In review--Bosnian Love Songs
Amira & Merima Kljuco Zumra World Village I’ve not heard much Bosnian music except for perhaps the Balkan repertoire covered by Greek vocalist-interpreter Savina Yannatou. Bosnian vocalist Amira (Medunjanin) and her musical partner, accordionist Merima Kljuco show us the lushness of two instruments combined and all the various harmonics and nuances coaxed from a human voice box and a squeezebox. The liner notes tell us that the songs performed by this duo have been passed down from one Bosnian generation to the next, but on Zumra have been transformed into more contemporary-sounding traditional fare in the skillful hands of these musicians. I’m not at liberty to make any comparisons since I’ve not heard the original songs. What I will say is that after several listens of this miraculous recording, my heart has risen and fallen along with Amira’s vocals and felt tension building and releasing along with Kljuco’s accordion. Both musicians have great command over thei...