# Himzo Polovina

Himzo Polovina (Serbo-Croatian Cyrillic: Химзо Половина; 11 March 1927 – 5 August 1986) was a Bosnian singer and songwriter, and one of the most famous and widely revered folk and sevdalinka artists in the region. In addition, Dr. Himzo Polovina was a neuropsychiatrist by profession. His approach contributed to sevdalinka promotion as well as its recognition as authentic music heritage of the Bosniaks.

## Early life and career beginnings

Polovina was born on 11 March 1927 in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. His father, Mušan Polovina, was an Austro-Hungarian soldier during World War I. During his service in Ljubljana, he met and married Ivanka Hlebec, making Himzo Polovina the child of an ethnically mixed marriage between a Bosniak father and a Slovene mother.
Himzo was introduced to music and singing as a child. His father played the šargija and would often sing sevdalinka songs. As their father sang, Himzo and his siblings sang along in unison.
In the late 1930s, right before World War II broke out, Polovina was taught to play the violin by renowned Czech professor and violinist Karel Malaček.
From 1947 until he left for Sarajevo, he was a member of the folk ensemble "Abrašević", with whom he toured cities and villages across Yugoslavia. He loved the "richness" of the Bosnian national costume, and wore it every time he performed.
While he was a student of medical school in 1950, he was a member of the student cultural club "Slobodan Princip – Seljo" and performed with several other cultural clubs. During this, he completed medical school and became a psychiatrist. In practice, he successfully applied methods of psychiatry, socio-therapy and music therapy. He continued to work in his profession even after becoming a successful singer. Polovina was a respected doctor in the Jagomir mental rehabilitation hospital in Sarajevo until his death.

## Career

In January 1953, his medical colleagues persuaded him to audition live for Radio Sarajevo. He performed the sevdalinka song "Mehmeda je stara majka karala", despite the fact that he had a speech impediment which made it difficult for him to pronounce the letter "r." He was admitted and received excellent feedback from skilled musical artists. He was considered more of a sevdah researcher than singer/performer.
He frequently performed at gala concerts for charity, in hospitals, for pensioners, for the decrepit, the elderly and for children in orphanages.
At one point in his career, Polovina went on a five-year hiatus from Radio Sarajevo, due to disagreements with the heads of that company. The matter was resolved and he continued performing.
During his three-decade long career, he performed in virtually every city in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

## Emina

His cover of the Bosnian sevdalinka, Emina, is considered by many to be the best version of the song. His 1960s version featured added verses, which were written after the subject of the song, Emina Sefić, died in 1967. Upon hearing Emina's death, Polovina went to poet Sevda Katica's home in the Mostar neighborhood of Donja Mahala. He found her in the yard of the family home, informed her of Emina's death and she shuddered with grief and spoke the verses:
| Added verses | Translation |
| Umro stari pjesnik, umrla Emina, ostala je pusta bašča od jasmina. Salomljen je ibrik, uvehlo je cvijeće, pjesma o Emini nikad umrijet neće. | The old poet has died, Emina has died, The empty garden of jasmine was left behind. The pitcher is broken, The flowers have withered, The song about Emina will never die. |

## Personal life and death

Polovina was married to a woman named Fikreta Medošević. They had a daughter Rubina and a son Edmir.
He died at the age of 59 from a heart attack while on vacation with his family in Montenegro. According to his brother Mirza, the final song Himzo sang was Emina, shortly before his sudden death.
Himzo Polovina was buried in the Bare Cemetery in Sarajevo.

## Discography

The following is the complete list of albums, singles and extended plays (EPs) released by Himzo Polovina:
| Tracks | Released |
| Stade se cvijeće bosom kititi Stade se cvijeće rosom kititi U lijepom starom gradu Višegradu | 1958 |
| Gonđe ružo u zelenom sadu Gonđe ružo u zelenom sadu Mustafu majka budila | 1958 |
| Pokraj kuće male Pokraj kuće male Magla pala od pola Saraj'va | 1958 |
| Gonđe ružo u zelenom sadu / Mustafu majka budila Gonđe ružo u zelenom sadu Mustafu majka budila | 1960 |
| Kad se Jangin iz Sokaka pomoli with Dušanka Labor Kad se Jangin iz Sokaka pomoli S one strane pive Otvor' vrata od hamama Zaplakala stara majka Džafer Begova | 1963 |
| Telal viče Telal viče Prošetala Suljagina Fata | 1963 |
| Moj behare / Pjesma o Mehmed-Paši Sokoloviću Moj behare Pjesma o Mehmed-Paši Sokoloviću | October 1964 |
| Emina / Hasanagin Sevdah (Što te nema) Emina Hasanagin Sevdah (Što te nema) | 1964 |
| Azra Azra Meni draga sitna pisma piše Na prijestolju sjedi Sultan Lutaj, pjesmo | October 1965 |
| Stade se cvijeće rosom kititi Stade se cvijeće rosom kititi U lijepom starom gradu Višegradu Telal viče Pošetala Suljagina Fata | May 1966 |
| Ehlimana Ehlimana Akšam Geldi Imam curu malenu Komšinica | 1967 |
| Mila majko, šalji me na vodu / U sotonu jedne proljetne noći Mila majko, šalji me na vodu U sotonu jedne proljetne noći | 1969 |
| Jutros prođoh kroz čaršiju / Dvore gradi komadina Mujo Jutros prođoh kroz čaršiju Dvore gradi komadina Mujo | 1969 |
| Jesi li čula dušo? / Otputovah u daljine Jesi li čula dušo? Otputovah u daljine | 1970 |
| U Stambolu na Bosforu / Okladi se momče i djevojče U Stambolu na Bosforu Okladi se momče i djevojče | 1971 |
| Narodne pjesme iz Bosne i Hercegovine Sarajevo, divno mjesto Zaplakala stara majka Oj djevojko, džidžo moja Širi mjesec po Igmanu zrake Imal' jada Čije je ono djevojče Čudna jada od Mostara grada Mila majko šalji me na vodu Dunjaluče, golem ti si Voljelo se dvoje mladih Gonđe ružo Široka kita rakita | 21 November 1972 |
| U sutonu jedne proljetne noći U sutonu jedne proljetne noći Crne oči dobro glede Na put se spremam Tiha je noć | 1975 |
| Kradem ti se u večeri Kad ja pođoh na Bembašu Vino piju age Sarajlije Kradem ti se u večeri Sjećaš li se kad si lani Razbolje se lijepa Hajrija Pokraj vrela U Stambolu na Bosforu Oj djevojko anadolko Djevojka je zelen bor sadila Ikindija Ja zagrizoh šareniku jabuku Kad se Jangin iz Sokaka pomoli | 1976 |
| Emina / U Stambolu na Bosforu Emina U Stambolu na Bosforu | 1977 |
| Kliknu vila sa vrha porima U Trebinju gradu Izvi se Mujo na grade Kliknu vila sa vrha Porima Jasenice, nestalo ti gaza Dobro došli, kićeni svatovi Omere, prvo gledanje Poletjela dva goluba Ali-Paša na Hercegovini Mujagu majka budila Nema ljepše cure od malene Đule | 1979 |
| Mehmed Paša tri cara služio / U lijepom, starom, gradu Višegradu Mehmed Paša tri cara služio U lijepom, starom, gradu Višegradu | 1980 |
| Mila majko, šalji me na vodu / Djevojka je zelen bor sadila Mila majko, šalji me na vodu Djevojka je zelen bor sadila | 1982 |
| Sevdah i suze Tamburalo momče uz tamburu Poljem se vija hajdar delija U lijepom starom gradu Višegradu Kad ja pođoh na Bembašu Otvor' vrata od hamana Karanfile, cvijeće moje Oj, djevojko, pod brdom Snijeg pade na behar, na voće Oj, bogati, siva ptico sokole Stade se cvijeće rosom kititi | September 1984 |
| Magla pala od pola Saraj'va Magla pala od pola Saraj'va Ehlimana Pod Skočićem trava pogažena Meni draga sitna pisma piše Imam curu malenu Otputovah u daljine Okladi se momče i djevojče Pjesma o Mehmed-Paši Sokoloviću Pusti me, majko Laku noć Pokraj kuće male Komšinica Jesi li čula dušo | 1987 |
| Himzo Polovina Emina Stade se cvijeće rosom kititi Pošetala Suljagina Fata Jutros prođoh kroz Čaršiju Moj behare Lutaj, pjesmo Hasanagin Sevdah Na prijestolju sjedi Sultan Azra Telal viče Akšam geldi Dvore gradi komadina Mujo | 1988 |
| Voljelo se dvoje mladih / Pod skočićem trava pogažena Voljelo se dvoje mladih Pod skočićem trava pogažena | unknown release date |
| Nema lijepše cure / Pusti me, majko Nema lijepše cure Pusti me, majko | unknown release date |