Silk & Stone

Biography

Amira Medunjanin is a singer from Bosnia & Herzegovina, who records as Amira. Coming from Sarajevo, she's a performer in the sevdah tradition. Amira was born at a time when the popularity of traditional music in the former Yugoslavia was at high tide, and sevdah held a special place for her. For her, sevdalinke were the most beautiful of songs. Amira’s fascination with the beauties of the oral tradition of Bosnia and Herzegovina led her to devote herself to creating a special artistic languag...

Amira Medunjanin is a singer from Bosnia & Herzegovina, who records as Amira. Coming from Sarajevo, she's a performer in the sevdah tradition.

Amira was born at a time when the popularity of traditional music in the former Yugoslavia was at high tide, and sevdah held a special place for her.

For her, sevdalinke were the most beautiful of songs. Amira’s fascination with the beauties of the oral tradition of Bosnia and Herzegovina led her to devote herself to creating a special artistic language, a language which was not subject to new musical fashions, or compromised to fit existing models.

During the war Amira was working and performing with numerous artists in Sarajevo. In fact, she was a member of the Artist group established with aim to continue cultural development of BiH throughout the war. They had numerous performances, concerts and recordings in studios in Sarajevo.

In 1996 Amira focused her interest in traditional music of Balkans and her aim was to do more comprehensive research into the colorful culture of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In that period Amira performed with a choir on festivals and concerts all around Croatia.

1997-1998, Amira expanded her interest in music art. Based on knowledge and experience she has started with organisation, preparations and development of a new project that will present B&H traditional music on a world music scene. In the meantime she was supporting other artists and helping them to express themselves. Working with semi-professional groups of musicians and visiting places outside of BiH, Amira was presenting the culture of this region.

During these years, she has established very good contacts with various organisations and institutions in Germany, Croatia, Holland and England.

1998-2002, Amira started to develop the project born in 1996.

Amira's international debut was on the Mostar Sevdah Reunion's CD " A Secret Gate" with the song "Mujo Djogu Po Mejdanu Voda" in 2003.

In 2005, released her debut album, "Rosa", for Snail Records, run by Amsterdam-based expat Bosnian and producer Dragi Sestic. On that album, she was backed by Mostar Sevdah Reunion, a virtuosic ensemble who made a series of great albums with Sestic. "Rosa" was a welcome introduction to Amira’s clear, pitch-perfect voice.

She had to make all work with regard to record a CD with traditional songs from Former Yugoslavia, including writing project proposals, finding sponsors and publisher who will be interested in this kind of music.

Her solid knowledge of English language made it easier to present the ideas and thoughts.

Amira was lucky because she found friends among her future associates.

2002-2004, as a member of a band “Mostar Sevdah Reunion”, Amira performed on their latest CD “A Secret Gate” and joined them on several concerts in B&H.

In November - December 2003, Amira recorded her debut album “Rosa” where some of the MSR artists helped her finalize her project.

Amira's new album should appear soon, with the following songs:

Amira Medunjanin & Merima Ključo - Zumra


01. Kradem ti se (Aleksa Šantić / trad. iz BiH / aranž. M. Ključo)
02. Mujo... (M. Ključo)
03. ...kuje (trad. iz BiH / aranž. M. Ključo)
04. Sevdah (M. Ključo / bazirano na: Ni Bajrami više nisu kao što su nekad bili /M. Mulalić/)
05. Mehmeda majka budila (trad. iz BiH / aranž. M Ključo)
06. Kaleš bre Anđo (trad. iz Makedonije / aranž. M. Ključo)
07. Karanfil se na put sprema (trad. iz BiH / aranž. M. Ključo)
08. Gde si dušo, gde si rano (Branko Radičević / trad. iz Srbije / aranž. M. Ključo)
09. Simbil cveće (trad. iz Srbije / aranž. M. Ključo)
10. Zošto si me majko rodila (trad. iz Makedonije / aranž. M. Ključo)
11. Mito bekrijo (trad. iz Srbije / Radoslav Grajić / aranž. M. Ključo)
12. Bogata sam imam svega (Muhamed Mešanović Hamić)
13. Okreni se niz đul-bašču (trad. iz BiH / aranž. M. Ključo)
14. Jo hanino tu hanina (trad. iz BiH / Flory Jagoda / aranž. M. Ključo)



Hint:
Preuzeto sa www.amira.com.ba/
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