Fadolinka 2.0

For some years now, Sarajevo singer Maja Milinković has been connecting the musical dots between Balkan and Portuguese traditions. With her smooth and effortless skill, they come across as two parts of an obvious and shared culture, and there is indeed a common Mediterranean thread binding fado and sevdalinka. Their original intersection has since become Milinković's core language. So much so she even baptized it Fadolinka in her 2019 album.

There is no enigma or mystery to Fadolinka 2.0 then. It continues in the direction Maja Milinković was already heading, insisting on and deepening this peculiar path that the singer has chosen. Profoundly original and quite emotional in her intense vocal delivery, Fadolinka 2.0 is anchored in Lisbon and Sarajevo at once. Milinković fortunately doesn't indicate whether we are listening to a sevdalinka or a fado, since they come out so intertwined in the music. Just listen to standout tracks such as ‘Prijatelji Moji’ or ‘Kad Dunja Zamiriše’ and there is no telling where one begins and the other stops. Ignoring frontiers, Milinković even adds a certain Spanish flavour to ‘Golube’ or ‘Ana’.

Maja Milinković has certainly found her musical ground. Now it only needs some boldness to lift off and go beyond a well-polished concept.