Sunday, July 11, 2010

CD Review: Bosnia's Amira and Merima


Amira Medunjanin & Merima Kljuco
Zumra

A classic vocalist, Amira Medunjanin's melodic vocal poetry is filled with passion, emotion, and life. It is a perfect companion for Merima Kljuco's accordion playing. The duo perform music native to their Bosnian ancestral roots. However, a few traditional tunes from neighboring Macedonia and Serbia are included. Importantly, the album's instrumentation is only provided by an accordion. In some instances, the accordion is absent when Amira's voice takes over the role. The interplay between the voice and accordion resemble mugham modes of Middle Eastern and Arabic music, yet the music is definitely 'Bosnian'. Interestingly, Zumra, which means 'emerald' or, according to the liner notes, 'something that deviates from the norm', is an excellent summation of the music. The album is a gem and it's something a little different. In this case, a little different is something listeners will gladly relish. ~ Matthew Forss

No comments: