With the Karanfil (Carnation) kolo Sevdah started a series of dances in which we introduce to the American audience our sevdalinkas, the traditional Bosnian-Herzegovinan (B-H) city love songs. All of these choreographies are based on the steps of the B-H folk dances. However, they are developed in such a way that with their dancing and stage props dancers are translating the beautiful lyricism of sevdalinkas into the universal language of movement and picture understandable to everybody.
Although this kind of choreography work was not usual in Tito’s Yugoslavia, it could not be said that it is not innate to B-H folklore. Thus, for instance, the old Bosniak hodavka dance Ah, što kunaš, kuno moja (Why are you sad, my dear marten?) has always included acting, in addition to singing and expressive dancing. Because of these theatrical elements, this dance has always resembled a short opera act.
Hence, Sevdah’s Karanfil kolo portrays the famous sevdalinka Karanfile cvijeće moje (Carnation, my lovely flower) as performed by Himzo Polovina, the celebrity of sevdalinka singing. The Karanfil kolo is based on the steps of the male Herzegovinan hodavka dances in combination with kolanje dances. The main step is enriched with a few Arabesque elements, which are usually present in the B-H city solo dances. Through these Middle Eastern dance movements, our choreographer, Denis Bašić, tried to meet the requirements of this sevdalinka, which is very emphatically imbued with Middle Eastern musical motives.
Sevdah was honored to premiere this new Karanfil kolo choreography on May 29, 2005, at one of America's largest cultural festivals, the Northwest Folklife Festival. This renewed interpretation of sevdalinkas through kolo dancing was received enthusiastically by the audience, critics, ethnologists and folklorists alike.
Himzo Polovina and his sevdah (B-H musical genre) remain a continuous inspiration to Sevdah and Denis. Sevdah currently (November 2005) is working on choreographic interpretations of two more sevdalinkas performed by Himzo Polovina. Thus, Sevdah remains loyal to its name and Denis starts a series of new interpretations of sevdalinkas, as well as of the B-H folk dances.