Amulette

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Product description Amira was born in Sarajevo and sings Sevdah - the distinctive Bosnian singing style best translated as "Yearning" and similar to the Portuguese Duende. This album represents an innovative approach to the musical tradition of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Macedonia by fusing contemporary accordion and arrangements to the traditional melody, lyrics and vocal styling Review Right now, Amira is simply one of Europe s most spellbinding vocalists. --Ken Hunt, fRoots October 2011Amira Medunjanin better known by her stage name Amira is one of Europe's finest and most soulful singers. Born in Sarajevo, she is one of the greatest exponents of Bosnian sevdah, a mostly slow, sad and passionate style that is the Balkan answer to the blues or Cape Verdean morna; no surprise then that she has already been compared to Billie Holiday and Cesaria Evora. This new set certainly proves she has the potential to become a global success, and also that she is willing to experiment. In the past, she has been backed by a band, the Mostar Sevdah Reunion, and by accordion, but here she is joined by a jazz trio, led by pianist Bojan Z. The songs are all traditional, mostly from Bosnia but also from Macedonia and Kosovo, and most are sad-edged love ballads, with just one stomping comic piece added in. Bojan often sounds desperate to break away to show off his rapid-fire jazz work, and there are adventurous sections where the piano and guitar solos contrast strongly with the vocals, or where echoing effects are added in. But Amira's exquisite, clear and pained singing holds the set together. **** four stars --The GuardianOne of those all too rare albums that should appeal to lovers of world music and jazz alike. The divine Bosnian Amira Medunjanin has been winning converts steadily over the past decade anyone who caught her recitals at St Ethelburga s Church, in the City of London, will have fallen for her. Her bold new venture finds her backed by a group led by the Serbian jazz pianist known as Bojan Z. If his own recordings can be bombastic, he cuts a much more discreet figure on settings of traditional Balkan songs that effortlessly incorporate downtown jazz harmonies. Amira sounds at ease; uncluttered production enhances the purity of her timbre. Superb. --Sunday TimesStylish Bosnian chanteuse Amira Medunjanin makes sevdah, the Sarajevo café blues, sound like the most languorous, meditative kind of show tune on this beautifully understated collaboration with Serbian jazz pianist Bojan Z. The songs here are all classics, a sort of Great Balkan Songbook, with her cool, creamy and surprisingly unoriental voice wringing many layers of feeling from their dark, bittersweet melodies. FOUR STARS --Daily TelegraphOne of those all too rare albums that should appeal to lovers of world music and jazz alike. The divine Bosnian Amira Medunjanin has been winning converts steadily over the past decade anyone who caught her recitals at St Ethelburga s Church, in the City of London, will have fallen for her. Her bold new venture finds her backed by a group led by the Serbian jazz pianist known as Bojan Z. If his own recordings can be bombastic, he cuts a much more discreet figure on settings of traditional Balkan songs that effortlessly incorporate downtown jazz harmonies. Amira sounds at ease; uncluttered production enhances the purity of her timbre. Superb. --Sunday TimesStylish Bosnian chanteuse Amira Medunjanin makes sevdah, the Sarajevo café blues, sound like the most languorous, meditative kind of show tune on this beautifully understated collaboration with Serbian jazz pianist Bojan Z. The songs here are all classics, a sort of Great Balkan Songbook, with her cool, creamy and surprisingly unoriental voice wringing many layers of feeling from their dark, bittersweet melodies. FOUR STARS --Daily TelegraphSarajevo-born Amira Medunjanin sings "sevdah", the urban folk music of Bosnia drawing on styles from Ottoman, Magyar, Roma, and Ladino sources. It's tinged with sadness, but is mostly to do with making love by moonlight. Dubbed "Bosnia's Billie Holiday", Amira has found new realms of expression in it. This sees her teaming up with pianist Bojan Z plus a small but expressive band, where the bass acts as ballast for Amira's breathy flights above. --The Independent on SundayStylish Bosnian chanteuse Amira Medunjanin makes sevdah, the Sarajevo café blues, sound like the most languorous, meditative kind of show tune on this beautifully understated collaboration with Serbian jazz pianist Bojan Z. The songs here are all classics, a sort of Great Balkan Songbook, with her cool, creamy and surprisingly unoriental voice wringing many layers of feeling from their dark, bittersweet melodies. FOUR STARS --Daily Telegraph Review: A wonderful wonderful album - It is criminal that there is only one, albeit excellent, review to date. For the uninitiated, sevdah is the Bosnian fado and Amira is, or should be, its Mariza. The Balkans have a wonderful musical tradition which has not been showcased to the world as much as it should be and it would be a huge shame if the introductory notes by Alexander Hemon or presence of Serbian-born but French-based jazz pianist Bojan Z, who oversees a reinterpretation of the music, do not provide greater exposure. Returning to Amira, she has a fantastic voice whose range, delivery and sheer emotion deserves comparison with Billie Holliday, Edith Piaf, Cesaria Evora and Mariza and a number of those who attended her concert in the intimate St Ethelburga's Centre earlier this year described it as one of, if not, the best they had ever attended. The music is a mix of traditional songs from Serbia, Macedonia and Bosnia. There are not literal translations by the lyrics but explanations which convey sufficient essence of the meaning even if the emotion were not sufficient. This is a rare event when no song is less than excellent and finding highlights is difficult but, if pushed, I would go for the Bosnian "Kafu mi draga ispeci" a song of spurning the love of an irresistible but unfaithful suitor, or the Macedonian "Jano Mori Jano Lele". Macedonian music, even by Balkan standards, has an incredibly haunting feel and Amira and Bojan Z weave a rich, slow-burning, spell of 7 plus minutes. In a world of so much compelling music spanning the divides of jazz, world, folk and more, rarely have I been compelled to recommend a release so much. Essential Review: Hauntingly beautiful - Once every so often you hear a voice: distinctive, captivating, thrilling, a voice that intrudes into your consciousness . Even without knowledge of the language, you want to know its meaning, its context, what its expressing. Amira Medunjanin's is such a voice. I knew little about this kind of singing, and nothing about Amira until I bought this CD. What a happy chance. I love its haunting sound, and the enticing mix of voice and instruments, especially the piano, subtle, expressive, never imposing. Listen to it.