The music of Albania ( sq, Muzika Shqiptare) is associated with the country of Albania and

Albanian communities Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans ** Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the count ...

. Music has a long tradition in the country and is known for its regional diversity, from the Ghegs in the North to the Tosks in the South. It is an integral part of the national identity, strongly influenced by the country's long and turbulent history, which forced

Albanians The Albanians (; sq, Shqiptarët ) are an ethnic group and nation native to the Balkan Peninsula who share a common Albanian ancestry, culture, history and language. They primarily live in Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Se ...

to protect their culture from their overlords by living in rural and remote mountains. Diverse Albanian folk music includes monophonic and

polyphonic Polyphony ( ) is a type of musical texture consisting of two or more simultaneous lines of independent melody, as opposed to a musical texture with just one voice, monophony, or a texture with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords, h ...

styles,

response Response may refer to: *Call and response (music), musical structure *Reaction (disambiguation) *Request–response **Output (computing), Output or response, the result of telecommunications input *Response (liturgy), a line answering a versicle ...

s, choral, instrumental and vocal music. Each region has a unique musical tradition that reflects its history, language and culture. 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 an UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The

Gjirokastër National Folklore Festival Gjirokastër National Folklore Festival () is an artistic festival taking place every five years at Gjirokastër Castle in Gjirokastër, southern Albania. The festival was first held in 1968 and is regarded as the most important event in Albanian ...

, held every five years in Gjirokastër, is an important venue exhibiting traditional Albanian music. Albanian music extends to ancient

Illyria In classical antiquity, Illyria (; grc, Ἰλλυρία, ''Illyría'' or , ''Illyrís''; la, Illyria, ''Illyricum'') was a region in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula inhabited by numerous tribes of people collectively known as the Illyr ...

and Ancient Greece, with influences from the Byzantine and Ottoman Empire. It is evident in archeological findings such as arenas,

odeon Odeon may refer to: Ancient Greek and Roman buildings * Odeon (building), ancient Greek and Roman buildings built for singing exercises, musical shows and poetry competitions * Odeon of Agrippa, Athens * Odeon of Athens * Odeon of Domitian, Rome ...

s, 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. Church singing was performed throughout early Middle Ages in Albania by choirs or soloists in

ecclesiastical {{Short pages monitor Fustanela_001

Southern Albanian music is soft and gentle, and polyphonic in nature with similarities with Greek music on

polyphonic song of Epirus The polyphonic song of Epirus is a form of traditional folk polyphony practiced among Albanians, Aromanians, Greeks and formerly among ethnic Macedonians in southern Albania and northwestern Greece. The polyphonic song of Epirus is not to be confus ...

. Vlorë in the southwest has perhaps the most unusual vocal traditions in the area, with four distinct parts (''taker'', ''thrower'', ''turner'' and ''drone'') that combine to create a complex and emotionally cathartic melody. Author Kim Burton has described the melodies as "decorated with

falsetto ''Falsetto'' (, ; Italian diminutive of , "false") is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous ed ...

and vibrato, 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". 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 with

ornamentation An ornament is something used for decoration. Ornament may also refer to: Decoration *Ornament (art), any purely decorative element in architecture and the decorative arts *Biological ornament, a characteristic of animals that appear to serve on ...

and melisma. The Tosk people are known for ensembles consisting of violins,

clarinet The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound. Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...

s, lahutë (a kind of

lute A lute ( or ) is any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back enclosing a hollow cavity, usually with a sound hole or opening in the body. It may be either fretted or unfretted. More specifically, the term "lute" can ref ...

) and def. Eli Fara, a popular émigré performer, is from Korçë, but the city of Përmet 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. Southern instrumental music includes the sedate kaba, an ensemble-driven by a clarinet or violin alongside accordions and llautës. The Albanian ''Kaba'' 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."

Laver Bariu Laver Bariu (; May 2, 1929 in Përmet – January 26, 2014), was an Albanians, Albanian folk List of clarinetists, clarinetist and singer. He led his musical group for over 40 years and had an immense influence in teaching new generations the Përme ...

and

Remzi Lela Remzi is both a Turkish surname and given name. Notable people with the name include: Given name: * Remzi Başakbuğday (born 1989), Turkish taekwondo practitioner * Remzi Sedat İncesu (born 1972), Turkish basketball coach * Remzi Aydın Jöntü ...

are considered among the most influential Albanian clarinetists and best performers of the Albanian ''Kaba''. The ethnic Greek inhabitants of the country's southern parts, have a music very similar to the

music of Epirus The music of Epirus ( el, Μουσική της Ηπείρου), in Epirus, northwestern Greece, present to varying degree in the rest of Greece and the islands, contains folk songs that are mostly pentatonic and polyphonic, characterized as rel ...

in Greece.

Instrumentation

Instrumentation are an integral part of Albanian folk music, especially in the north. Those instruments can be divided into

string String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...

, wind and percussion categories. They vary from region to region and are used frequently throughout the entire country, performing both dance and instrumental polyphonic folk music. The lahuta, a single- stringed instrument, is rooted in Albanian epic poetry with emphasis on important historical and patriotic events from history. 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. It is often made from a single wood block composed of various types of woods including maple,

spruce A spruce is a tree of the genus ''Picea'' (), a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal (taiga) regions of the Earth. ''Picea'' is the sole genus in the subfami ...

and oak. The head of the lahuta is decorated with symbols of ancient cults such as the head of the capricorn, which is the symbol of the

Helmet of Skanderbeg Skanderbeg ( sq, Gjergj Kastrioti ) was a prominent figure in the history of Albania. His weapons have been subjects of mythical adoration. According to legends, his sword was so heavy that only his arm could wield it. It was also said to be so sh ...

Çifteli The çifteli (çiftelia, qifteli or qyfteli , sq, "doubled" or "double stringed") is a plucked string instrument, with only two strings, played mainly by the Albanians of northern and central Albania, Southern Montenegro, parts of North Macedon ...

a is a long necked stringed instrument and frequently used by Gheg Albanians in northeastern Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia. It is an integral part of northern traditional instrumental ensembles, commonly played in the context of northern wedding music. Double clarinet, Fyell, also known as Zumare, is a similar instrument to a pennywhistle and is mostly played by shepherds in the north along with a shepherd's flute. The instrument contains five holes in each pipe and a bell. The melodies which are played with a fyell are Homophony, homophonic and sounds nasal as well as very strong and powerful. 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 a violoncello or a lahuta but is not practised anymore. * Clarinet * Goblet drum, Qypi * Zurna, Surlja * Dayereh, Dajreja * Gaida, Gajda * Davul, Lodra * Tambourine, Defi * Toubeleki *Albanian bagpipe, Albanian Bagpipe

Popular music

The city of Shkodër, Shkodra has long been one of the most important cultural centers of Albania, and its early 20th century music is considered one of the most sophisticated in the country. Traditional musicians from Shkodër include Bujar Qamili, Luçie Miloti, Xhevdet Hafizi and Bik Ndoja. Albania's capital, Tirana, is the home of popular music influenced by various different genres of music and is largely the result of the urbanization of Tirana as the capital city of Albania in the 1920'. It been popularised at home and in emigrant communities internationally by Merita Halili, Parashqevi Simaku, and Myslim Lela. Other voices in contemporary Albanian music include Vaçe Zela and Pavlina Nikaj of Tirana, and Nexhmije Pagarusha of Prishtina. Band of Freedom 1909

1930s Urban Song

The Albanian Urban Lyric Song is a tradition that started in Albania in the 18th century but culminated in the 1930s. These songs are a major part of Albania's music heritage, but have been little-studied by ethnomusicology, ethnomusicologists, who prefer to focus on the rural folk music that they see as being more authentically Albanian. Out of this melting pot of local and imported styles came a kind of lyrical art song based in the cities of Shkodra, Elbasan, Berat and Korça. Though similar traditions existed in other places, they were little recorded and remain largely unknown. Tefta Tashko Koço

By the end of the 19th century, Albanian nationalism 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 played a variety of European styles, including march (music), marches and waltzes. Urban song in the early 20th century could be divided into two styles: the historic or nationalistic style, and the lyrical style. The lyrical style included a wide array of lullabies and other forms, as well as love songs. RoselaGjylbeguKM2009

In the early decade of the 1930s, urban art song had been incorporated into classical music, while the singer Marie 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 of Tefta Tashko-Koço.

1950s and beyond

Modern Albanian popular music uses instruments like the

çifteli The çifteli (çiftelia, qifteli or qyfteli , sq, "doubled" or "double stringed") is a plucked string instrument, with only two strings, played mainly by the Gheg people of northern and central Albania, Southern Montenegro, parts of North Mace ...

and sharki, which have been used in large bands since the Second World War to great popular acclaim; the same songs, accompanied by

and accordion, are performed at small weddings and celebrations. Tallava is a music genre originating in Kosovo, also popular in Albania and North Macedonia, in the Albanian-speaking communities. Having originated in the Roma community in Kosovo in the 1990s, it is oriental-sounding, and perceived of as low-status. Nevertheless, it is becoming increasingly popular in Albania and North Macedonia. It is identified as part of the wider Pop-folk genre of the Southeastern Europe, which includes Chalga from Bulgaria, Skiladiko from Greece, Manele from Romania and Turbo-folk from Serbia.

Albanian music in North Macedonia and Kosovo

Kosovo has been home to many important Albanian musicians, and the same can be said for North Macedonia. Prior to the Kosovo 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 famous Nexhmije Pagarusha, Ismet Peja and the romantic, more elaborate Qamili i Vogël of Gjakovë, Gjakova. The Macedonian band Vëllezërit Aliu became well- known for the traditional vocal duets accompanied by drum box, electric bass, synthesizer and clarinet or saxophone. ''Gjurmët'' is one of the most famous and influential 1980s Albanian rock, rock bands from Pristina.

Rock

Rock music, Rock arrived in Albania, particularly in Kosovo, in 1950 with an American and British influence. The first distinctively Albanian rock band was Blue Star, founded in Pristina.

Classical music

Opera

Palokë Kurti is usually said to be among the founders of Albanian opera. 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. Gjoka is said to be the first Albanian musician who showed great interest in traditional Albanian folk music considerably that of the deep Geography of Albania#Topography and hydrography, mountainous areas of the Northern Mountain Range (Albania), north of Albania that was less influenced by foreign music. 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 and Mikel Koliqi contributed to the development of classical music culture in Albania. They achieved prominence, with Noli using urban folk songs in his '' Byzantine Overture'' and is also known for a symphonic poem called ''Gjergj Kastriot Scanderbeg, Scanderberg''. Koliqi spent much of his life in prison for his religious beliefs, but managed to compose melodramas such as ''Siege of Shkodra (1474), The Siege of Shkodër'', ''The Red Scarf'' and ''Rozafa Castle, Rozafa''. 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 including ''Scanderbeg'' and ''Mrika'', which were influenced by traditional Italian opera, the belcanto 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. Later in the middle of the 20th century, Albanian composers came to focus on ballets, opera and other styles; these included Tonin Harapi, Tish Daija, Nikolla Zoraqi, Thoma Gaqi, Feim Ibrahimi, Shpëtim Kushta and many others. Since the Fall of communism in Albania, fall of the communism in Albania in the 21st century, composers like Aleksandër Peçi, ethnologist musician Ramadan Sokoli, Sokol Shup, Endri Sina, Pëllumb Vorpsi and

Vasil Tole Vasil S. Tole (born 22 November 1963) is an Albanian composer, ethnomusicologist and administrator. A proponent of European classical music, his compositions include opera, chamber music, orchestral works and various pieces for small ensembles a ...

have arisen, as have new music institutions like the Society of Music Professionals and the Society of New Albanian Music. The contemporary opera artists such as Inva Mula, Ermonela Jaho and

Saimir Pirgu Saimir Pirgu (born 23 September 1981 in Elbasan) is an Albanian international opera singer (tenor). In 2014 he was awarded the Italian citizenship by the President of the Italian Republic Giorgio Napolitano. Biography He graduated in singing ...

have achieved international recognition for their music.

Contemporary 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.Miranda Vickers, James Pettifer
Albania: from anarchy to a Balkan identity
page 121 "...in the 1970s Beatles songs could only be heard in clandestine condition..." 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 the Albanian Riviera such as Turtle Fest and Soundwave Albania.

External links

Audio clip: traditional Albanian music.
Musée d'ethnographie de Genève. Accessed November 25, 2010.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Music Of Albania Albanian music, Southern European music