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No More War

It’s Time For Love

Semir “Sammy” Hasić composer and accordion

Release Date: March 26, 2021

Catalog #: NV6327

Format: Digital & Physical

21st Century

Orchestral

Accordion

Orchestra

On NO MORE WAR, composer and award-winning accordionist Semir “Sammy” Hasić shines a spotlight on the 1991 Battle of Vukovar, which plunged eastern Croatia into turmoil. Through the clever usage of dissonance, illogical harmonies, and polyrhythms, the poignant album highlights the aural terrors of a warzone, made all the more jarring by the timbre of the usually cheerful accordion. The message, however, is not all doom and gloom: melodious themes and accompaniment by members of the Philharmonic orchestra provide contrast to the horrors, highlighting the perseverance of the human spirit and how individuals can come together to find hope.

More than just an album of music, NO MORE WAR is an artistic call to all countries to end the infinite cycle of violence and racism. History is plagued by hatred, and Hasić envisions a world where hope, love, and human empathy triumph over evil.

When it comes to accordion, Hasić is certainly an authority. The accomplished performer has been awarded the title of Accordion World Champion, released a four-part series of instructional books and CDs, and started his own school for musical instruction.

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"Despite the tough subject matter present, there’s certainly much melody to be found across the listen"

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Track Listing & Credits

#	Title	Composer	Performer
01	War Rhapsody	Semir “Sammy” Hasić	Natalija Stanisavljević, violin; Ivan Buić, flute; Antonio Haller, oboe; Luka Horvat, trumpet; Barbara Ćavar, trombone; Antonio Ceravolo, percussions; Semir “Sammy” Hasić, piano; Strings quintet \| Osman Eyublu, violin; Dajana Marelja Pašalić, violin; Mislav Salopek, viola; Paola Genovese, cello; Goran Cvijanović, contrabass	9:02
02	Waltz for Orphans	Semir “Sammy” Hasić	Natalija Stanisavljević, violin; Ivan Buić, flute; Antonio Haller, oboe; Luka Horvat, trumpet; Barbara Ćavar, trombone; Antonio Ceravolo, percussions; Semir “Sammy” Hasić, piano; Strings quintet \| Osman Eyublu, violin; Dajana Marelja Pašalić, violin; Mislav Salopek, viola; Paola Genovese, cello; Goran Cvijanović, contrabass	2:38
03	My Country	Semir “Sammy” Hasić	Natalija Stanisavljević, violin; Ivan Buić, flute; Antonio Haller, oboe; Luka Horvat, trumpet; Barbara Ćavar, trombone; Antonio Ceravolo, percussions; Semir “Sammy” Hasić, piano; Strings quintet \| Osman Eyublu, violin; Dajana Marelja Pašalić, violin; Mislav Salopek, viola; Paola Genovese, cello; Goran Cvijanović, contrabass	3:54
04	Say No to Racism	Semir “Sammy” Hasić	Natalija Stanisavljević, violin; Ivan Buić, flute; Antonio Haller, oboe; Luka Horvat, trumpet; Barbara Ćavar, trombone; Antonio Ceravolo, percussions; Semir “Sammy” Hasić, piano; Strings quintet \| Osman Eyublu, violin; Dajana Marelja Pašalić, violin; Mislav Salopek, viola; Paola Genovese, cello; Goran Cvijanović, contrabass	3:36
05	My Tears	Semir “Sammy” Hasić	Natalija Stanisavljević, violin; Ivan Buić, flute; Antonio Haller, oboe; Luka Horvat, trumpet; Barbara Ćavar, trombone; Antonio Ceravolo, percussions; Semir “Sammy” Hasić, piano; Strings quintet \| Osman Eyublu, violin; Dajana Marelja Pašalić, violin; Mislav Salopek, viola; Paola Genovese, cello; Goran Cvijanović, contrabass	3:48
06	Scheherezade 1001 Nights	Semir “Sammy” Hasić	Natalija Stanisavljević, violin; Ivan Buić, flute; Antonio Haller, oboe; Luka Horvat, trumpet; Barbara Ćavar, trombone; Antonio Ceravolo, percussions; Semir “Sammy” Hasić, piano; Strings quintet \| Osman Eyublu, violin; Dajana Marelja Pašalić, violin; Mislav Salopek, viola; Paola Genovese, cello; Goran Cvijanović, contrabass	3:43
07	Stranger	Semir “Sammy” Hasić	Natalija Stanisavljević, violin; Ivan Buić, flute; Antonio Haller, oboe; Luka Horvat, trumpet; Barbara Ćavar, trombone; Antonio Ceravolo, percussions; Semir “Sammy” Hasić, piano; Strings quintet \| Osman Eyublu, violin; Dajana Marelja Pašalić, violin; Mislav Salopek, viola; Paola Genovese, cello; Goran Cvijanović, contrabass	3:07
08	Tornado	Semir “Sammy” Hasić	Natalija Stanisavljević, violin; Ivan Buić, flute; Antonio Haller, oboe; Luka Horvat, trumpet; Barbara Ćavar, trombone; Antonio Ceravolo, percussions; Semir “Sammy” Hasić, piano; Strings quintet \| Osman Eyublu, violin; Dajana Marelja Pašalić, violin; Mislav Salopek, viola; Paola Genovese, cello; Goran Cvijanović, contrabass	2:26
09	Migrants	Semir “Sammy” Hasić	Natalija Stanisavljević, violin; Ivan Buić, flute; Antonio Haller, oboe; Luka Horvat, trumpet; Barbara Ćavar, trombone; Antonio Ceravolo, percussions; Semir “Sammy” Hasić, piano; Strings quintet \| Osman Eyublu, violin; Dajana Marelja Pašalić, violin; Mislav Salopek, viola; Paola Genovese, cello; Goran Cvijanović, contrabass	2:16
10	Improvisation for Freedom	Semir “Sammy” Hasić	Natalija Stanisavljević, violin; Ivan Buić, flute; Antonio Haller, oboe; Luka Horvat, trumpet; Barbara Ćavar, trombone; Antonio Ceravolo, percussions; Semir “Sammy” Hasić, piano; Strings quintet \| Osman Eyublu, violin; Dajana Marelja Pašalić, violin; Mislav Salopek, viola; Paola Genovese, cello; Goran Cvijanović, contrabass	2:32
11	Covid 19 (Silent Track)	Semir “Sammy” Hasić	Natalija Stanisavljević, violin; Ivan Buić, flute; Antonio Haller, oboe; Luka Horvat, trumpet; Barbara Ćavar, trombone; Antonio Ceravolo, percussions; Semir “Sammy” Hasić, piano; Strings quintet \| Osman Eyublu, violin; Dajana Marelja Pašalić, violin; Mislav Salopek, viola; Paola Genovese, cello; Goran Cvijanović, contrabass	0:00

Semir “Sammy” Hasić composer, arranger, accordion, produce

Recorded and mixed September 2020 at Yamaha Rijeka sound studio in Rijeka, Croatia
Session Producer Olja Dešić
Session Engineers Matko Margan, Olja Dešić

Hasić is sponsored by
JAŠKAPACK d.o.o
BAUERFEIND AG
City of Zagreb

Executive Producer Bob Lord

Executive A&R Sam Renshaw
A&R Director Brandon MacNeil
A&R Morgan Santos

VP, Audio Production Jeff LeRoy
Audio Director Lucas Paquette

VP, Design & Marketing Brett Picknell
Art Director Ryan Harrison
Design Edward A. Fleming
Publicity Patrick Niland, Sara Warner

Artist Information

Semir “Sammy” Hasić

Accordionist, Composer

Semir “Sammy” HASIĆ (b. 1964) began playing music at the age of 6. He attended music school in Zenica and studied theoretical and pedagogical direction under professor Vinko Kreitmeyer in Sarajevo, eventually completing his studies of composition and conducting in Würzburg where he became professor of composition and conducting.

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Notes

War Rhapsody

Hasić evokes four thematic moods throughout this rhapsody. In the beginning, playful children are interrupted by the arrival of helicopters and tanks. The sad and difficult theme conjurs evil, slavery, camps, and then the lamentations of women and ambulances that cannot reach their destinations. After a brief moment of optimism, an even more difficult second theme signifies the loss of all that is sacred, both materially and spiritually. Next, the piece again returns to optimism and reiterates the first theme with direct modulation and without a fine transition, illustrating the endless circle and senselessness of war. In the end, the accordion is left almost by itself, representing the loss of nearly everything during war.

— Semir “Sammy” Hasić

Waltz For Orphans

This restless waltz represents two children, a brother and sister, who are orphaned during the war. Eventually, however, they realize that they still have each other and that they are not quite alone in the world.

— Semir “Sammy” Hasić

My Country

In this three-piece composition in a three-piece light-tempo measure, the composer asks:
In the name of the father, the son, and the holy spirit, why?
Why war?
Why homeland, nation, culture? Why?
Why do innocent children, people, women suffer?
Why war?

— Semir “Sammy” Hasić

Say No To Racism

The song is in an irregular 7/8 rhythm, but over time 7 and 7 become 14, so in the end it becomes regular and even again. The three-piece composition is organized with very clear melody and harmony.

— Semir “Sammy” Hasić

My Tears

A heavy, melancholy melody represents sadness to the point of tearlessness and the inability to stop wars and destruction.

— Semir “Sammy” Hasić

Scheherazade 1001 Nights

This piece is inspired by a story of the king Shahryar from One Thousand and One Nights, who hated the entire female gender and would take a new virgin wife every night only to have her killed the next morning. A woman named Scheherazade offers herself to the king and asks him if she can say goodbye to her sister. Scheherazade then begins telling a tale to her sister, which she stops before dawn. The king, immersed in the story, keeps the sister alive so that Scheherazade may finish the tale. This goes on for 1001 nights, during which the king falls in love with Scheherazade, sparing her life and making her his queen.

— Semir “Sammy” Hasić

Stranger

No matter the country, we were once all strangers in a strange land.

— Semir “Sammy” Hasić

Tornado

The composer mimics the takeoff of an airplane, the flight itself, the powerful thrusts, the expert maneuvering, the security, the technique, the bringing of peace and the victory of humanity, of humanity over evil, and the strength of alliance.

— Semir “Sammy” Hasić

Migrants

The composer conjures a migrant’s route as they escape from war and the troubles along their path: uncertainty, wire fences, inaccessible mountains, finding waters, disease, and the arrival in a new environment, which then requires adaptation to a new lifestyle and culture. The piece makes use of illogical harmony, Jewish, and Gypsy scales, and polyrhythm to emphasize tension and uncertainty.

— Semir “Sammy” Hasić

Improvisation For Freedom

Four chords rotate nonstop below improvised harmonica in a critique of the world powers for not agreeing to bring an end to all human suffering.

— Semir “Sammy” Hasić

COVID-19

The composer states that he is most afraid of illness. By keeping silent in this composition, he pays tribute to those who died of a vicious disease. We can try to earn money to buy everything we want, but the greatest wealth is health, happiness, and love.

— Semir “Sammy” Hasić