Zaim Imamović (musician)

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Zaim Imamović (born 26 August 1920 in Mrkonjić Grad, Bosnia and Herzegovina, died 2 February 1994 in Sarajevo) was a very popular sevdalinka performer and was many considered him the best sevdalinka performer ever.

He was born in Mrkonjić Grad and after a year his family moved to Travnik and there he lived for fifteen years when (in 1936) he moved to Sarajevo. He lived in Sarajevo for the rest of his life occasionally vacationing in Počitelj where he had a cottage. In Sarajevo he attended textile school and was discovered by a choir leader where his sister Đula and his brother Hadže sang, so he left school in 1939. When Radio Sarajevo became operational in 1945, he started performing on that radio station and became employee of Radio Sarajevo.

At that time he performed three sevdah songs: "Gledaj me draga", "Konja vodim, pješke hodim" and "Mujo kuje konja po mjesecu" and became very popular (the last of the three songs is one of the most popular sevdah songs ever). His popularity increased in time and he is said to be the best sevdalinka performer of his time, and worthy successor of Zaim is found only in Safet Isović. Some of his most popular sevdah's are: "Haj, Moščanice vodo plemenita", "Od kako sam sevdah svezo", "Okreni se niz đul-bašču", "Haj, sadih almu na sred Atmejdana", "Ja zagrizoh šareniku jabuku", "Đul Fatima po đul-bašči šeće", "Haj, bejturane, aman, Bog t’ ubio grane", "Snijeg pade drumi zapadoše", "Kad puhnuše sabah-zorski vjetrovi".

He performed at many festivals in former Yugoslavia and received many high awards.

He had two children: daughter Jasminka and son Nedžad.

[edit] References

Farah Tahirbegović and Damir Imamović, eds. Pjesma srca moga: stotinu najljepših pjesama Zaima Imamovića. Annotated songs and CD. Sarajevo: Buybook publishing house, 2004.