Sevdah. Dualismo e trasgressione di un genere musicale tradizionale

Sevdalinka is a musical genre whose name originates from the Turkish word sevda(h), denoting a passionate feeling often tinged with the melancholy of love. In recent decades, a new generation of Bosnian singers – including Damir Imamović (1978) and Božo Vrećo (1983) – has breathed new life into this traditional form, blending it with diverse styles and transforming it into a global musical phenomenon. The duality of sevdalinka has been rediscovered in the lyrics and in the ways male and female songs are interpreted, often breaking away from strict gender norms and opening up a space of freedom for these new generations of musicians. Vrećo’s aesthetic and musical transgression is both fluid and dual, while Imamović, in addition to being a prominent advocate of sevdah, actively promotes gender tolerance in the public sphere. By examining their life paths and artistic evolution, this analysis seeks to explore the role of sevdah in revaluing musical tradition within social contexts that, in part, still adhere to old conventions and norms.