Gjirokastra castle hosts sixth polyphonic, classical festival

TIRANA, July 3 – French, Italian, Canadian and Albanian folklore and classical music ensembles performed for three consecutive evenings in the castle of the southern UNESCO World Heritage site of Gjirokastra. From June 30 to July 2, the castle of Gjirokastra turned into the regional epicenter of classical and contemporary music based on folklore tradition attracting dozens of art lovers. It has now been six years that the Argjiro French-Albanian Association has been organizing the “Musical meetings of two worlds” festival.
“This festival is a unique project in Albania because it focuses on mixing classical and traditional music as well as the physical Albanian heritage, the Gjirokastra fortress, and the spiritual heritage such as the Albanian polyphonic music, with classical music, interweaving the two worlds into one, mixing tradition and identity with the classical and modern while remaining faithful to your identity means looking to the future and not the past,” says Ilda Mara.
The Gjirokastra and Saranda polyphonic bands Ergjeria and Zeri i Bilbilit performed in this year’s festival. French band Des Equilibres, Italian trio Concordia Sonorum, and Canada’s West Coast Symphony Orchestra directed by Albania’s Bujar Llapaj were the special guests of the festival.
“What I find crucial is that the ‘Musical Meetings of two worlds’ carries our identity and gives life to monuments and our spirits, unveiling not only the national values but also values of other nations. The Argjiro castle has turned into a venue of tradition and excellence, and where experience is exchanged to create a synergy of values which Albania strongly needs,” says the director in her message.
The traditional festival is held in the 13th century Gjirokastra castle which dominates the town and overlooks the strategically important route along the river valley. The castle is open to visitors and contains a military museum featuring captured artillery and memorabilia of the Communist resistance against German occupation, as well as a captured United States Air Force plane to commemorate the Communist regime’s struggle against the “imperialist” western powers. The citadel has existed in various forms since before the 12 century. Extensive renovations and a westward addition was added by Ali Pasha of Tepelene after 1812. The government of King Zog expanded the castle prison in 1932. Today it possesses five towers and houses a clock tower, a church, a cistern, the stage of the National Folk Festival, and many other points of interest.
Gjirokastra is inscribed on UNSECO’s World Heritage site as a rare example of an architectural character typical of the Ottoman period.