Commissioned by and dedicated to the Cavatina Duo
This old traditional song, one of the most famous in Bosnia, is actually a Sephardic melody. When the Jews were persecuted and chased out of Spain and Portugal by the Inquisition, many fled to the Ottoman Empire, specifically, in this case, to the Balkans. They brought their cultural heritage with them, and this is one example of its beautiful mixture with the local culture.
The song “Kad ja pdjoh na Bembašu” is one of Bosnia’s most popular sevdalinkas. “Sevdalinka” is a song of “Sevdah” — love, longing, and passion. This song tells about a famous place in Sarajevo, Bentbaša, often pronounced “Bembaša” in songs and other colloquial settings. The name comes from a Turkish word meaning dam. From 1462 to 1875 there was a dam in Miljacka River, in the vicinity of the Šeher-ćehaja’s bridge, which was built by Isa-beg Ishakovic, the founder of Sarajevo. The original melody for this piece was most likely a spiritual Sephardic song that is still sometimes performed (although some believe the song really comes from the Turkish military march “Vatan Mari” composed by Rif’at Bey in 1877). This popular sevdalinka was performed in the German film Die Letze Brücke (The Letze Bridge), which strongly influenced the spread of its popularity.
The arrangement explores and exploits this passionate melody, which is, uncharacteristically, in a 3/4 waltz-like meter. The melody and harmony are transformed but occasionally emerge suddenly in their original form, sometimes in distant tonalities.
CD Balkan Project, Cedille Records
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