Damir Imamović, a prominent sevdah vocalist, has recently released a new single entitled “Osmane” from his upcoming album, The World and All That It Holds, which is set to be released on May 19th by Smithsonian Folkways. The album is produced by Joe Boyd, Andrea Goertler, and Jerry Boys, with whom Imamović had collaborated on his previous album, Singer of Tales. The World and All That It Holds is a creative collaboration between Imamović and Bosnian American novelist Aleksandar Hemon, resulting in an exceptional and innovative musical experience, enriched by literature.
“Osmane” is an emotional and intense sevdalinka song that Imamović wrote in response to reading Hemon’s epic tale. The song’s lyrics are poetic and evocative, with the opening verse describing the beginning of the Great War in Sarajevo. “Osmane” is a moving and mournful song of fatalistic emotion and devotion, depicting a forbidden and everlasting love between two men, Osman, a Muslim, and Pinto, a Sephardic Jew. The traditional songs of love and yearning for home are the means through which the two lovers communicate their shared joy and their longing for the city they left behind, Sarajevo.
Imamović describes sevdah as having “endless shades of sadness” and being a means to convert the longing for what is absent into the celebration of what is present. Hemon’s seemingly contradictory words provide us with a deeper understanding of the emotions at play in sevdah music. “Osmane” features Imamović on vocals and tambur, accompanied by highly skilled musicians Ivana Durić on violin, Ivan Mihajlović on bass, and Nenad Kovačić on percussion and backing vocals.
Imamović has been recording, performing, and touring sevdah music across national and international stages since 2006. He has received numerous awards and accolades, including the Songlines’ Best of Europe Award in 2021, the Best European World Music Album in the Transglobal World Music Chart in 2020, and the Best Traditional Music award by the German Record Critics’ Awards in 2020.
Buy Osmane.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.