Izvorišta 455: New sevdah (Igor Božanić, Vesna Pisarović...)
New sevdah. That’s what I've called this episode, in which I present two new sevdah albums by Igor Božanić and Vesna Pisarović. In addition to their music, I also played some older pieces by Damir Imamović, Amira Medunjanin, Dunjaluk, Božo Vrećo and Mostar Sevdah Reunion.
(you can also listen to this episode on Mixcloud, just click here)
Igor Božanić - Žega (Pop Depresija 2025.)
Sevdah Noir. This is how Igor Božanić, a young singer who has just released his second studio album entitled Žega, describes his musical style. With a mixture of some of his own songs, some well-known sevdalinkas, and some urban songs from Banja Luka, Božanić is positioning himself as an up-and-coming star. His outstanding vocals are accompanied by minimalist but effective orchestrations and production by brothers Srđan and Pavle Popov. Žega is an album that easily gets under your skin and stays there, and Igor Božanić is an artist we will be hearing a lot more from in the future.
Vesna Pisarović - Poravna (PDV Records 2025.)
The Croatian jazz and pop singer Vesna Pisarović has also ventured into sevdah. Her album Poravna is inspired by the sevdah style known as "poravna"," which is characterized by repetitive rhythms and long phrasing. Vesna surrounded herself with top international musicians such as Noël Akchoté, Tony Buck, Greg Cohen and Axel Dörner and recorded these 11 songs. Poravna is a meeting point between sevdah and subtly experimental jazz.
Tracklist:
Igor Božanić - Lijepa Meleća
Igor Božanić - Moj behare
Igor Božanić - Bosna
Igor Božanić - Izdangubih ruže trgajući (Lenhart Tapes Remix)
Dunjaluk - Kamen gori (Lenhart Tapes Remix)
Vesna Pisarović - Dunjaluče, golem ti si
Vesna Pisarović - Vrbas vodo, što se često mutiš
Vesna Pisarović - Zmaj prileti s Bodne na Dunavo
Damir Imamović - Osmane
Amira Medunjanin - Pjevat ćemo što nam srce zna
Božo Vrećo - Lejlija
Damir Imamović - Lijepi Meho
Keep reading/listening:
Best of May 2025.
Two thirds of June have already passed, so I guess it’s time for me to share the list of the best albums of May with you. I didn’t just want to include only albums that were released in May, but rather those I listened to the most during that month. Coincidentally, all 15 albums on this list were released in May, which says a lot about how musically ric…
Izvorišta 454: My Picks from 2025 (A small selection)
Catching up with two Substack posts in one day. This episode’s light on talk – just a handful of my favorite tracks from 2025. Hope you enjoy the ride!