Sevdalinka is a traditional genre of folk music from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Sevdalinka is also spread across the ex-Yugoslavia region, including Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro etc. The combination of Slavic, Oriental and Sephardic elements make this type of music stand out among other types of folk music from the Balkans. Also known as Sevdah music, this word comes from the Turkish language and it means longing. As a result the melodies describe the anticipation for the return of a loved one.
Balkans are characterized as an "era of conflicts” because is a place in Europe in which coexists a lot of contradictions. In lots of cases this happens harmoniously but sometimes social groups bring to the surface all this cultural pluralism that characterizes them. This kind of culture could not be missing from music as the main art for human beings over the centuries. Balkan music produces a kind which has a range of similarities and differences. In other words every person can easily observe similarities regardless of the origin.
After lots of hours of studying the intercultural part of this history and observing the daily routine in the city of Arta, I wanted to makeknown this wonderful and one of a kind musical tradition. Arta city is a town of northwestern Greece and contains a number of elements that are the continuation of Balkan life and tradition. Moreover, Arta city has a long musical tradition which nowadays is taught and played by the Department of Folk and Traditional Music at the University of Ioannina. This thesis deals with the reuse of the city Flea Market and the creation of a study Balkan music center. This act is a request of the cultural centers and it will contribute effectively to the improvement of the University and the city of Arta itself.