Music is not a magical tool that can be used in isolation to ensure the construction of lasting peace and reconciliation. However, if utilized correctly as a medium, it can provide an excellent means of facilitating dialogue that enables conflict to be discussed in an artistic setting.
Zoster was born in Mostar, but it exudes a world sound. They are a band who has had a rather successful path after being founded at the beginning of this decade by Mario Knezović and Dražan Planinić.
Sixteen years ago, Sarajevo singer-songwriter Maja Milinković first heard Portuguese fado (meaning ʻfateʼ in Portuguese). She has since become a pioneer, along with her ensemble, in introducing this musical genre to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Merging it with the traditional Bosnian sevdah/sevdalinka genre, Milinković has managed to combine different rhythms and meditative character into one.
We know Sanela Halilović, "Sassja," as the lady of the Bosnian rap scene, with a recognizable voice and attitude. In her private life, she is first of all a mother, then a graduate with a master’s in pharmacy, and a workaholic. She is someone who has a lot of energy and is constantly looking for positivity around her.
Sevdalinka (also known as sevdah) is the folk musical expression of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The word sevdalinka comes from the Arabic word sawda which means ‘black bile’ – one of the four bodily ‘humors’, which was believed to determine the melancholic state.
While Jelena Milušić caresses the specific counter-alto with her voice, one of the world's most famous accordionists, Merima Ključo, accompanies Jelena on the accordion. They have both chosen music as their vocation and call their collaboration destiny.