Ladino, or Judeo-Spanish, has been kept alive by Sephardi Jews in Bosnia ever since they were expelled from Spain in the late 15th century and found a home in Sarajevo, although today the language is spoken only by a handful of the city's aging Jews.
Yet Ladino is becoming an inspiration for many musicians from across Bosnia's ethnic divide.
"Ladino as a language is dying out even in predominantly Jewish communities, but it is our obligation here to maintain our shared heritage and preserve it, at least in our music," said Tijana Vignjevic, a music teacher and leader of the Corona vocal ensemble.
Corona, whose seven members come from Bosnia's different ethnic groups, combines storytelling with a cappella singing and a touch of modernity. The ensemble was among four groups performing Sephardi songs at the Sarajevo Jazz Festival over the weekend.
The Jewish community has played a significant role in Sarajevo's cultural and economic life for more than 400 years. Expelled after the Christian re-conquest of the Iberian Peninsula, Jews found sanctuary in the town, then part of the Ottoman Empire.
"Sarajevo was the last bastion of Ladino and Sephardi culture," Jewish historian Eli Tauber said.
At its height, Sarajevo had eight synagogues, serving some 12,000 Jews. Most of the Jews were killed when the city was occupied by Nazi Germany during World War II. Fewer than 1,250 remained.
After the war, the Jewish community began to grow again, but it was dealt another blow with Yugoslavia's bloody collapse and the subsequent siege of Sarajevo.
Tauber said that out of 500 Jews in Sarajevo today, only two are able to speak Ladino fluently. A dozen can understand it or know some Ladino stories and proverbs.
But musicians are doing their part in preserving the disappearing language, with the Sarajevo Music Academy encouraging several students to research Ladino music, Tauber said.
