Music Around the World: Bosnia and Herzegovina

This week, our Musical World Tour stops in the southeastern European country of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Known for its rich history, ethnic & religious diversity, and stunning landscapes, this nation also has a rich and diverse music scene. Here's the info dump as we get ready to see what's going on:

-Capital City: Sarajevo

-Official Languages: N/a

-Government: Federal parliamentary directorial republic, currently under the leadership of High Representative Christian Schmidt, Chairman of the Presidency Željko Komšić, Members of the Presidency Denis Bećirović & Željka Cvijanović, & Chairwoman of the Councilmembers Borjana Krišto

-Bosnia was founded in the 9th century AD; became the Kingdom of Bosnia in 1377; was conquered by the Ottomans in 1463; conquered by the Austro-Hungarians in 1878; absorbed in the creation of Yugoslavia in 1918; and declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1992.

-Land Area: 19,772 square miles (125th largest nation in the world, with 1.4% of its area being water)

-Population: 2,904,296 estimated as of 2023 (137th most populous nation in the world)

-Religion: 51.3% Islamic, 30.7% Eastern Orthodox, 15.4% Catholic, 2.6% other religious affiliation

-Drive on the right side of the road

Bosnian music has been heavily influenced by the cultures that have occupied there, so it's a bit of a melting pot like many other Balkan countries. Traditional instruments include the droneless bagpipe, wooden flute, šargija (lute-like instrument), and gusle (bowed, single-stringed instrument). Bosnian root music is still a prominent genre, as are classical, rock, metal, and electronic music. Let's see what we've got to check out today!

Hacker Girl by Billain (written by A. Kutkut)

Adis Kutkut, known by his stage name Billain, is a Bosnian is a Bosnian drum & bass/neurofunk producer and DJ. Born in 1983 in Sarajevo, he started experimenting with art and music during the Siege of Sarajevo between 1992-1996. He's released three studio albums since 2019 and also was a sound designer on the 2018 film Pacific Rim Uprising (starring John Boyega & Scott Eastwood). Hacker Girl is featured on his new album Assembly I. I think this is a pretty good electronic song, but that's coming from me who doesn't know a huge amount about that genre so take it with a grain of salt. Give it a listen, EDM fans, and see what you think.

Bomba by Edo Maajka (written by Oneya, E. Osmić)

Edin Osmić, known by his stage name Edo Maajka, is a Bosnian hip hop rapper and producer. Born in 1978 in Brčko (about 111 miles northeast of Sarajevo), he's had a popular music career both as a solo artist and with his group Disciplinska Komisija. He's released seven solo studio albums since 2002. Bomba (Bomb in English) is featured on his 2006 album Stig'O Ćumur. I actually enjoyed this one more than I thought I would and think it's a good example of mid-00s hip hop. A rough translation of the original Bosnian lyrics is below.

She is beautiful, young, everyone wants to see her/It is really good, but it is expensive to maintain/Spend God the Father, I'm bankrupt like Bosnia/We rarely go out, because of her I work two jobs/But it's worth putting a million on it/Because when we walk at rush hour, me and the plane next to me/And everyone turns to follow us, I'm fucking that, brother/She eats in a restaurant, I eat at home/There is ajvar that the old woman brings me/There's cream, cheese, I have five eggs./She would buy expensive watches, the kind Pukanić has/She would like new boots and she already has ten of them/She would go to Kitzbühel, Emperor, when winter comes/He says he is afraid there are wolves in Jahorina/She would drink coffee, sir, all day/Never soap, detergent, to wash the apartment/At the end of the day, she would Papaya and Piranha/He wants me to cum inside her and he doesn't want to be a mom/Nothing cooking, sarma, diapers and baby/He will marry, he says, after thirty-five/She is the bomb/She is the bomb/She is the bomb/She's the bomb, okay

Snijeg Pade Na Behar, Na Voce by Mostar Sevdah Reunion (written by Mostar Sevdah Reunion)

Mostara Sevdah Reunion is a Bosnian world fusion group. Formed in 1998 in Mostar (about 77 miles southwest of Sarajevo), they predominately perform sevdalinka, which is a form of Bosnian folk music, fused with contemporary music. Their current lineup includes Mišo Petrović (lead guitar), Sandi Duraković (guitar), Antonija Batinić (vocals), Marko Jakovljević (bass guitar), Gabrijel Prusina (piano), Senad Trnovac (drums), and Vanja Radoja (violin). They've released twelve studio albums since 1999. Snijeg Pade Na Behar, Na Voce (Snow Is Falling On Blossoms and Fruits in English) is featured on their 1999 album Mostar Sevdah Reunion. This was a cool folk number that I enjoyed. I couldn't find a good transcription of the lyrics but definitely check this out.

Intermeco by National Anthems of the World Orchestra (written by D. Šestić)

Intermeco (Intermezzo in English, or I guess Italian?) is the national anthem of the country of Bosnia and Herzegovina. With music composed by Bosnian-Serb composer & musician Dušan Šestić, it was adopted as the national anthem in 1999 and has no official lyrics written for it. It is a beautiful piece of orchestsral music even without "official" lyrics. It's also one of the very few national anthems to be protected under copyright law.

Prelude en The Children street rhapsody by Nihad Hrustanbegovic (written by N. Hrustanbegovic)

Nihad Hrustanbegovic is a Bosnian composer and musician. Born in 1973 in Bijeljina (about 118 miles northeast of Sarajevo), he also is one of the most successful accordianists in Bosnia and The Netherlands as well as a proficient pianist. He's released seven studio albums since 2007. Prelude en The Children street rhapsody is featured on his 2010 album Opus 7 "The Cross-over". This instrumental piece was honestly awesome and I highly recommend you check it out.

Munja I Grom by Vukašin Brajić (written by M. Vukovic)

Vukašin Brajić is a Bosnian pop/rock singer and teacher. Born in 1984 in Sanski Most (around 157 miles northwest of Sarajevo), he came in second place in Yugoslavia's first season of their version of Star Academy (kind of like American Idol) in 2009. He's released several singles since 2010 both solo and in the group Operacij Trijumpf, and represented Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2010's Eurovision. Munja I Grom (Thunder & Lightning in English) was his contribution to Eurovision that year and released as a single in 2021. This was pretty standard pop, and makes a lot of sense as a Eurovision song. It's fun, especially for those who really enjoy that style of pop. I couldn't find a good English translation of the lyrics, but check this one out for yourself.

I hope you found some really neat music from this beautiful country today. Happy listening, and see ya'll next week!