Folk Musical Instruments in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Folk Musical Instruments in Bosnia

and Herzegovina

Folk Musical Instruments in Bosnia

and Herzegovina

Jasmina Talam

Folk Musical Instruments in Bosnia and Herzegovina

By Jasmina Talam

This book first published 2013

Cambridge Scholars Publishing

12 Back Chapman Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 2XX, UK

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

All rights for this book reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,

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ISBN (10): 1-4438-4966-9, ISBN (13): 978-1-4438-4966-1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

List of Illustrations .................................................................................. viii

List of Abbreviations ................................................................................ xii

Introduction ............................................................................................. xiii

Part I: Background

Chapter One ................................................................................................ 2

Historical Sources and Research of Folk Musical Instruments in Bosnia

and Herzegovina

Part II: Idiophones

Chapter Two ............................................................................................. 18

Idiophones in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Chapter Three ........................................................................................... 21

Struck Idiophones

Chapter Four ............................................................................................. 48

Plucked Idiophones

Chapter Five ............................................................................................. 51

Friction Idiophones

Part III: Membranophones

Chapter Six ............................................................................................... 54

Membranophones in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Chapter Seven ........................................................................................... 56

Struck Drums

Chapter Eight ............................................................................................ 70

Singing Membranes

Table of Contents

Part IV: Chordophones

Chapter Nine ............................................................................................. 74

Chordophones in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Chapter Ten .............................................................................................. 78

Lutes with a Bow

Chapter Eleven ......................................................................................... 91

Lutes with a Plectrum

Part V: Aerophones

Chapter Twelve ...................................................................................... 154

Aerophones in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Chapter Thirteen ..................................................................................... 156

Free Aerophones

Chapter Fourteen .................................................................................... 162

Pipes

Chapter Fifteen ....................................................................................... 174

Reedpipes

Chapter Sixteen ...................................................................................... 192

Horns

Part VI: Makers and Players of Folk Musical Instruments

Chapter Seventeen .................................................................................. 198

Makers of Folk Musical Instruments

Chapter Eighteen .................................................................................... 203

Players of Folk Musical Instruments

Chapter Nineteen .................................................................................... 214

Functions and Occasions of Playing

Chapter Twenty ...................................................................................... 223

Tradition and Innovation

Folk Musical Instruments in Bosnia and Herzegovina

vii

Chapter Twenty-One .............................................................................. 228

Distribution of Folk Musical Instruments in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bibliography ........................................................................................... 239

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Figure 1-1. Small figure made of bronze representing a boy with the

trumpet – buccina .................................................................................. 3

Figure 1-2. Coat of arms of family Dražoević ............................................ 5

Figure 1-3. Drummer, Bosnia 1942, photo Erika Groth-Schmachtenberger,

Museum Europäischer Kulturen, Staatliche Museen in Berlin ........... 13

Figure 2-1.Overwiev of Idiophones in Bosnia and Herzegovina .............. 20

Figure 3-1. Stone plaques, Ripač in the Bihać area, The National Museum

in Sarajevo (inv. number 9258) ........................................................... 22

Figure 3-2. Corn clappers, Muhamed Ćerim (1986), Zenica .................... 23

Figure 3-3. Ensemble from Jezero near Jajce, year 1890, drawn by Gyuly

Turi (Pekka Pennanen 2007:118) ........................................................ 24

Figure 3-4. Fildžani, Trešnjeva Glava near Zenica ................................... 25

Figure 3-5. Čampareta, The National Museum in Sarajevo ..................... 26

Figure 3-6. Ta’te from Vranci, 2008 ........................................................ 29

Figure 3-7. Sač, Oćevija near Olovo, The National Museum in Sarajevo 30

Figure 3-8. Cast bells of Husein Metiljević (Hrasnica, 1906-1985),

Hrasnica 2008 ..................................................................................... 33

Figure 3-9. Cattle bell of Husein Metiljević (Hrasnica, 1906-1985),

Hrasnica 2008. .................................................................................... 34

Figure 3-10. Singing along the pan, Blažuj 1937, UBR, RVP 1.3.1., Nr.

447. Foto: W. Wünsch ........................................................................ 36

Figure 3-11. Luce Franjušić – panning, Kata Mišura-Mirolinka – singing.

Šćit -Rama, 2008 ................................................................................. 38

Figure 3-12. Grotulje, Franciscan monastery Šćit, Rama 2008 ................ 39

Figure 3-13. Plašilo with chains ............................................................... 41

Figure 3-14. Plašilo with metal clapper .................................................... 41

Figure 3-15. Dry walnuts, Zenica surroundings, 2009 ............................. 42

Figure 3-16. Kulenika with đinđuha, The National Museum in Sarajevo 42

Figure 3-17. Rattle of dry pumpkin, The National Museum in Sarajevo . 43

Figure 3-18. Praporci, The National Museum in Sarajevo ....................... 44

Figure 3-19. Strugalo, made by Muhamed Ćerim (1986), Zenica ............ 45

Figure 3-20. Čegrtaljka, made by Aziz Isaković (1963), Zenica .............. 47

Figure 4-1. Tamburica od kukurske, made by Muhamed Ćerim (1986),

Zenica ................................................................................................. 48

Figure 4-2. Drombulje, The National Museum in Sarajevo ..................... 49

Folk Musical Instruments in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Figure 5-1. Guslice od kukuruske, made by Muhamed Ćerim (1986),

Zenica ................................................................................................. 51

Figure 5-2. Čavka, made by Azim Perić (1945) from Rapovina near Livno

(inv. number. 8707/VI), The National Museum in Sarajevo ............... 52

Figure 6-1. Overwiev of Membranohones in Bosnia and Herzegovina .... 55

Figure 7-1. Def, The National Museum in Sarajevo (inv. number

4463/II,III) .......................................................................................... 57

Figure 7-2. Esad Baždalić, kudum player, Šarena džamija in Travnik, 1986

............................................................................................................ 58

Figure 7-3. Bego Jež (Mrežice near Goražda, 1891) striking talambas, The

National Museum in Sarajevo ............................................................. 59

Figure 7-4. Two adjoined talambases, The National Museum in Sarajevo

(inv. number 5757/III) ........................................................................ 60

Figure 7-5. Ensembles of drums and zurna’s, Sarajevo 2008 ................... 65

Figure 7-6. Bubnjić doboš, The National Museum in Sarajevo, (withour

inv. number) ........................................................................................ 67

Figure 7-7. Bubanj na đerdinu, made by Ilija Mihaljević in 1952. from

Zloselo near Bugojna, The National Museum in Sarajevo (inv. number

8737/II,VI) .......................................................................................... 68

Figure 7-8. Method of holding bubanj na đerdinu, photography from the

archive of The National Museum in Sarajevo ..................................... 68

Figure 8-1. Češalj, made by Vehab Halilović. from Goduša near Visoko,

Sarajevo 2012 ..................................................................................... 70

Figure 9-1. Overwiev of Chordophones in Bosnia and Herzegovina ....... 77

Figure 10-1. Gusle, Kreševo, The National Museum in Sarajevo (inv.

Number 2147/II a, b)........................................................................... 82

Figure 10-2. Lazar Ambulija from Trebinje, player of gusle, Sarajevo 2008

............................................................................................................ 84

Figure 10-3. Lijericas of Zlatko Glavinić (on the left) and Tomislav Kovač

(on the right), Sarajevo 2008 .............................................................. 89

Figure 10-4. Tomislav Kovač, lijerica, Sarajevo 2008 ............................. 90

Figure 11-1. Osman Mušić (Mahmića village near Bosanska Krupa, 1897),

player of tambura with two strings, The National Museum in Sarajevo

............................................................................................................ 95

Figure 11-2. Player of tambura with three strings, The National Museum

in Sarajevo ........................................................................................ 101

Figure 11-3. Drago Šarčević, player of karaduzen, Usora 2004 ............. 107

Figure 11-4. Mile Ćališ (Podbor, 1962), player of bugarija, Rama 2008 117

Figure 11-5. Anto Bratić, šargija and Drago Šarčević, violin, while tuning

the instruments, Zenica 2004 ............................................................ 128

Figure 11-6. Hasan Bikić, player of polusaz, Brčko 2004 ...................... 138

List of Illustrations

Figure 11-7. Nezir Suljagić, maker and player of saz, Brčko 2006 ........ 146

Figure 12-1. Overwiev of Aerophones in Bosnia and Herzegovina ....... 155

Figure 13-1. Boy with a kandžija (locality and year of recording unknown)

.......................................................................................................... 156

Figure 13-2. Kandžija, The National Museum in Sarajevo (inv. number

16019/VI) .......................................................................................... 157

Figure 13-3. Fuk, made by Muhamed Ćerim (Zenica, 1986), Zenica 2001

.......................................................................................................... 158

Figure 13-4. Ivo Petričević plays travka, Rama, 2008 ............................ 160

Figure 13-5. Zviždaljka, made by Muhamed Ćerim (Zenica, 1986), Zenica

2001 .................................................................................................. 161

Figure 13-6. Boy plays zvižda (locality and year of recording unknown)

.......................................................................................................... 161

Figure 14-1. Pištaljka, made by Merima Ćerim (1988), Zenica ............. 162

Figure 14-2. Ćurlik with six holes, The National Museum in Sarajevo (inv.

number 14748/II) .............................................................................. 165

Figure 14-3. Flute jednojka from Goduša near Visoko, The National

Museum in Sarajevo (Inv. number 4799/II) ...................................... 168

Figure 14-4. Fife by the maker Vehab Halilović, Sarajevo 2007 ........... 168

Figure 14-5. Ivo Petričević (Šćit, 1946), dvojnice made by Džafer Kajić

from Drežnice, Šćit 2008 .................................................................. 173

Figure 15-1. Derviš and Osman Sitarević, recorded in 28.12.1952 in front

of the National Museum in Sarajevo. ................................................ 177

Figure 15-2. Boy is making a bark trumpet, The National Museum in

Sarajevo. (locality and year of recording unknown) ......................... 179

Figure 15-3. Truba od kore, Zenica 2004 ............................................... 180

Figure 15-4. Single diple with a horn, made by Osman Aldobašić from

Mala Brijesnica near Doboj, 1986, The National Museum in Sarajevo

(inv. number 14759) ......................................................................... 184

Figure 15-5. Double diple with kutla, Academy of Music in Sarajevo .. 187

Figure 15-6. Diple-prebiraljka (pipe) with mouthpieces by Tomislav

Kovač, Sarajevo 2007 ....................................................................... 189

Figure 15-7. Tomislav Kovač (Široki Brijeg, 1972), diple with bellows,

Sarajevo 2007 ................................................................................... 190

Figure 16-1. Animal horn, Marko Vujava (Ljubunčić kod Livna, 1932),

Sarajevo 2012 ................................................................................... 193

Figure 16-2. Goat’s horn, The National Museum in Sarajevo (inv. number

2529/III) ............................................................................................ 193

Figure 16-3. Wooden horn of Ilija Mihaljević made in 1952, The National

Museum in Sarajevo (inv. number 14770/II) .................................... 195

Figure 17-1. Maker Milenko Stevanović in his workshop, Doboj 2005 . 200

Folk Musical Instruments in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Figure 17-2. Maker Vehab Halilović in his workshop, Goduša 2006 .... 201

Figure 18-1. Luka Medar, (Sitnica, 1948), Sarajevo 2008 ..................... 208

Figure 18-2. Mile Ćališ (Podbor, 1962), Rama 2008 ............................. 209

Figure 18-3. Marica Filipović (Lug-Brankovići, 1965), Žepče 2011 ..... 211

Figure 19-1. Bego Jež (Mrežice near Goražde, 1891), The National

Museum in Sarajevo ......................................................................... 215

Figure 19-2. Women playing drum at horse race, The National Museum in

Sarajevo ............................................................................................ 217

Figure 20-1. Saz with šargija, The National Museum in Sarajevo ......... 226

Figure 21-1. Map of distribution of Idiophones for the period until middle

of 20

century ................................................................................... 231

Figure 21-2. Map of distribution of Idiophones for the period since second

half of 20

century ............................................................................ 232

Figure 21-3. Map of distribution of Membranophones for the period until

middle of 20

century ....................................................................... 233

Figure 21-4. Map of distribution of Membranophones for the period since

second half of 20

century ................................................................ 234

Figure 21-5. Map of distribution of Chordonophones for the period until

middle of 20

century ....................................................................... 235

Figure 21-6. Map of distribution of Chordophones for the period since

second half of 20

century ................................................................ 236

Figure 21-7. Map of distribution of Aerophones for the period until middle

of 20

century ................................................................................... 237

Figure 21-8. Map of distribution of Aerophones for the period since

second half of 20

century ................................................................ 238

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

ANU – Academy of Sciences and arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina

HS classification – Hornbostel Sachs’ instrument’s classification

JAZU – Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts

SUFJ – Union of Folklorists Associations of Yugoslavia

INTRODUCTION

Necessity for systematic research of traditional folk instruments in

Bosnia and Herzegovina has existed for many years. Existing literature

which consists of published articles and parts of certain conducted studies

is devoted only to certain instruments or particular instrumental groups

and it does not lessen the need for systematic research by its extent and

content.

In 1964, Cvjetko Rihtman wrote an article “Organološki problem naše

etnomuzikologije” [“Organological problem of our ethnomusicology”]

where he expressed the need for the existence of a larger overview of our

traditional folk instruments which should include descriptions and

methods of instrument making, performing techniques, tonal relations,

terminology, history and the spread. In the same year, Rihtman began with

the project “Musical instruments of Bosnia and Herzegovina” which was

financed by the Academy of Science and Arts. Results of this research

were presented in the papers “Membranofoni muzički instrumenti u

narodnoj tradiciji BiH”

[“Membranophone musical instruments in Bosnian

tradition”, 1967a] and

“Diple u Bosni i Hercegovini – aerofoni instrumenti

tipa klarineta” [“Diple in Bosnia and Herzegovina”, 1967b]

The first researches that I conducted on my own while I was a student

were generally oriented at the research of instruments and instrumental

practices. However, I have started conducting more serious organologic

researches for the need of my master thesis. With the encouragement of

my mentor, Professor Vinko Krajtmajer, I focused my research on

chordophone instruments of the long-necked lute type in Bosnia and

Herzegovina. During the fieldwork in the period between 2001 and 2005, I

had collected material for this and other instrumental groups. That is how

my interest for chordophone instruments grew into the need for systematic

research of folk musical instruments in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

By following the framework of that research and starting point, I have

intensively discovered, made records and classified archive material. I

have found old instruments, handwritten material, recordings and

It was written, in the handwritten version of the project given to me by Miroslava

Fulanović-Šošić, that additional financial resources were needed for the research of

other instrumental groups.

Introduction

xiv

photographs of instruments in museums, archives, and private collections.

Unfortunately, some of the instruments were in very poor condition and

some of the recordings and photographs damaged. It just pointed to the

fact that nobody paid any attention to those for decades. I managed to

contact colleagues from many European countries and got very useful, and

up until now, unknown information about Bosnian folk musical

instruments. At the same time, I contacted instrument makers, players and

other informants which were able to give me useful information about folk

musical instruments. In such a way, I created a valuable database of audio

and video recordings which was, together with gathered literature and

archive material, a good basis for connecting already existing and new

information about folk musical instruments that were used and are still in

use in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In my work, I applied a methodology which was proposed by Erich

Stockmann and Ernst Emsheimer in 1959 for a European project of

research of folk instruments and a series of handbooks Handbuch der

europäischen Volksmusikinstrumente (Dević 1977:12). In order to obtain

better insight and knowledge about traditional musical instruments, two

mentioned that ethnoorganologists believed that it is necessary to pay a

certain amount of attention in terminology, ergology and technology of

making, technique of playing and musical possibilities, repertoire,

functions, history and the spread and joining with other instruments in

ensembles while conducting research and the processing of information

about certain instruments (see Ibid., 12-19). Besides the mentioned

aspects, I paid special attention while processing information about

instruments to tonal relations which are performed on them, because they

affect the making of certain instruments, affect their identity and are

crucial for further classification of instruments of the same group.

The extent of the same groups and wish for the larger overview

affected the division of the book into six parts. The first part is concerned

with historical background. The research of history is imposed as one of

the starting points in the process of organological research and covers deep

research of historical documents, photographs, sketches, audio recordings

and works based on historical data. A certain number of folk musical

instruments in Bosnia and Herzegovina can be considered autochthonous

with a great deal of certainty. However, certain numbers of instruments

that are used can be considered autochthonous in many oriental cultures

which had influence on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As time

passed, they were adapted and adjusted to our musical practice and are

treated as traditional instruments. The Austro-Hungarian Empire which

lasted from 1878-1914 influenced the usage and instrument making

Folk Musical Instruments in Bosnia and Herzegovina

practice of folk musical instruments. Travel writers and foreign

researchers who spent certain amounts of time on the territory of Bosnia

and Herzegovina, often left incomplete and sometimes even false data

about certain instruments. On the other hand, we can find only superficial

data about some of the instruments which were acquired by

ethnomusicologists by conducting direct fieldwork about the instruments

which are not in use for a long period of time. We can find large amounts

of written and material evidence for certain instruments such as bubanj na

đerdinu, talambas, borija, etc. even though these instruments cannot be

found in traditional practice.

In the next four parts of the book, folk musical instruments in Bosnia

and Herzegovina are presented. The book is divided into several parts

according to instrumental groups: Idiophones (Part 2), Membranophones

(Part 3), Chordophones (Part 4) and Aerophones (Part 5). For a better

overview, instrumental groups are divided into chapters according to the

method of producing sound:

– Idiophones: struck idiophones, plucked idiophones and friction

idiophones;

– Membranophones: struck drums and singing membranophones;

– Chordophones: lutes with a bow and lutes with a plectrum;

– Aerophones: ree aerophones, pipes, reedpipes and horns.

In each of these parts, the instruments are described separately with

special attention given to terminology, ergology, technology of instrument

making, techniques of playing and musical capabilities and repertoire.

The sixth part is devoted to instrument makers and players of

traditional folk instruments. Today, a small number of instrument makers

and players of folk instruments are known about who lived in previous

centuries. Unfortunately, the attention of the researcher was not given to

the instrument maker or player nor their occupation. The result of their

work – instrument – represents solid material evidence which can be

interpreted as an intermediary between tonal perception and norms and as

such, it represents a unique connection between material and spiritual

culture. It is especially important to pay attention to the method of artistic

instrument making – decorating – because it gives us an answer to two

questions: technical capabilities and skills of the instrument maker, and

recognizing values that are given to musical instruments in that society

and what are the reflections about it. The players of folk musical

instruments were significant for the survival of one instrument in musical

practice. The player can be observed from different aspects. The first

aspect, to which attention should be paid, is technical, psycho-physical and

Introduction

xvi

aesthetical conditions for making and performing instrumental music.

According to Stockmann, “within complex systems, there are three

separate systems: player – instrument – music, which connected together

according to one inner circular rule where their structural features and

functional interaction should be questioned” (Stockmann 1964:5). The

second aspect is the biography of the player with regards to his field of

work and functioning in certain social communities. Also, it is necessary

to pay attention to learning and teaching processes, as well as the problems

of listeners through which professionalism has strengthened over time.

An important chapter, the sixth part is devoted to functions and

occasions of playing. In all historical periods, traditional folk instruments

had a significant role, especially within the boundaries of certain

ceremonies, customs, feasts, as well as other forms of life in certain social

communities. Researches have shown that folk instruments, especially in

the hands of a shepherd, were tools for communication.

For enlightening the survival of folk musical instruments, attention

should be given to the dialectic relation between tradition and innovation

which is described in the sixth part. That is especially directed to the

existence of different opportunities and tendencies for the change of

construction and building practice on one side, as well as tonal

possibilities and social functions. Beside archaic forms of instruments

which were preserved by tradition – their functional justification during

the century, types of instruments that acquired their present shape recently

can be distinguished. Special attention is given to specific conditions the

in multi-century history of Bosnia and Herzegovina which contributed to

the transfer of instruments from other musical traditions onto the territory

of Bosnia and Herzegovina through inter-ethnical communication and to

the establishment of known processes of adaptation in physical, as well as

in tonal characteristics of instruments.

The last chapter is devoted to the distribution of folk musical

instruments. It is very hard to represent the distribution of traditional folk

instruments with one review or a map. On the basis of historical sources

and researches, it was possible to make representations of the distribution

through the following time periods: until middle of 20

century and since

the second half of 20

century.

Acknowledgments

During the research, I cooperated with many players, makers and

information providers. Without them, it would be impossible to conduct

the research, nor write the book. Because of that, I am very grateful.

Folk Musical Instruments in Bosnia and Herzegovina

xvii

I wish to use this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude and

respect to my mentor Dr. Grozdana Marošević, research advisor from the

Institute of Ethnology and Folklore research (Zagreb, Croatia) for very

useful information, suggestions and advice.

I owe gratitude to my colleagues from the Academy of Music in

Sarajevo, Dr. Tamara Karača-Beljak, Dr. Ivan Čavlović and Mr. Valida

Tvrtković-Akšamija who offered me support during my work on my PhD.

thesis, and later, on the book. I also owe gratitude to my young colleague

Amra Toska on the help with translations and technical aspects of the

book. Also, I would like to thank my colleagues Dr. Svanibor Pettan, Dr.

Irena Miholić, Dr. Gerda Lechleitner and Dr. Susanne Ziegler.

Many thanks to Dr. Sandra Graham and Dr. Timkehet Teffera who

have been proof-readers and have provided precious help with comments

and corrections.

Many thanks to Cambridge Scholars Publishing’s staff members –

Carol Koulikourdi and Stephanie Cavanagh and especially the editor, Dr.

Andy Nercessian, who initially made the proposal for this book.

Finally, I would like to thank my familly, specially my daughter Ema

Talam.

PART I

ACKGROUND

CHAPTER ONE

ISTORICAL SOURCES AND RESEARCH

OF FOLK MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

The investigations of the origin and usage of folk musical instruments

in Bosnia and Herzegovina are based on several sources – from historical,

written documents and museum collections to ethnomusicological

descriptions, photographs as well as audio and video recordings. Reliable

evidence about the existence of musical instruments on this territory date

back to the prehistoric period. The oldest material evidence is a bone pipe,

presumably a primitive type of pipe. It was found in a Palaeolithic site

Crvena Stijena (Red Rock) near Trebinje, in south-eastern Herzegovina

and it is believed to be 25,000 years old (Imamović 1998:14). Bone pipes

found in a necropolis near Sanski Most, in north-western Bosnia, date

back to the same period. Archaeological findings dating back to the late

Bronze Age were made in Ripač near Bihać. As a result several objects

that could be regarded and treated as musical instruments were found here.

Interesting side blown clay horns also from the Bronze Age made in the

shape of a horse’s head were discovered as well in archeological sites of

Ripač (without an inventory number).

Enver Imamović pointed out that Vidas – guardian of woods,

shepherds and nature – is often shown on numerous Illyrian stone

monuments, stećak. On some of them, Vidas, in his lowered hand, holds

siringa, an aerophone with six pipes of different length. Rare monuments

show Vidas playing siringa, with young women standing around him in

circle. Imamović stated that “by analysing the appearance of siringa from

this area and by comparing the same instrument that appears in

surrounding countries, especially Italy and Greece, several differences can

be observed. While those instruments from Italy or Greece usually have

between seven and ten pipes, the instrument from our country has six

pipes. This proves how archaic this instrument was with Bosnian Illyrians,

as well as that they did not get acquainted with the instruments from

Greeks, but that it is part of their musical heritage” (Imamović 1998:14).

Historical Sources and Research of Folk Musical Instruments

Figure 1-1. Small figure made of bronze representing a boy with the trumpet –

buccina

In the last decade of first century BC, at the time when Roman rule

began on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, several changes could

be encountered with regard to musical instruments that were unknown to

the Illyrians. For instance, a small bronze statue that represents a boy with

Chapter One

a trumpet may be mentioned. The narrow tube of the trumpet bent around

upon itself resembling a semi-circular shape. This instrument was familiar

to the Romans under the name buccina. The statue was discovered in

Donja Blatnica close to Brotnjo. Today it is preserved in the National

Museum in Sarajevo (inv. number 71).

Imamović also mentioned a stone monument near Stolac – “on its

sistrums are shown instruments which originate from the Middle East. It is

known that these musical instruments were used in religious ceremonies

by a few cults, especially those connected to the goddess Isis, Dionysus,

Magna mater and others” (Ibid., 15).

Other important discoveries are six bells

that date back from the 2

the 4

centuries. These bells were found at different sites: namely in

Golubić near Bihać (inv. no. 629), in the mountain of Lib close to

Tomislavgrad (inv. no. 630), in the old Christian Basilica of Klobuk

adjacent to Ljubuški (inv. no. 2194), a small pyramid shaped bell with

rounded ring-like handle found in Japra adjacent to Sanski Most, the

territory of Baška Potok located near Novi Travnik (inv. no. 3410), and

last but not least an iron bell with an interior percussive material (bronze)

discovered from Lepenica near Kiseljak (inv. no 2143).

Šefik Bešlagić’s catalogue and topological review contains information

about the necropolis made from 210 stećaks located in the Kolac village

near Bileća. One of the monuments shows a “man with drums and a stick

and scene with a man and a woman holding corolla, cross and other

objects” (Bešlagić 1971:383).

Pavo Anđelić stated that in the ruins of the old mediaeval town

Bobovac, a pipe was found and it is believed that it was made by a guard.

Two bells also date from the period of 12

and 15

centuries. A cross is

attached to the bell discovered in Sasina near Sanski Most

(Anđelić

1973:138).

The predominant part of information referring to music and musical

instruments in medieval Bosnia were found in an archive in Dubrovnik.

Most of the descriptions are related to the music that was nourished in the

homes of Bosnian noblemen. Ivan Čavlović notes that the players were

given different designations: pifferi or piffari (flutists), lautarius or

lautares (lute players), tubetae, tubatores or tubicinae (trumpeters),

pulsatores (percussionists), quancharii, quancharini, gnacharini or

gniacharini (drummers), campognatores (back pipe players) and sonatores

(players) (Čavlović 2011:20). Bosnian musicians were often guests in

Dubrovnik, especially during the celebrations of Saint Blaise, the guardian

Bells are held in the National Museum in Sarajevo.

Historical Sources and Research of Folk Musical Instruments

of Dubrovnik, between 1410 and 1463. At the end of the 15

and the

beginning of the 16

century, during the Ottoman reign in Bosnia and

Herzegovina, Bosnian musicians continued their tradition of being guests

in Dubrovnik. Three coats of arms which can be found in “Fojnički

grbovnik” with horns drawn on them, testify the use of musical

instruments in medieval Bosnia.

Figure 1-2. Coat of arms of family Dražoević

The reign of the Ottoman Empire in Bosnia and Herzegovina that

lasted for four centuries (1463-1878), has left an important trace which is

nowadays recognized in the traditional music praxis. The existence of the

Ottoman Empire has played a significant role in cultivating new music that

was previously not practised in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Already at the

beginning of the Ottoman Empire, Bosnians were acquainted with

melopoetic forms in Islamic spiritual praxis as well as to Turkish military

orchestras called mehterhanas (Talam 2011:9).

French traveller M. Quiclet

describes armed guards of one the pashas in 1658. He notes: “They left

with the sound of drums and there were seven or eight types of drums;

they were made of leather, copper, wood, etc., then pipes, hautboy, and

two šargija or several types of Turkish lutes with five strings, and two men

Chapter One

who were playing next to him, were also singing victorious songs...”

(Milošević 1962: 133).

Written sources preserved in Gazi-Husrev bey’s library in Sarajevo

testify to the existence of the tambura in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the

century. The description is found in Kodeks 380 which represents a

collection of seven different books referring to the interpretation of

Qur’an. The seventh book of this collection is Ilmihal that was written by

an unknown author in the Turkish language. It was then re-written by Hajji

Sulejman, son of Mohammed, on 23

Shawwal, 1180 years after al-Hijra

(24

March 1767) in Gradačac. In a part of Ilmihal the following text is

written: “a man, who on this world, used some kind of saz, will be revived

on the Day of Judgement with the same saz and will play on it; at the

moment of his death, music will occupy his thoughts, and he will be

endangered of losing his faith. Will he be able to think about God at that

moment or he will die thinking about saz? Will he be able to hear

Shahadah

recited by people sitting next to him at that moment? Will he be

afraid that the devil and saz will posses him, so he would cross the worlds

without faith?” (Dobrača 1963: 141-142).

This baseless attitude towards the saz and music in general was spread

among Muslims as the common Islamic attitude. Even though this

negative attitude was widely spread, instruments were still very popular

among Muslims in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A considerable amount of

information deriving from the 2

half of the 18

and the 19

centuries

testify to this. There is evidence referring to vocalists and houses where

musical instruments were often played. In Ljetopis 1746-1804 [Chronicles

from 1764-1804, 1987], Mula Mustafa Bašeskija wrote details about

musical instruments, their players and builders as well as about the events

in which they were played. These were:

– In the following month of Ramadan (9

January – 7

February

1769) they started with drums and zurnas, took flags in their hands,

even those from whom that was never expected and it is how the

registration of soldiers started (Bašeskija 1987:80).

– The poor elder man Azem built the tambura – a list of people who

died in 1191 (1777/78); (Ibid., 159).

– More than 2,000 pipes were brought to Sarajevo from the market in

Višegrad and they were sold for one coin. Since then, during the

whole month of Safar (27

January – 26

March 1781), citizens

were disturbed; (Ibid., 186).

Declaration of faith by Muslims.

Historical Sources and Research of Folk Musical Instruments

– Baba Alija was particularly good in singing Bosnian songs along

with tambura or he would take pieces of wood instead of tambura –

list of deceased in 1195 (1780/81); (Ibid., 205).

– In 1202, it was ordered that “part of the city (called mahala) should

be protected from thieves. For that occasion, young men made

drums and they would play drums just like non-Muslims would

play doboš” (Ibid., 267).

– When Mehmed-pasha Tambur increasingly suffered of poverty in

his old age, he went through a lot of troubles. He constructed a saz,

played it very frequently. There was no musician who could be

compared with him in the whole of Rumelija (the European part of

Ottoman Empire – op. J.T.). He died in 1207 (1792/93); (Ibid.,

307).

– Vrljika, captured from the battlefield, was a very old and large

man, watchmaker, and he was also watchmaker of Sahat kula

(Clock Tower). He liked dervishes. With his beautiful kalbi voice,

he recited praises. He knew how to play the naj (end-blown flute).

Most probably, an old man like him did not stay in Sarajevo; (Ibid.,

309).

– Mustafa pasha Kafedar, with his yellow tan, would play the

tambura, and in his speech he used to swear frequently. He was an

unpleasant man; list of deceaseed in 1208 (1793/94); (Ibid., 316).

– Mula Mustafa Dugalić liked to play saz, singing religious songs

and reciting mevlud with his low, but pleasant voice in the same

manner as it was practiced in Istanbul; list of deceased in 1212

(1797/98). (Ibid., 337-338).

It was recorded that in Sarajevo, instruments were often played and it

was sung in the houses of Dženetić, Porča and other highly respected

families. Smail-bey Dženetić lived in Ćemaluša and often organized

gatherings where saz was played. Only men were allowed to appear on

such gatherings, while women would sit in special rooms. Available

sources note that instruments were played in the houses of Hasan Porča

and his sons Mehmed and Abdija (died in 1877). Pilgrim Junuz Ekmić,

imam of Topal Ejni-han, played saz as well. Junuz Ekmić died on the 19

August, 1878 when Sarajevo was conquered. Ibrahim-bey

Hadžiosmanović remembered him well as very sociable and that he was a

good saz player (Traljić 1937:34-36).

Chapter One

In the work entitled Uspomene o Rami i Ramskom franjevačkom

samostanu [Memories of Rama and Rama’s Franciscans Covent, 1991],

Friar Jeronim Vladić

writes:

During the gatherings, people from Rama very happily take gusle made of

maple trees and bows made from pomegranate trees while others sing

heroic songs, as in Dalmatia or Herzegovina... They are the best diple

players in the whole of Bosnia, but except for pipes, dvojnice, diple, gusle

and some of recently made tamburas,

people from Rama are not able to

play any other instrument

(Vladić 1991:12).

In the work “Cazin i okolina” [“Cazin and surrounding”, 1935]

Hamdija Kreševljaković mentioned some of the remarkable singers

accompanied by tambura are described as follows:

Until recently, there were several great singers in this area who used to

sing heroic songs along with tambura in coffee houses where beys lived.

Singing was the only job for some of them, while others had other

occupations. Names of the most of the singers are unknown today, while

some of them were mentioned in the foreword of the third book Hrvatske

narodne pjesme [Croatian traditional songs] written by PhD. Luka

Marjanović. The most remarkable player from the first half of the last

century (19

century op. J.T.) was Ćerim Čajić. He was the singer of the

last captain from Ostrožac, Muratbey, and they say he knew 366 songs. He

died in 1845 in Cazin. His son Mahmut and grandson Mašo were also

singers. Mašo is still alive, healthy and happy, even though he is

approximately 90 years old (Kreševljaković 1935:90-91).

A considerable amount of information about musical instruments in

Bosnia and Herzegovina dates back to the 19

century. In the book

Putovanje po Hercegovini, Bosni i staroj Srbiji [Journey through

Herzegovina, Bosnia and old Serbia, 1990], Aleksandar Giljferding

recorded the existence of singing and saz (in Stolac) and gusle (in Orašje)

Friar Jeronim Vladić (1848-1923) went to school in Fojnica and stayed with his

uncle Friar Antun Vladić, and afterwards he went to school in Livno, Guča Gora

and Carigrad. He studied Philosophy and Theology in Đakovo and Rome. He

became a friar in 1870. He was the first editor in chief of the Franciscans’

newspapers “Glasnik jugoslavenskih franjevaca” from first publishing in 1887

until 1894. The work Uspomene o Rami i ramskom franjevačkom samostanu

[Memories of Rama and Franciscans’ Covent in Rama] was published in Zagreb in

1882, and re-printed in 1991 in Edition of Matica Hrvatska Rama in Prozor.

Aleksandar Giljferding was a Russian consul in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He

came to Sarajevo in 1857.

Historical Sources and Research of Folk Musical Instruments

playing. At the end of 19

century, Antun Hangi

wrote about the life and

customs of Muslims. In his descriptions of nights in the month of Ramdan,

Hangi states that:

In almost all Muslims’ houses and coffee shops, lights are on until dawn:

nights are turned into days. In some coffee shops, musicians play gusle and

tambura, but in one coffee shop, there is an old man, with his gray hair,

with bugarija in his hand and he, with his pleasant baritone voice, recites

and sings Muslims’ heroic songs which celebrate famous deeds and heroic

ventures of our Muslims, and around him a large number of interested

listeners gathered. They are all quiet; one rested his head upon anothers

shoulder and carefully followed every move, every word of the old man-

singer. While everyone is having a good time in coffee shops, gypsy

musicians started going from one home to another, where the good

residents will reward them with money and towels for Id. Do not think that

this music is the same as other music; this music is made by only three,

sometimes even two players; one plays talambas, claps with one stick on

one side, and with a tin rod on the other, and the other two play pipes in

unison (Hangi 1990:43).

Obviously surprised by manners of entertainment, Hangi described

nights in Ramadan once again

as follows:

Let us remember last night once again. Muslims’ parts of town were all

ceremonially lightened, all around you were murmur, conversation and

throng, music could be heard in all coffee shops and somewhere in the

distance, sounds of gypsy’s drum and davulbas could be heard, and

although it was unpleasant music, it seemed that it was in its place here,

and you would think that something was wrong if it was not here (Ibid.,

158).

In one chapter, Hangi explained the use of musical instruments during

a wedding ceremony: “When guests go to pick up a bride and take her to a

groom’s house, they sing and yell, play pipes and drums, and you can hear

rifles everywhere” (Ibid., 159).

In his work, Muhamed Hadžijahić (1973:53) states that the celebration

of St. George by Muslims is directly connected to “many pagan

Antun Hangi (1866-1909) was born in Petrinja, Croatia. He finished school in

Zagreb and came to Bosnia in 1890. He worked in Maglaj, Livno, Banja Luka,

Bihać and Sarajevo as a teacher and at the same time he conducted research about

the life and customs of Bosnian Muslims. He wrote a book entitled Život i običaji

Muslimana [Life and customs of Muslims] that was published in 1990.

Chapter One

characteristics”. However, special attention should be given to playing

wooden trumpets according to the old Slovenian custom.

The Belgian organologist, Victor-Charles Mahillon (1841-1924)

contributed a significant collection of instruments to the Musee

Instrumental du Conservatoire Royale de Musique in Brussels. With

special thanks to Kosta Hörmann, Headmaster of the National Museum of

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mahillon collected 14 musical instruments from

Bosnia and Herzegovina, namely three membranophones (def, daulbas and

drum), five chordophones (gusle, karaduzen, bugarija, šargija and saz) and

six aerophones (whistle, ćurlik, duduk, dvojnice and diple). Detailed

descriptions of these instruments can be found in the Catalogue descriptif

et analytique du Musique de Bruxelles (1893: 159-165, 218-220, 247, 248,

285, 314-316).

A considerable collection of musical instruments from Bosnia and

Herzegovina can also be found in the Österreichische Museum für

Volkskunde in Vienna. A large number of them are chordophones. Among

these are very rare musical instruments that are nowadays hardly found in

the everyday praxis. These are among others: children’s gusle, karaduzen,

small bugarija, and tambura with two strings.

The first systematic researches of traditional musical instruments on

south-Slavic territory were conducted by Franjo Kuhač

. In his writing the

gusle (Kuhač 1877:6-7), diple (Ibid., 6), dvojnice (Ibid. 1878:3), the half-

drum

(Ibid. 1879:146) as well as klepala (Ibid.1879: 158) are included.

There are very poor descriptions about the use of tambura (Kuhač

1877:77). Kuhač describes just the latest types of tamburas without further

details. His explanation that the pipe was never used in Bosnia seems to be

quite interesting (Ibid., 41). However, researches made at a later period

have proved that this instrument was widely used in rural traditions

. Also,

Kuhač’s interpretations about the origin of some instruments, descriptions

of the process of manufacturing certain instruments and their social role

are very interesting.

“Prilozi za povijest glasbe južnoslovjenske” [“Supplements for history of music

in south Slavic countries”] published in sequels in Works of Yugoslavenian

Academy of Science and Arts (1877-1879, 1882), an important place was given to

tge descriptions of musical instruments which were also used in Bosnia and

Herzegovina.

Today, it is called def.

Rihtman Ranko 1975. Karakteristike muzičke tradicije stočara u Bosni i

Hercegovini. [Characteristics of musical traditions of cattle breeders in Bosnia

and Herzegovina]. Graduation thesis. Supervisor: Cvjetko Rihtman.

Historical Sources and Research of Folk Musical Instruments

The first known audio recordings of the Herzegovinian gusle were

made by the Lithuanian linguist and ethnologist, Eduard Wolter (1856-

1941) for the Berliner Phonogram Archive. Today they are stored in the

Ethnological Museum in Berlin. On that tape, the gusle player from

Trebinje, Rizvan Kadrović

, sings accompanied by the gusle.

The oldest recordings of musical instruments in Bosnia and

Herzegovina were made in the period between May and June of 1907 by

Franz Hampe from Berlin. Risto Pekka Pennanen notes that during his

stay in Sarajevo, Hampe made 150 recordings which were made in

Deutsche Grammophon in Hannover (Pekka Pennanen 2003:171). On

these recordings, zurna and drum playing as well as singing accompanied

by the saz, ćemane and tamburica are included (Ibid., 174).

A large number of recordings deriving from Bosnia and Herzegovina

were gathered by Matija Murko who was primarily interested in epic as

well as in epically lyrical

songs. Singing was mostly performed with

instrumental accompaniments, generally with the gusle but also with the

tambura with two strings, the saz, šargija and the violin. Murko conducted

his first researches in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1909 in the region of

Bosnian Krajina, but he did not make any audio recordings at that time. In

1912, he made his first audio recordings in Bosnia and Herzegovina,

particularly in north-western Bosnia: Cazin, Bosanska Krupa, Bihać,

Kulen Vakuf, Bosanski Petrovac, Ključ, Sanski Most and Prijedor. He

collected 46 recordings, out of which 13 were not preserved. During 1913,

Murko carried out further fieldworks in Sarajevo, Mostar, Široki Brijeg

and Nevesinje collecting 36 recordings on phonographs. He published the

outcome of his researches made in 1912 and 1913 when he was an

associate of the Phonogramme archive

in Vienna. 17 years later, in 1930,

Murko made new researches in eastern Bosnia and Sarajevo, while in

1931 he continued with his fieldwork in the regions of Višegrad, Goražde,

Foča up to Sarajevo as well as Humac and Čapljina. The results were

published when Murko was an associate in Slovansk’y Ústav in Prague

On the World Map of Music (2006), recording of Rizvan Kadrović photography

of a gusle player can be found. The recording lasts for 86 seconds and it is very

audible. The photograph was taken by Walter Wünsch.

According to Grozdana Marošević, a total number of 82 tapes were made. The

originals were ruined during the war in 1945, but copies along with Murko’s notes

were saved. As a result of the search through the lists, 13 missing tapes were

discovered.

With this research, he also covered other south-Slavenian countries, not just

Bosnia and Herzegovina. He recorded audios consisting of 349 reels, but some of

them were unusable due to damage; either breakages or missing parts. In

Chapter One

During the months of September and October, 1937, the Südost-

Ausschluss der Deutschen Akademie München [South-Eastern Committee

of the German Academy of Munich] organized a scientific expedition,

“Bosnienfahrt” with the major aim of researching folk music and

phonetics. The leader of the project was Gerhard Gesemann, a professor at

the German University in Prague, while the project members were Kurt

Huber and Walter Wünsch. During their stay in Blažuj (near Sarajevo),

they recorded several songs sung to the accompaniment of the pan, as well

as singing with the gusle and saz. “Purely instrumental music was not as

important as other, more text based genres; therefore only a few recordings

were made. They include melodies on the dvojnice, svirala and tamburica”

(Ziegler 2012: 149).

In this conjunction it is perhaps important to mention articles such as

“Naša pučka glazbala” [“Our folk instruments”, 1932] and “Hercegovačka

svirala” [“Herzegovinian pipe”, 1934] written by Friar Branko Marić

Marić wrote that survival of our traditional musical instruments is strongly

connected to “life development of our traditional instruments. The essence

of soulful strength of nation, its individuality and cultural development is

reflected in their music, especially the music of ordinary people” (Marić

1932:139).

Interesting facts about the function of music and musical instruments

were written in the work “Sarajevska čalgija” (1935) by Vejsil Ćurčić

Ćurčić described people from Sarajevo as “very happy, incredibly sociable

and people that like having fun, and most of all, people that like music and

song” (Ćurčić 1935:3). In the period when Ćurčić’s work was written, a

large number of traditional musical instruments, for instance the gusle,

tambura, baglama, bugarija, šargija, saz, ćemane, def, čampare, drum,

zurna, borija and krnata were used.

“Spominima” published in Ljubljana in 1951, Murko stated that approx. 200 tapes

were left to be studied. Those tapes, meanwhile reduced to 138, were handed over

to JAZU in Zagreb in 1965 where they are now kept in the Oriental collection.

Friar Branko Marić (1896-1974) finished at the Faculty of Philosophy and

Teology in Ljubljana and Academy of Music in Vienna. He received a PhD. in

musicology in 1937 in Vienna. He wrote significant works on the field of

ethnomusicology.

Vejsil Ćurčić (1868-1959) was curator in the Ethnological department of the

National Museum in Sarajevo. Other subjects of his researches were also musical

instruments. A certain number of musical instruments are stored in the National

Museum thanks to him.