Dvojka

Born in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo, Damir Imamović is one of the leading names in the country's dynamic new sevdah scene. His father and grandfather were both highly respected exponents of this beautiful, if often melancholy, song form. The opener, ‘Sarajevo’, is an original number about his home city and those who’ve left their marks on it, both good and bad. The Serbs besieged the city for four years in the 1990s during the Bosnian War, but the song suggests that with history it's difficult to know who did good and who did bad.

Imamović gave a WOMEX showcase in Budapest last year and in November opened an exhibition in the Sarajevo Art Gallery called Sevdah, the Art of Freedom. Aside from four original numbers, songs on the album come from libraries and collections showing the depth of Imamović's sources. Alongside historical and haunting love songs there are sprightly dance-like tunes driven by goblet drum and hand percussion – ‘Who is that Sweet Girl?’ for example. His small ensemble is made up of him accompanying himself on tanbur, idiomatic violin, electric bass and percussion. A name to watch.