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 Albanian folk music falls into
three sylistic groups, with other important music areas around
Shkoder and Tirana; the major groupings are the Ghegs of the
north and southern Labs and Tosks. 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 give to their music
as a medium for patriotic expression and as a vehicle carrying
the narrative of oral history"[1], as well as certain
characteristics like the use of obscure rhythms such as 3/8, 5/8
and 10/8[2]. The first compilation of Albanian folk music was
made by Pjeter Dungu in 1940.
Albanian folk songs can be divided into major groups, the heroic
epics of the north, and the sweetly melodic lullabies, 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 celebrate St.
Lazarus Day (the llazore), which inauguarates the springtime.
Lullabies and laments are very important kinds of Albanian folk
song, and are generally performed by solo women[3].
Northern Albania
The Ghegs from north of the Shkumbini River are known for a
distinctive variety of sung epic poetry. Many of these are about
Skanderbeg, a legendary 15th century warrior who led the
struggle against the Turks, and the "constant Albanian themes of
honour, hospitality, treachery and revenge". These traditions
are a form of oral 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"[4]. Styles of epics include
kenge trimash (songs of bravery), kenge kreshnikesh, ballads and
maje krahi (cries)[citation needed]. Major epics include Mujo
and Halil and Halil and Hajrije[3].
The most traditional variety of epic poetry is called Rapsodi
Kreshnike (Poems of Heroes). These epic poems are sung,
accompanied by a lahuta, a one-stringed fiddle. It is rarely
performed in modern Albania, but is found in the northern
highlands[1].
Somewhat further south, around Diber and Kerçove in Macedonia,
the lahuta is not used, replaced by the çifteli, a two-stringed
instrument in which one string is used for the drone and one for
the melody. Though men are the traditional performers, except
for the Vajze te betuar, women have increasingly been taking
part in epic balladry[1].
Along with the def, çifteli and sharki are used in a style of
dance and pastoral songs. Homemade wind instruments are
traditionally used by shepherds in northern Albania; these
include the zumare, an unusual kind of clarinet. This shepherds'
music is "melancholic and contemplative" in tone[1]. The songs
called maje-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"[3].
Southern Albania
Southern Albanian music is soft and gentle, and polyphonic in
nature. Vlore in the southwest has perhaps the most unique 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 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"[1].
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 and melisma[3].
The Tosk people are known for ensembles consisting of violins,
clarinets, llaute (a kind of lute) and def. Eli Fara, a popular
émigré performer, is from Korçe, but the city of Permet is the
center 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[1].
Southern instrumental music includes the sedate kaba, an
ensemble-driven form driven by a clarinet or violin alongside
accordions and llautes. The 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."[1]
The ethnic Greek inhabitants of Dropulli, whose music is very
similar to the music of Epirus in Greece. These Greek-Albanians
have a rougher and more aggressive sound than other forms of
Albanian music, and lack the polyphonic complexity, but
otherwise the same scales and rhythmic patterns as the rest of
the country[1].
Popular music
The city of Korca has long been the cultural capital of Albania,
and its music is considered the most sophisticated in the
country. Bosnian sevdalinka is an important influence on music
from the area, which is complex, with shifts through major and
minor scales with an Turkish sound and a romantic and
sophisticated tone[1]. Traditional musicians from Shkoder
include Bujar Qamili, Luçija Miloti, Xhevdet Hafizi and Bik
Ndoja. Albanians also play the Armenian Duduk.
Albania's capital, Tirana, is the home of popular music
dominated by Romani influences and has been popularized at home
and in emigrant communities internationally by Merita Halili,
Parashqevi Simaku and Myslim Leli[1]. In recent times,
influences from Western Europe and the United States have led to
the creation of bands that play rock, pop and hip hop among many
other genres.
The most successful Albanian pop artistes are Giovanni and
Sebastian. They have had over twenty number one singles in their
homeland. Whilst success outside of this country has been
limited, Giovanni has enjoyed success with such artists as
Barbara Streisand and Robin Gibb. Sebastian has produced a
number of films, the most famous of which is the Albanian spoken
remake of The Towering Inferno.
1930s art song
The urban art songs of 1930s Albania can be traced back to the
19th century folk music of Albanian cities. These songs are a
major part of Albania's music heritage, but have been
little-studied by ethnomusicologists, who prefer to focus on the
rural folk music that they see as being more authentically
Albanian. Urban art songs are strongly influenced by the music
of the Ottoman authorities who controlled Albania for a very
long time, introducing elements of Turkish music, especially the
Ottoman modal scales, to local folk styles. The northern part of
Albania took more readily to Turkish music because both
traditions use monophony, while the south of Albania has long
been based on polyphony and a Greek modal system[3].
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. 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 played a
variety of European styles, including 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[3].
The lyrical style included a wide array of lullabies and other
forms, as well as love songs.
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