Gjirokastra National Folklore Festival

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Stage of the festival with the signet of the 2009 event

The National Folklore Festival of Gjirokastra ( Albanian  Festivali Folklorik Kombëtar i Gjirokastrës ) is a multi-day arts festival for folklore that takes place every five years in Gjirokastra in southern Albania . The festival presents traditional Albanian music, clothing and dance to the public from all areas in south-eastern Europe and southern Italy that are inhabited by Albanians . The folklore festival is considered the most important event for Albanian culture . The aim is to protect, promote and support the country's music.

The various groups in colorful costumes consist of a multitude of musicians, singers and dancers. Groups from southern Albania often wear iso-polyphonic music ( Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of UNESCO before), from the north come rhapsodists .

The festival was first held in 1968. It takes up a tradition of folklore festivals launched in Tirana in 1949 .

venue

The stage at Gjirokastra Castle

With the exception of the 1995 event, the folklore festival has been held at Gjirokastra Castle since 1968. The fortress towering high above the city was at least partially used as a prison before 1968. It was later opened to the public and a museum was set up. In the eastern part of the facility there is an almost 100 by 50 meter open, slightly sloping area that is used for the festival.

In 1984 a metal stage construction - last replaced in 2000 - was erected, which is also used for celebrations from time to time. Before that, the area was examined archaeologically; ceramic remains from the 4th to 2nd century BC were found.

For Gjirokastra, the festival is the most important major event that occupies the city. The participants of the festival dance along with the passers-by in the alleys and sang together. At the last event in 2015 there was a rich supporting program.

competition

The festival is a competition between the different regions (today: qarqet and neighboring countries). The regional groups consist of various dance, musician and singer groups of all ages who alternate with their lectures. The majority are amateurs. The contributions must not have previously been presented at the national festival.

The participating groups qualify for the festival in regional preliminary decisions. Before the 2015 festival, the regional competitions had around 7,500 people, including 1,600 children and young people.

“We don't give first prize for folklore, but we give first prize for interpretation and execution. Because folklore cannot compete with each other. "

- Agron Zhagolli

The winning region will be determined by a jury. There are also numerous prizes for individuals and groups in special categories.

history

Origins

The National Folklore Festival of Gjirokastra was preceded by the National Festival of Song, Music and Dance , which was held in the Albanian capital Tirana in 1949 and from November 25 to 27, 1959 with around 400 participants. There were also national folk festivals in Tirana in 1946, 1952 and 1957 and in Elbasan and Lezha in 1966 and 1967 respectively.

"High point in the country's folk music life"

Singer at the 1988 festival

Ten years later, from October 8-16, 1968, the first National Folklore Festival took place in Gjirokastra on the occasion of Enver Hoxha's birthday . Gjirokastra is the hometown of Hoxha, the then political leader of Albania. The one-week festival was held five years apart in 1973, 1978, 1983 and 1988 in October each year on the occasion of Hoxha's birthdays.

The festival was the most important occasion for folk music. Folklore was one of the few tolerated musical styles in communist Albania. The folklore festival was intended to underline national unity and identity. It was reported on in detail across the country. The entire program was recorded and broadcast almost non-stop in the evenings on radio and television. The participants for the big event were selected in long regional preliminary decisions - at that time only artists from Albania appeared. The musicians, who were mostly lay people, represented all 36 regions of the country. In 1973 1370 artists took part in the festival, five years later even 1560; with the regional preliminary decisions it should have been over 50,000.

"[The festival] ... is probably the highlight of the organized folk music scene in the country"

- Adelheid Feilcke-Tiemann

Time and again, artists who were politically unacceptable were refused entry. The awarding of the winners presumably also had political reasons. The cult of personality was also part of the event: some old melodies were performed with new texts that paid tribute to Enver Hoxha, the achievements of communism and the communists' partisan struggle during the Second World War. Religious music was banned after 1967.

Repositioning after the turn

Festival area in the southern area of ​​the castle

After the collapse of the communist system, the festival also fell into a crisis, partly due to a lack of funds, but also due to a change in social values ​​regarding music. In 1994 the National Center for Folklore Activities (Qendra Kombëtare e Veprimtarive Folklorike) was founded, which takes care of the maintenance of Albanian folk culture at home and abroad and organizes the festival in the future. In 1995 the folklore festival was held at Berat Castle .

Since September 2000, Gjirokastra has been the venue again. The next edition took place from September 29th to October 5th, 2004, after the promotion of folklore had been transferred to the specific institute by law in 2003.

The ninth edition of the festival was held in September 2009. The festival won the Qark Shkodra for overall best performance, while bards Sherif Dervishi and Myfterin Uka were awarded for best solo performance.

Gjirokastra Castle during the 2015 festival

The tenth edition was first announced for April 2015, but then took place from May 10th to 16th. The partly used new name Festivali Folklorik Mbarëkombëtar refers to the participation of all Albanians across national borders. Groups of Albanians from Western Europe, the USA and Italy ( Arbëresh ) also took part. In the competition there were 1204 participants, of whom 952 came from Albania, 102 from Kosovo , 100 from Macedonia and 50 from Montenegro . The Qark Tirana was awarded the first prize. The event was broadcast live on television every evening.

literature

  • Bruno Reuer, Adelheid Feilcke-Tiemann: The Gjirokaster Festival . In: Walter Raunig (ed.): Albania - wealth and diversity of ancient culture . State Museum for Ethnology, Munich 2001, ISBN 3-9807561-2-2 , p. 184-188 .
  • German-Albanian Friendship Society (Ed.): Albanische Hefte . No. 2 , 2015, ISSN  0930-1437 , p. 12 ff . (Focus on folklore in today's Albania ).

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. a b c d e f Vasil S. Tole: Inventory of performers on iso-polyphony . Ed .: Albanian Music Council / UNESCO. Tirana 2010, p. 52 f . ( Copy on isopolifonia.com (PDF; 691 kB)).
  2. a b ArgjiroFest_ON. (PDF) In: Festivali Folklorik Gjirokastër. P. 3 , archived from the original on December 10, 2015 ; accessed on December 8, 2015 .
  3. Johannes Schubert: A festival for eyes, ears and heart . In: German-Albanian Friendship Society (Hrsg.): Albanische Hefte . Volume 16, No. 4 , 1988, ISSN  0930-1437 , pp. 17th f .
  4. a b c d e Jochen Blanken: The 10th National Folklore Festival Gjirokastra 2015 . In: German-Albanian Friendship Society (Hrsg.): Albanische Hefte . No. 2 , 2015, ISSN  0930-1437 , p. 13-15 .
  5. a b Festivali Folkloristics 1949. In: YouTube. Retrieved August 5, 2011 (Albanian).
  6. ^ Castle. In: Gjirokastra.org. Retrieved August 8, 2011 .
  7. Gjirokastra Conservation and Development Organization (Ed.): Gjirokastra - the essential guide . Tirana / Norwich 2009, ISBN 978-99956-747-0-0 .
  8. Information board Skena e Festivalit / Festival Stage at Gjirokastra Castle
  9. ^ Bruno B. Reuer: Voices on the festival . In: German-Albanian Friendship Society (Hrsg.): Albanische Hefte . Volume 16, No. 4 , 1988, ISSN  0930-1437 , pp. 19th f .
  10. Jochen Blanken: Interview with Genc Kastrati (dancer in the national ensemble for folk songs and folk dances) . In: German-Albanian Friendship Society (Hrsg.): Albanische Hefte . No. 2 , 2015, ISSN  0930-1437 , p. 19-21 .
  11. a b Jochen Blanken: Interview with Agron Zhagolli (former director of the Institute for Folk Culture) . In: German-Albanian Friendship Society (Hrsg.): Albanische Hefte . No. 2 , 2015, ISSN  0930-1437 , p. 16-18 .
  12. a b c d e f Arian Avrazi, Meri Kumbe, Mikaela Minga, Shpend Bengu, Vasil S. Tole, Jonida Çunga, Nirvana Lazi: Udhëzime për ruajtjen, mbrojtjen, popullarizimin dhe promovimin e vlerave të trashëgimise kultur . Ed .: Qendra Kombëtare e Veprimtarive Folklorike. Publicita, Tirana 2014, ISBN 978-9928-41968-2 , Festivali Folklorik Kombëtar i Gjirokastrës (FFKGj), p. 26 ff .
  13. a b c Ardian Ahmedaja, Gerlinde Haid (ed.): European voices: Multipart singing in the Balkans . Volume I. Böhlau, Vienna 2008, ISBN 978-3-205-78090-8 ( preview on Google Books ).
  14. a b c d Adelheid Feilcke-Tiemann: Folklore . In: Rüdiger Pier, Dierk Stich (ed.): Albania . VSA, Hamburg 1989, ISBN 3-87975-467-5 , p. 145-149 .
  15. a b c Bruno B. Reuer: Music . In: Klaus-Detlev Grothusen (Hrsg.): Albanien (=  Südosteuropa-Handbuch ). tape VII . Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 1993, ISBN 3-525-36207-2 , pp. 714-726 .
  16. ^ Adelheid Feilcke-Tiemann: Voices on the festival . In: German-Albanian Friendship Society (Hrsg.): Albanische Hefte . Volume 16, No. 4 , 1988, ISSN  0930-1437 , pp. 19 .
  17. a b c d e Bruno Reuer, Adelheid Feilcke-Tiemann: The Festival of Gjirokaster . In: Walter Raunig (ed.): Albania - wealth and diversity of ancient culture . State Museum for Ethnology, Munich 2001, ISBN 3-9807561-2-2 .
  18. a b Chronology of the National Folklore Festival in Gjirokastra . In: German-Albanian Friendship Society (Hrsg.): Albanische Hefte . No. 2 , 2015, ISSN  0930-1437 , p. 12-13 .
  19. Qendra Kombëtare e Veprimtarive Folklorike. Rreth nesh. In: folklor.gov.al. Retrieved December 9, 2015 (Albanian).
  20. Ligji no. 9048, German 07.04.2003 “Per trashegimine kulturore”. April 7, 2003, accessed August 8, 2011 (Albanian).
  21. Events. In: Gjirokastra.org. Retrieved August 8, 2011 .
  22. Shkodra fiton Festivalin e Gjirokastrës. In: Gazeta Start. September 30, 2009, archived from the original ; Retrieved August 5, 2011 (Albanian).
  23. Ministria e Kulturës shpall organizimin e Festivalit Folklorik Kombëtar, Gjirokastër 2015. In: Ministria e Kulturës. September 8, 2014, accessed March 31, 2015 (Albanian).
  24. Gjirokastër - Festivali Folklorik Mbarëkombëtar 2015 - National Folk Festival 2015 In: Calendar.al. Retrieved April 3, 2015 (Albanian).
  25. ^ Rreth Festivalit. In: Festivali Folklorik Gjirokastër. Archived from the original on December 10, 2015 ; Retrieved December 8, 2015 (Albanian).