Sevdah is traditional Bosnian folk music. Sevdah songs are very elaborate, emotionally charged and are traditionally sung with passion and fervor. Most common themes are love, pain and life. The singer will often impose the rhythm and tempo of the song, both of which can vary thoughout the song.

The songs are usually led by either a female or male vocalist and the music revolves around them. The main instruments include accordion (the most prominent), violin, nylon-string guitars (occasionally), clarinet (occasionally), upright bass and snare drum. In between the verses, an accordion or violin solo can almost always be heard.

History

The origins of sevdah are not known for certain, though it is known to date from sometime after the arrival of the Turks in medieval Bosnia. The word itself may come from the Arabic sevdah (meaning ecstacy, desire or love), which at one point was used by doctors to describe black gall , a substance purported to control human feelings and emotions [1].