The Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) has proposed to include Bosnian urban love songs, sevdalinkas, in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. This was announced at the 19th session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage held in Paraguay.
The first mentions of sevdalinkas date back to the 15th century when they were primarily performed by Bosnian women. Today, these songs combine Eastern and European musical motifs. Sevdalinkas remain a very popular traditional song genre in the FBiH, even performed by pop groups.
For inclusion in the UNESCO list, the Federal Ministry of Culture and Sports conducted extensive document preparation. "According to the clearly defined conditions set by UNESCO, the nomination document meets five criteria, which have already been reviewed by the evaluation organization and will be confirmed by a vote of the intergovernmental commission for the inclusion of sevdalinkas in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity," said the Deputy Minister of Culture of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Milicevic Secic.
"Today is a special moment when the ministry, which nominated sevdalinka, has the opportunity to announce that the process is complete, and I am convinced that this will bring great joy to everyone in Bosnia and Herzegovina," said Minister of Culture and Sports Sanja Vlajisavljevic.
Milicevic Secic emphasized that sevdalinka becomes a worthy representative of the culture of the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina as part of the rich intangible heritage of humanity.
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