Vartra

'Basma', the second album by the Serbian folk collective Vartra, deliberately looks far back into the past: the band draws inspiration from ancient South Slavic healing rituals and invokes folk traditions from Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia. The lyrics are based on traditional customs from these regions and place a special emphasis on incantations used for healing purposes. These incantations are called "basma" in the local language. Their special power lies in being able to dispel evil curses and evil spirits alike through suggestive rhythmic repetition.