[dissonant orchestra music] (slobin) if we use the word environment to relate to music we're talkingwo things: a physical environment and a social environment. in the case of highlander people in bosnia singing together the two are pretty much inseparable. (narrator) in a mountainous region of bosnia herzegovina close to sarajevo, a sheep herding community has developed a unique singing style known as ganga. this genre, which is primarily sung outdoors in groups, closely reflects the conditions and life style of the highlander commity. in bosnian highlander culture, specifically in mt. bjelasnica people will spend a lot of time outdoors since it's the herding culture. they will spend a lot of time up in the hills all alone looking down into the valley. and if somebody's passing through the valley they certainly want to be heard. [singing ganga] it is very important to conquer that space with your voice. in terms of finding a genre that will carry the furthest it's definitely a genre called ganga. and this particular type of singing is characterized by very close harmonies, so voices