1 Vasil S.Tole “INVENTORY OF PERFORMES ON ALBANIAN FOLK ISO-POLYPHONY” “A Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Mankind” safeguarded by UNESCO Tirana, 2010 1 2 Vasil.S.Tole “Inventory of performers on iso-polyphony” Cover: Georgi S. Tole Editor of musical examples: Prof. Dr. Fatmir Hysi Computerised Page-setting: Enkeleida Tole © All rights of the author reserved Të gjitha të drejtat të rezervuara. Asnjë All rights reserved. No part of this book pjesë e këtij punimi nuk mund të may be reproduced or utilized in any form riprodhohet, të ritregohet në ndonjë mënyrë or by any means, electronic or mechanical, ose sistem tjetër, ose të transmetohet në including photocopying, recording or by ndonjë formë që kupton fotokopjimin, any information storage and retrieval regjistrimin, transmetimet radio-përhapëse systems, without permission in writing from etj, pa lejen me shkrim të autorit, Vasil S. Vasil S Tole. Tole. Printed in Albania, 2010 2 3 Acknowledgements The preparation of “Inventory of Performers on albanian folk iso-polyphony” is part of the international cultural heritage project: “Safeguarding Albanian Folk Iso-Polyphony”, “A Unesco Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity”, financed on the basis of the Japanese Funds-in-Trust for the preservation and promotion of Intangible Cultural Heritage under the guidance of UNESCO. Albanian Music Council A member of the International Music Council IMC/UNESCO www.isopolifonia.com 3 4 Abbreviations used: VA Vegla Aerofone Aerophone VI Vegla Idiofone Idiophone VK Vegla Kordofone Chordophone VM Vegla Membranofone Membranophone 4 5 A Ademi, Qazim (Matogjin, Vlora, 1876 - Matogjin 1939) Famous bard and singer of Lab iso-polyphony. Ency. Qazim Ademi’s songs are considered successors to the Demirçe songs of another famous bard, Demir Ago Mystehaku – Vlonjati (Matogjin, c. 1780 - 1845), who is also mentioned by Spiro Dine. According to Gaçe, about 60 songs composed by Qazim Ademi are still popularly sung. Qazim Ademi is also mentioned in relation to the men’s laments known as “with lacerations” (me të çjerre) and “with clawed faces” (të grisura të faqeve). His interpretations were highly individual, so that even now iso-polyphonic songs of the lament/elegy type are popularly referred to as Qazimademirçe songs. The Qazimademirçe tradition of performing songs and dances with an a capella vocal accompaniment is followed by other prominent singers from the Lumi i Vlorës area, such as Saliko Dalan Salaj and Avdul Ymeri, etc. Lit: Dine, Spiro “Valët e detit”, Sofje, 1908; Gaçe, Bardhosh. “Kënga popullore e lumit të Vlorës”, Tirana, 1995 etc. Aerophone: Category used in the classification of folk instruments. Ency. Folk instruments classified as aerophones produce their sound by the vibration of air within the body of the instrument. This category contains such folk instruments as: picangë (leaf), fuzë, fugë, bredhkaçe (bullroarers), vron (gourd), bobël (horn), llullak (bark trumpet), kollomidhë, niellëse, bilbil (whistles), cyl, stërkalc, bardhaçkë, fyell, cirifilë, fyelldrejt, (fipple and end-blown flutes), biculë (double flutes), pipëzë, zumarë (folk reed pipes), gajde, karamunxë (bagpipes), glyrë, surla (shawms), gërnetë (clarinet), gëzhojë (shell). Aerophone folk instruments are in common use throughout the whole of the Albanian ethnomusicological territory. Lit: Sokoli, R. Miso, P. “Veglat muzikore të popullit shqiptar”, Tirana, 1991 etj. “A.F.O. Drita”: The Albanian Folk Orchestra Drita consists of American musicians who perform Albanian folk music in America. Ency. Drita was formed in Los Angeles in 1982 by Jan Price, with the aim of spreading awareness of Albanian music in 5 6 America., and to date the group has performed in San Francisco, New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. Jan Price was inspired to form the group in 1968, during his first visit to Albania. Since then he has visited Albania over 30 times, gathering and recording a considerable amount of Albanian folk music, as well as collecting studies of the subject. Drita’s first CD, including performances of about 20 Albanian folk songs and melodies, was released in 1999. The songs recorded on their CD include A kanë ujë ato burime, Qeraxhi i Grebenesë, Lule të bukura ka Tirana, Kaba me gërnetë, etc. The personnel of Drita are: Joe Carson, çifteli and llautë; Joan Friedburg, llautë, çifteli and vocals; Linda Levin, vocals, çifteli and dajre; Leticia Lucca, accordion and çifteli; Rob Stokes, clarinet, gajdë and fyell; Jan Price, vocals, lodër, dajre and darabuke. A.K.K.V.P Ansambli Kombëtar i Këngëve dhe Valleve Popullore (The National Folk Song and Dance Ensemble). State Arts Institution which preserves, cultivates and disseminates folk songs and dances from the whole of Albania. Ency. The institution was first established in 1957 as the Folk Song and Dance Ensemble, (Ansambli i Këngëve dhe Valleve Popullore), and was conceived of and directed by composer Çesk Zadeja and choreographer Gëzim Kaceli. It consisted of a folk orchestra, singers, chorus and a dance group. According to Tish Daija, composer and People’s Artist, and one of the artistic directors of the AKKVP, the ensemble was intended to reflect the art of all areas of Albania. According to the FESH: The AKKVP deals with trans-national Albanian folklore, including that from Kosova and that of the Arberesh. One of the AKKVP’s major contributions is to have supported and performed hundreds of folk songs and dances arranged by Albanian composers, a considerable number of which have been published by the Shtëpia Qëndrore e Krijimtarisë Popullore. The ensemble has given dozens of concerts throughout Albania, participated in many international tours, and performed successfully in three continents, Asia, Europe and Africa. Among the distinctions its performances have been awarded are the Collier d’argent of the Dijon International Folklore Festival, on 4 September 1970, and the Doruntina e argjendit at the Folk Area-2000 festival in Tirana. Distinguished singers and recipients of the title of Honoured Artist who were founding members of the AKKVP, include Luçie Miloti, Xhevdet Hafizi, Fitnete Rexha, Naile Hoxha, etc. Composers who have worked as artistic directors of the AKKVP 6 7 include Tish Daija, People’s Artist, Limoz Dizdari, Honoured Artist, Aleksandër Peçi, Honoured Artist, Agim Krajka, Honoured Artist, Arian Avrazi, etc., while the chorusmasters include Milto Vako, Honoured Artist, Xhemal Laçi, Honoured Artist, etc. Instrumentalists include Ethem Qerim, Selim Asllani, Ndue Shyti, Lakmi Hasani, Lulëzim Cara, etc., and among the choreographers are Panajot Kanaçi, Peoples’Artist, Gëzim Kaceli, Honoured Artist, Fehni Shaqiri, Honoured Artist, as well as the renowned Besim Zekthi, Honoured Artist, Lili Cingu, Rezhep Çeliku, Honoured Artist Besim Jazexhiu, etc. In 2003 the State Dramatic Company of the National Folk Song and Dance Ensemble was established pursuant to Law 9631 of 30 October 2006, on Theatrical Arts, Article 34 :”the AKKVP shall be merged with the TKOB (National Opera and Ballet Theatre) to form the National Opera, Ballet and Folk Ensemble Theatre. See: Arranged folk songs. Lit: Zadeja, Çesk “Ansambli Shtetëror i Këngëve dhe Valleve Popullore”, Ylli, nr. 9, pp. 11-12; Harapi, Tonin “Këndojmë dhe vallzojmë”, “Drita”, 1962, 30 September; Zadeja, Çesk “Ansambli Shtetëror i Këngëve dhe Valleve Popullore”, “Ylli”, 1962, nr. 9; Çefa, Sandër “Disa probleme të ansamblit popullor”, “Drita”, 1965, 12 Dhjetor; “Fjalori enciklopedik shqiptar”, Tirana, 1981; Rrota, Tonin “25 vjetori i krijimit të AKVP”, “Skena dhe Ekrani”, 1982, nr. 4; Tërshana, Engjëll “Panajot Kanaçi”, Tirana 1998; Goshi, Katerina, Daja, Lili “Muzika në Shqipëri”, Tirana, 1998; Daija, Tish “Në skenat e tre kontinenteve”, Tirana, 1999 etj. National activities Events promoting the qualities of intangible heritage in the area linked with iso- of iso-polyphony. polyphony: Ency. Pursuant to Law no. 9048 of 7 April 2003, on Cultural Heritage, et al., the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, Paris, 2003, ratified by the Albanian Government in 2006, and sub-legal enactments in this field, several important national events aimed at preserving and promoting the qualities of folk iso-polyphony are organised within the Republic of Albania. These include: - The National Typological Folkore Festival (FFTK) of Saze and Folk Bands, Korçë. The FFTK of Saze, a national intagible culture event, focuses on the musical tradition of the saze, as an embodiment of instrumental iso-polyphony. The music of the saze is found 7 8 throughout the south, south-east and south-west of Albania, especially in the urban music of Korçë, Vlorë, Pogradec, Përmet, Berat, Leskovik, etc. Other towns which have saze ensembles, although lying outside this cultural zone also participate in this event, as is the case with the Lela family of Tirana, etc. This festival has been held regularly in the town of Korçë since 1994, in cooperation with the local municipality, and in accordance with the Statute of National Typological Festivals approved by the Ministry of Culture. - The FFTK of Iso-Polyphony, Vlorë. The FFTK of Iso-Polyphony, a national intagible culture event, focuses on the non-instrumental iso-polyphonic tradition, and is held in Vlorë on the eve of the November festivals. This festival, which by now occupies a place in tradition, is an outstanding example of Albanian polyphony as a manifestation of popular creativity. The purpose of the festival is to present, encourage and promote the finest values and achievements of this genre, and to revive the cultural life of the areas where iso-polyphony is the chief form of artistic expression. With this end in view, the finest performers from all parts of the country are invited to participate. Folk polyphony groups from towns with musical traditions, such as Korçë, Gjirokastër, Sarandë, Vlorë, Gramsh, Tepelenë, Përmet, Skrapar, etc, participate in the festival, as do groups from the north whose songs feature two or more voices. It is also intended to invite groups from other areas of the Balkans which have a polyphonic song tradition, such as Greece, Macedonia, etc.