SevdahLab with Damir Imamović: Introduction to sevdah (ONLINE WORKSHOP)

Online workshop for vocalists & instrumentalists 

Dates: March 13-21st 2021 (Two weekend workshop in four 3 hour sessions: on March 13th, 14th, 20th & 21st, 16:00-19:00CET) 

Language: English

Where: Zoom platform (link will be provided for participants; all sessions will be recorded and available to participants for further study) 

Participants’ level: any (with basic knowledge of music)

Participation fee: 120EUR (60EUR for students)

Sign up before March 8th via info@damirimamovic.com (with basic information on you and your musical ability)

On sevdah:
Origins of the poetic/musical genre of Sevdah (Turkish: love, melancholy) can be traced in South Slavic balladry that historically accommodated influences of Ottoman music sphere. Sevdah is sung in local South Slavic vernacular. Its musical side includes traces of makam tradition as well as melodies, rhythms and harmonies of diverse origin.

On Damir Imamović: 
Damir Imamović is a representative of a new generation of sevdah performers. His work encompasses projects with Greg Cohen, Derya Türkan, Chris Eckman, Joe Boyd, Bojan Z, Eric Vloeimans, Jadranka Stojaković, Vlatko Stefanovski, as well as his own critically acclaimed albums such as „Abrašević Live“, „Damir Imamović“ (Gramofon), „Dvojka“ (Glitterbeat Records), „Singer of Tales“ (Wrasse Records). Damir's work has been featured in Songlines, The Huffington Post, Guardian and received important international awards. His book „Sevdah“ (Vrijeme Zenica, 2015) is the first history of the genre written by one of its performers.

On the workshop: 
In this introductory course Damir will guide the select group through a number of famous sevdah songs with a goal of showcasing vocal techniques, scales, harmonies, rhythmical structures and typical ornamentation. The participants will receive materials for further study (in transcription and audio). This workshop is suitable for beginners in Balkan music as well as advanced performers who would like to become aware of underlying musical structures of the genre of Sevdah. Many elements of this workshop will help you understand not only Bosnian Sevdah but traditional music of the Balkans in general.