Tirana Times
TIRANA, September 29 – Albania will join celebrations to mark European Heritage Days with a series of events. Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, the National Cultural Heritage Day, Culture Minister Ferdinand Xhaferaj said Albania celebrates this year as a new member of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage for the 2010-2014 period. Xhaferaj also announced that the ministry has compiled an intangible heritage list which will be followed by concrete measures for their preservation and protection, inviting NGOs and public institutions to apply for intervention projects within November 30.
Apart from Albanian Folk Iso-polyphony, inscribed in 2008 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the ministry’s list also includes epic poems, linguistic dialects, central Albanian folklore music, traditional Shkodra music, manufacturing of musical instruments traditional, dances by the Dropulli (Gjirokastra) young women. Events will be held in the southern city of Gjirokastra, a UNESCO World Heritage site, where different handicraft displays and exhibitions will be organized from October 1 to 3.
According to the European Heritage Days website, the 2010 theme for Albania is “Exploring intangible heritage along the ancient ‘Via Egnatia.’
European Heritage Days
Once a year, citizens in 50 countries celebrate Europe’s cultural heritage. This initiative of the European Heritage Days, launched by the Council of Europe in 1991, has been since 1999 a joint action of the Council of Europe and the European Commission, putting new cultural assets on view and opening up historical buildings normally closed to the public. The cultural events highlight local skills and traditions, architecture and works of art, but the broader aim is to bring citizens together in harmony even though there are differences in cultures and languages. Each year, national and regional events are organized around a special theme. Since 1999, the European Heritage Days have a permanent slogan: “Europe, a common heritage.” The joint action of the Council of Europe and the European Commission, in close cooperation with the group of national coordinators ensures the success of the European Heritage Days.
Albanian Folk
Iso-polyphony
Iso-polyphony was inscribed in 2008 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (originally proclaimed in 2005). Traditional Albanian polyphonic music can be divided into two major stylistic groups as performed by the Ghegs of northern Albania and the Tosks and Labs living in the southern part of the country. The term ‘iso’ is related to the ison of Byzantine church music and refers to the drone accompanying polyphonic singing. The drone is performed in two ways: among the Tosks, it is always continuous and sung on the syllable ‘e’, using staggered breathing, while among the Labs, the drone is sometimes sung as a rhythmic tone, performed to the text of the song. Rendered mainly by male singers, the music traditionally accompanies a wide range of social events, such as weddings, funerals, harvest feasts, religious celebrations and festivals such as the well-known Albanian folk festival in Gjirokastra.
