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Themusic of Albania (Albanian:Muzika Shqiptare) is associated with the country ofAlbania andAlbanian communities.Music has a long tradition in the country and is known for its regional diversity, from theGhegs in the North to theTosks in the South. It is an integral part of the national identity, strongly influenced by the country's long and turbulenthistory,[1] which forcedAlbanians to protect their culture from their overlords by living in rural and remote mountains.
Albanian popular music often incorporates the country's folk music. Albanianfolk music includesmonophonic andpolyphonic styles,responses, choral, instrumental and vocal music. Each region has a unique musical tradition that reflects its history,language andculture.[1] Polyphonic singing and song forms are primarily found in South Albania, while in the North they are predominantly monophonic.Albanian iso-polyphony has been declared anUNESCOIntangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.[2] TheGjirokastër National Folklore Festival, held every five years inGjirokastër, is an important venue exhibiting traditional Albanian music.
Albanian music extends to ancientIllyria andAncient Greece, with influences from theByzantine andOttoman Empire.[3] It is evident inarcheological findings such as arenas,odeons, theatre buildings and amphitheatres, all over Albania. The remains of temples, libraries, sculptures and paintings of ancient dancers, singers and musical instruments, have been found in territories inhabited by the ancient Illyrians and ancient Greeks.[3]
Church singing was performed throughout the earlyMiddle Ages in Albania by choirs or soloists inecclesiastical centers such asBerat,Durrës andShkodër.[4] The Middle Ages in Albania includedchoral music andtraditional music.[4]Shën Jan Kukuzeli, a singer, composer and musical innovator of Albanian origin, is one of the earliest known musicians.[5]
Internationally renownedcontemporary musicians of Albanian origin from Albania andAlbanian diaspora includeAction Bronson,Elvana Gjata,Ava Max,Bebe Rexha,Dua Lipa,Era Istrefi, Albert Stanaj,Dafina Zeqiri,Gashi,Ermal Meta,Enca,Elhaida Dani,Noizy,Unikkatil, andRita Ora. In the field ofclassical music, several Albanian sopranos and tenors have gained international recognition including Rame Lahaj,Inva Mula,Marie Kraja,Saimir Pirgu andErmonela Jaho, and the composerVasil Tole, a member of the Academy of Sciences of Albania. Best voices of Albanian folk music includeVaçe Zela andNexhmije Pagarusha. Among the most influential and best performers of the Albaniankaba – a folk instrumental expression of theAlbanian Iso-Polyphony – are clarinetistsLaver Bariu andRemzi Lela, and violinistEthem Qerimaj.
Albanianfolk music has a deep history and can be separated into three major stylistic groups: the northernGhegs, southernLabs andTosks and with other important urbanmusic areas aroundShkodër andTirana.[1] It reflects the cultural and political history of theAlbanian people and geographic position inSouthern Europe and theMediterranean Sea.
The northern and southern traditions are contrasted by the rugged and heroic tone of the north and the relaxed, gentle and exceptionally beautiful form of the south. These disparate styles are unified by the intensity that both performers and listeners bring to their music as a medium for patriotic expression and as a vehicle carrying the narrative oforal history, as well as certain characteristics like the use ofmetres such as 3/8, 5/8 and 10/8.[6][7]
Albanian folk songs can be divided into major groups, the heroic epics of the north and the sweetly melodiclullabies,love songs,wedding music,work songs and other kinds of song. The music of various festivals and holidays is also an important part of Albanian folk song, especially those that celebrateLazarus Day, which inaugurates the springtime. Lullabies andlaments are very important kinds of Albanian folk song, and are generally performed by solo women.[8]
TheGhegs from North of theShkumbini River are known for a distinctive variety of sungepic poetry. The music of the north is particularlymonophonic. Many of these are about the struggles of the Albanian people and history, the constant Albanian themes of honor, hospitality, treachery and revenge but alsoSkanderbeg, a legendary 15th century warrior who led the struggle against theOttomans.[4] These traditions are a form oforal history for the Ghegs and also preserve and inculcate moral codes and social values, necessary in a society that, until the early 20th century, relied on blood feuds as its primary means of law enforcement.[9]
The most traditional variety of epic poetry is theAlbanian Songs of the Frontier Warriors. These epic poems are sung, accompanied by alahuta. It is rarely performed in modern Albania, but is found in the northern highlands within theDukagjin highlands andMalësia.[6] Other styles of epics also include the Këngë trimash or kreshnikësh (English:Songs of brave men or frontier warriors),ballads andmaje krahis (cries). Major epics includeMujo and Halil andHalil and Hajrije.[8]
Somewhat further south, aroundDibër andKërçovë inMacedonia, the lahuta is not used, replaced by theçifteli, a two-stringed instrument in which one string is used for thedrone and one for themelody. Though men are the traditional performers (exception made for thesworn virgins), women have increasingly been taking part in epic balladry.[6]
Along with the def,çifteli and sharki are used in a style of dance and pastoral songs. Homemadewind instruments are traditionally used byshepherds in northern Albania; these include the zumarë, an unusual kind of clarinet. This shepherds' music is "melancholic and contemplative" in tone.[6] The songs calledmaje-krahi are another important part of North Albanian folk song; these were originally used by mountaineers to communicate over wide distances, but are now seen as songs.Maje-krahi songs require the full range of the voice and are full of "melismatic nuances and falsetto cries".[8]
Southern Albanian music is soft and gentle, and polyphonic in nature with similarities to Greek music onpolyphonic song of Epirus.Vlorë in the southwest has perhaps the most unusual vocal traditions in the area, with four distinct parts (taker,thrower,turner anddrone) that combine to create a complex and emotionally cathartic melody. Author Kim Burton has described the melodies as "decorated withfalsetto andvibrato, sometimes interrupted by wild and mournful cries". This polyphonic vocal music is full of power that "stems from the tension between the immense emotional weight it carries, rooted in centuries of pride, poverty and oppression, and the strictly formal, almost ritualistic nature of its structure".[6]
South Albania is also known for funeral laments with a chorus and one to two soloists with overlapping, mournful voices. There is a prominent folk love song tradition in the south, in which performers use free rhythm and consonant harmonies, elaborated withornamentation andmelisma.[8]
TheTosk people are known for ensembles consisting ofviolins,clarinets, lahutë (a kind oflute) anddef.Eli Fara, a popular émigré performer, is fromKorçë, but the city ofPërmet is the centre for southern musical innovation, producing artists like Remzi Lela and Laver Bariu. Lela is of special note, having founded a musical dynasty that continues with his descendants playing a part in most of the major music institutions in Tirana.[6]
Southern instrumental music includes the sedatekaba, an ensemble-driven by a clarinet or violin alongside accordions and llautës. The Albaniankaba is an improvised and melancholic style with melodies that Kim Burton describes as "both fresh and ancient", "ornamented with swoops, glides and growls of an almost vocal quality", exemplifying the "combination of passion with restraint that is the hallmark of Albanian culture."[6] Among the most influential and best performers of the Albaniankaba are clarinetistsLaver Bariu andRemzi Lela,[10] and violinistEthem Qerimaj.[11]
The ethnicGreek inhabitants of the country's southern parts, have a music very similar to themusic of Epirus in Greece.
Instrumentation are an integral part of Albanian folk music, especially in the north. Those instruments can be divided intostring,wind andpercussion categories. They vary from region to region and are used frequently throughout the entire country, performing both dance and instrumental polyphonic folk music.[3]
Thelahuta, a single-stringed instrument, is rooted in Albanianepic poetry with emphasis on important historical and patriotic events fromhistory.[12][13] It is usually played only by men during winter evenings by the fireplace. The instrument is primarily widespread in the mountainous northern area of the country but can be also found in the center of the country.[1] It is often made from a single wood block composed of various types of woods includingmaple,spruce andoak. The head of the lahuta is decorated with symbols of ancient cults such as the head of the capricorn, which is the symbol of theHelmet of Skanderbeg.[14]
Çiftelia is a long necked stringed instrument and frequently used byGheg Albanians in northeasternAlbania,Kosovo,Montenegro andNorth Macedonia.[3] It is an integral part of northern traditional instrumental ensembles, commonly played in the context of northern wedding music.
Fyell, also known as Zumare, is a similar instrument to apennywhistle and is mostly played by shepherds in the north along with a shepherd's flute.[15] The instrument contains five holes in each pipe and a bell. The melodies which are played with a fyell arehomophonic and sounds nasal as well as very strong and powerful.[3]
Violina is usually used since the 19th century in both the northern and southern region. In the past, it was held in a vertical position like avioloncello or a lahuta but is not practised anymore.[3]
The development of groups of instrumentalists played a significant role for the establishment of urban music in Albania. In the cities of northern Albania these instrumentalist groups were referred to asahengje (meaning roughly 'to party' or 'partying') in Shkodër and asorkestrina ('little orchestras') inTirana,Durrës,Kavajë andElbasan; while in all cities of southern Albania they were referred to assaze (another term for 'little orchestras'). Conglomerates ofsolists orgroups of instrumentalists were referred to astaifa, which were created in order to facilitate the professional rights and existence of the musicians.[16]
With the growth of the cities their music began to develop peculiar features that were inclined to be accepted by the bulk of Albanians. Thepopullore ('popular') songs covered repertories which incorporated urban songs, as well as Romani songs, and sometimes also complex folk music. It has been suggested that before the second half of the 20th century "the entire musical life of Albania was determined by folk music". However, while the musical life of Albania may have been strongly influenced by folk music during the first half of the 20th century, urban lyric songs show that by 1930 that influence was no longer strong enough to thoroughly predominate the Albanian musical environment.[17]
TheAlbanian Urban Lyric Song is a tradition that started in Albania in the 18th century but culminated in the 1930s.[18] These songs are a major part of Albania's music heritage, but have been little-studied byethnomusicologists, who prefer to focus on the rural folk music that they see as being more authentically Albanian.Out of thismelting pot of local and imported styles came a kind of lyrical art song based in the cities ofShkodra,Elbasan,Berat andKorça. Though similar traditions existed in other places, they were little recorded and remain largely unknown. By the end of the 19th century, Albaniannationalism was inspiring many to attempt to remove the elements of Turkish music from Albanian culture, a desire that was intensified following independence in 1912; bands that formed during this era like the Korçë-based Lira Chorus[19] played a variety of European styles, includingmarches andwaltzes. Urban song in the early 20th century could be divided into two styles: the historic or nationalistic style, and the lyrical style.[8] The lyrical style included a wide array of lullabies and other forms, as well as love songs.
In the early decade of the 1930s, urban art song had been incorporated into classical music, while the singerMarie Kraja made a popular career out of art songs; she was one of Albania's first popular singers. The first recordings, however, of urban art song came as early as 1937, with the orchestral sounds ofTefta Tashko-Koço.[8]
Modern Albanian popular music uses instruments like theçifteli andsharki, which have been used in large bands since theSecond World War to great popular acclaim; the same songs, accompanied byclarinet andaccordion, are performed at small weddings and celebrations.[6]
A massive rise of popular music –muzika e lehtë – occurred during thecommunist period in Albania, with renowned singers likeVaçe Zela andParashqevi Simaku.[20]
The censorship imposed by Enver Hoxha in almost all musical genres banned in particular Western contemporary music from all stages of Albania, and its broadcasting was forbidden. The national song contestFestivali i Këngës has been organized since 1961, and it provided an authorized platform for nonconformist musical forms similar to the Western models.[20]
The 1972 edition was a turning point for the contest, in which dictatorEnver Hoxha prosecuted the organisers ofFestivali i Këngës 11 after declaring them "enemies of the public". They were accused of endangering the country with "immoral aspects" in their songs and performances. Following this development, the ruling Communist Party imposed numerous sanctions on the festival's content, with a strict censorship on anything deemed inappropriate by the government. This ranged from limiting the type of clothes artists could wear, to restricting their range of movement while performing. The main organisers of the show were accused of conspiring against the country and corrupting its youth.[21][22][20]
The isolationism of contemporary music ceased after thefall of the regime, and the popular music of Albania was rapidly integrated into the overall trends in Southeast Europe, with the promotion of hybridmusical forms usingsynthetic accompaniments.[23]Tallava is a pop music genre originating inKosovo, also popular inAlbania andNorth Macedonia, in the Albanian-speaking communities.[24][25][26] Having originated in the Roma community in Kosovo in the 1990s, it is oriental-sounding, and perceived of as low-status.[27] Nevertheless, it is becoming increasingly popular in Albania and North Macedonia.[28] It is identified as part of the widerPop-folk genre of theSoutheastern Europe, which includesChalga from Bulgaria,Skiladiko from Greece,Manele from Romania andTurbo-folk from Serbia.[29]
Albania has participated in theEurovision Song Contest since 2004.
Kosovo has been home to many important Albanian musicians, and the same can be said for North Macedonia. Prior to theKosovo War, there was a thriving music industry in Kosovo, which reached new heights in recent years. The Kosovar music industry was home to many famous musicians, including the famousNexhmije Pagarusha, Ismet Peja and the romantic, more elaborate Qamili i Vogël ofGjakova.[6] The Macedonian band Vëllezërit Aliu became well- known for the traditional vocal duets accompanied by drum box, electric bass, synthesizer and clarinet or saxophone.[6]Gjurmët is one of the most famous and influential 1980srock bands fromPristina.[30]
Rock arrived in Albania, particularly inKosovo, in 1950 with an American and British influence. The first distinctively Albanian rock band was Blue Star, founded inPristina.
Palokë Kurti is usually said to be among the founders ofAlbanian opera.[31] A native of Shkodër, he was a musical amateur who composed the Unity of Albania March (Bashkimi Shqipnis) in 1881. Another composer and also a priest, Martin Gjoka is also considered to be one of the most important founders of Albanian classical music.[31] Gjoka is said to be the first Albanian musician who showed great interest in traditional Albanian folk music considerably that of the deepmountainous areas of thenorth of Albania that was less influenced by foreign music.[31][32] During his lifetime, he composed several vocal and instrumental music using elements of urban art song and the folk melodies of the north.
In the 19th and 20th century,Fan S. Noli andMikel Koliqi contributed to the development of classical music culture in Albania. They achieved prominence, with Noli using urban folk songs in hisByzantine Overture and is also known for a symphonic poem calledScanderberg.[8] Koliqi spent much of his life in prison for his religious beliefs, but managed to composemelodramas such asThe Siege of Shkodër,The Red Scarf andRozafa.
Other pivotal composers in modern Albanian classical music were Thoma Nassi,Kristo Kono, Frano Ndoja and Lec Kurti who composed "Arbereshja" in 1915.
Prenk Jakova became well known for operas includingScanderbeg andMrika, which were influenced by traditionalItalian opera, thebelcanto style and Albanian folk music.Çesk Zadeja composed in many styles, from symphonies to ballets, beginning in 1956, and also helped found the Music Conservatory of Tirana, the Theatre of Opera and Ballet, and the Assembly of Songs and Dances.[32]
Later in the middle of the 20th century, Albanian composers came to focus onballets, opera and other styles; these includedTonin Harapi,Tish Daija,Nikolla Zoraqi, Thoma Gaqi,Feim Ibrahimi, Shpëtim Kushta and many others. Since thefall of the communism in Albania in the 21st century, composers likeAleksandër Peçi, ethnologist musicianRamadan Sokoli, Sokol Shup, Endri Sina, Pëllumb Vorpsi andVasil Tole have arisen, as have new music institutions like the Society of Music Professionals and the Society of New Albanian Music.[32]
The contemporary opera artists such asInva Mula,Ermonela Jaho andSaimir Pirgu have achieved international recognition for their music.
In Albania, the most prominent rock bands and individuals only appeared after 1990 as rock music was prohibited. However, youth groups found ways to listen it through clandestine channels.[33]
Furthermore, electronic music has become a mainstream music genre in Albania. Albanian artists and renowned DJs such as DJ Aldo, Vin Veli, DJ Sardi, Dj Tedd and others are successfully collaborating mainly with Italian and Romanian artists, while showcasing themselves in renown clubs in Tirana and in annual music festivals along theAlbanian Riviera such as Turtle Fest and Soundwave Albania.
Formen wie: tallava in Albanien, chalga in Bulgarien, skiládiko in ... in Rumänien, turbo folk in Serbien usw
