Tirana Times
TIRANA, May 17 – Kosovo’s ensemble of Mitrovica has been announced as the winner of the third edition of the Aulona International Folk Festival held in the southern Albanian coastal city of Vlora from May 14 to 16.
The ensemble representing Kosovo competed in the race along with other folk groups from Albania, Turkey, Italy, Poland, Bulgaria, Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
“The participation in this festival, the first-prize award and the support by ensembles of other participating countries was an event which surpassed the mere boundaries of culture,” Artan Osmani, the head of the Mitrovica Directorate of Culture told reporters.Haki Shkreli, the leader of the Mitrovica ensemble, said the group represents the traditional Albanian songs and dances from the region of Mitrovica, northern Kosovo.Founded in 2000, the “Rexhep Mitrovica” ensemble of song and dance is known for its originality of folk costumes, authenticity of popular melody cultivation and development of Albanian songs and dances. Choreographer Haki Shkreli, who is also the ensemble’s artistic leader, has worked to create a harmonious artistic collective.
The festival also marked the opening of the new tourist season in the city of Vlora.The festival, known for its spectacular and original character, is part of the International Council of Organizations of Folklore Festivals and Folk Arts (CIOOF) calendar. It took place on an open air stage with selected performances from the scheduled groups shown during the closing night.
Last year, folklore groups from eight countries participated in the second edition of the Aulona International Folk Festival held in the southern coastal city of Vlora from May 8 to 11. The 2010 festival opened with a performance by a Kosovo folklore group.The festival, organized by the local “Bilbilat e Jugut” (Southern Nightingales) cultural center in cooperation with the Vlora municipality, is also considered an opportunity to promote tourism in the southern coastal city of Vlora.
According to Sejmen Gjokoli, the festival’s director general, the eventנwhich Vlora is hosting for the third year in a rowנis special because of its potential to promote the tourist resources of Vlora, including the coastal areas managed by the Orikum and Novosela local government units.
Last year’s festival also corresponded with the fifth anniversary of the proclamation of the Albanian folk iso-polyphony by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. 2010 was celebrated as the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures by UNESCO.
