Mašić on saz, and vocalists Elmedina Laličić and Safet Bučo.
The “Sevdah” Foundation is an organization that deals with the preservation and affirmation of sevdah and sevdalinka as a spiritual recognition of Bosnian life, and its main goal is to nurture the spirit of Bosnia and Herzegovina in musical art, with a special emphasis on sevdalinka.
A ten-year-old talented boy, Ahmed Nur Mehmetović, also participated in the programme by reciting the song titled “The Sun of Someone Else’s Sky”.