The Collection for Musical Art and Ethnomusicology of the Museum of Sarajevo preserves objects that testify to authentic performers of sazlija sevdalinka – Behka Topčić’s def and Igbal Ljuca’s saz. These instruments are not merely museum exhibits, but silent witnesses to a time when sevdalinka was passed down through voice and heart, from generation to generation. Behka Topčić, known as the first sevdah-hanuma of Sarajevo, delighted audiences with her powerful and penetrating voice. She began singing as a young girl at women’s gatherings, sijela, teferiči, and during evenings of preparing ćetenija. Thanks to her remarkable memory, Behka preserved many old songs that her mother used to sing to her, thus saving them from oblivion. Her constant companion, both in music and in life, was Igbal Ljuca, an outstanding sazlija. Their love and connection were known throughout Sarajevo. Today, Behka’s def and Igbal’s saz, preserved in the Museum of Sarajevo, remind us of a time when sevdalinka lived in the mahala, in the courtyard, and in people’s hearts.
