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The album Bosnian Songs for Voice and Trio stands out, not only in terms of a beautifully unique attitude to the traditional Bosnian tunes and an extraordinary interpretation, but also for its energetic and emotional charge. The energy, enthusiasm, love and passion shine from every pore of the music, from song to song, and one can’t avoid letting oneself float and merge into this magnetic world.
(Petra Oliveira Bachratá, composer)
- Ekapija
Many have been trying lately to fuse jazz and Sevdalinka in an attempt to evolutionise and experiment with the Bosnian love songs and thus open it to new audiences in the Balkans and beyond. But what the Samir Fejzic Band does on their debut entitled Bosnian Songs for Voice and Trio, cannot simply be called jazz fusion - it is sevdah jazz in itself. Instead of merely finding a common language for both genres, they become an integral part of each other, fusing naturally rather than artificially. Stylized traditionals, which have been masterly arranged in a jazz frame, still have the chance to breathe in an endless space to show their free spirit in solos and impros, something which both jazz and Sevdalinka would be unthinkable without. And even beyond all this, the Samir Fejzic Band breaks even more musical boarders with excursions into classical music, funk, the occasional jazz standard and an own composition entitled “Oriental Dream”.
A truly unique effort of very young and extremely talented musicians from Sarajevo brought together by an inspiring arranger and band leader with a broad vision.
Tayfun Kesgin, freelance music jurnalist - Yaman
Discography
- "Vintage" http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?playListId=265724496
- "Bosnian Songs For Voice And Trio"
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/SamirFejzicBand
Photos
Bio
The Samir Fejzic Band, which was founded by composer and pianist Samir Fejzic, consists of soprano Ines Kazic, bass guitarist Almir Nezic, drummer Dino Kovacevic and pianist Samir Fejzic. Four musicians from different backgrounds unified by their love of jazz, a passion for music in general and the excitement of live performances. Since its first presentations, trying to keep jazz alive in an otherwise conservative musical environment in Bosnia, this quartet immediately gained the sympathy of a broad Sarajevo audience.
Band consists of musicians from the academic milieu:
Almir Nezic (1982), bass guitarist, born in Bihac (Bosnia and Herzegovina), studied double bass, theory and pedagogy at Music Academy in Sarajevo, where he graduated in 2009. Currently he is employed by the Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra as double bass player and also works as a freelance musician, playing bass guitar in different jazz, funk and pop formations. In 2005. he won a special award attributed by Association of Music Educators Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the student contest of classical music (double bass).
Samir Fejzic, composer and pianist, born in Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina), studied composition at Music Academy in Sarajevo, where he graduated in 1998. Currently he teaches renaissance and baroque counterpoint at Secondary Music School in Sarajevo. His work is characterized by different influences, variety of styles and the constant try of assimilation of classical vocal styles, traditional folk music and contemporary techniques into his compositions under the personal perspective. His interest for vocal music resulted in writing of a book Vokalni kontrapunkt, which he finished in September 2003. and was published by Svjetlost in Sarajevo. He is also co-author of the book of Bosnian Songs for Voice and Piano. Simultaneously with composing and lecturing Samir performs as a jazz pianist and till the moment he recorded couple of TV shows (“Jazz in action” for Bosnia and Herzegovina TV), three CDs, he would accentuate the album Vintage, performed with Swedish singer Karolina Ollinen. Remarkable part of his energy is focused on preserving traditional Bosnian musical inheritance: he arranged and stylized numerous amount of traditional Bosnian tunes. For his work he got recognition of wide audience at home and abroad and received several awards, the most important Charter, in 2001, attributed by Association of Music Educators Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina for his arrangements in the project "Bosnian songs for voice and piano".
Ines Kazic (1989), singer, born in Jajce (Bosnia and Herzegovina), received her primary and secondary music education in music schools in Sarajevo. Since 2007 she decided to engage herself more seriously with jazz music and in 2008. begun her musical studies of theory and musical pedagogy at Music Academy in Sarajevo. In the same year she became a singer in Samir Fejzic Band, and performs at cultural events in Sarajevo and other Bosnia-Herzegovina cities.
Dino Kovacevic (1980), drummer, born in Zavidovici (Bosnia and Herzegovina), attended primary and secondary schools in Schwedt/Oder, in Germany. He studied at Music and Art School Jap Schulz in Schwedt/Oder, in the class of professor Andreas Van Den Brandt. In 2007 he was elected as an artist - promoter of Istanbul Mehmet Cymbals, one of the leading world manufacturers of cymbals. He also studied medicine at the Medical Faculty in Sarajevo, where he graduated in 2008. and continued his education in ultrasonography of abdomen and color doppler sonography. Presently he works as a doctor in Dr. Abdulah Nakas Hospital in Sarajevo and plays drumms in various jazz, funk and pop music projects.
The first four compositions from the album "Bosnian Songs For Voice And Trio" listen here: http://www.myspace.com/samirfejzic
Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v57hPZ8cgY4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ot7E9_rKCo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_M70yKZwvs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ii70w77fKjI&feature=related
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