Divanhana

Echter'World Festival

Zavrzlama 

Melancholic Sevdah melodies and danceable Balkan rhythms. Traditional Balkan music in new arrangements: Divanhana from Sarajevo combine urban styles with the traditional sounds of the Balkans and bring the Sevdah to the world in all its beauty and diversity. The melodies merge with jazz, folk, modern classical and pop without losing their emotional power. With this mixture, Divanhana succeeds time and again in making the familiar sound new.

“The album ‘Zavrzlama’ The Covid-19 pandemic has punished Bosnians with a cruelty that hardly any other nation can imagine - the airborne virus forced a people who had already experienced the trauma of having to hide from an invisible enemy to isolate themselves once again, to hide, to not see their loved ones, to live in fear of what was ”out there"... How do artists deal with forced isolation? When you are Divanhana, Bosnia's leading sevdah band, you focus on creating beauty in the way you do best: by making music.

.

This is how this album came about, which was recorded in Slovenia in February 2020 - shortly before the outbreak of the pandemic - and then mixed in Sarajevo from May to June 2021. The months between recording and mixing, during which Sarajevo once again suffered in silence, provided space for reflection and a renewed focus on what Divanhana wanted to express with their Sevdah. While the enforced isolation caused by the lockdown was a challenge for everyone, the members of Divanhana used 2020 as an opportunity to take a breath - as a band that tours regularly in Bosnia, Turkey, Western Europe and Canada, the pandemic-induced shutdown gave them more time at home than at any time in the last ten years. This has allowed them to reflect, take time to listen and work on ideas for new songs.

The members of Divanhana did this individually, using technology to stay in touch, share ideas, play music and engage with the opportunities that could arise when the world reopens. When the Bosnians were allowed to meet again, the members of Divanhana got back together and listened to what they had recorded in Slovenia. Had the enforced isolation caused the band to lose their passion for sharing Sevdah with the world? Not at all! Instead, Divanhana set about mixing their fourth album with renewed vigor, enthusiasm and drive. And what an album it turned out to be! I think it's fair to say that “Zavrzlama” is not only Divanhana's best work, but one of the greatest Sevdah albums of the post-war era." - Garth Cartwright

Duration: 90 min. without break

.

Location: Atrium