By Albina Bilcari
TIRANA, June 11 – For the sixth year in a row, the southeastern city of Kor衬 nicknamed as the city of serenades, has held its International Carnival festival, reviving the city’s boulevard and pedestrian streets with a series of parades and spectacular costumes and dances. More than 30 Carnival groups from different regions of Albania but also from Macedonia, Montenegro attended the Carnival festival last weekend in Kor衠displaying their colorful costumes and masks and dancing on the streets.
The Carnival groups offered different stories to the public including the everlasting efforts to enter the European Union, the serenade of Kor衬 the football championship title, the Mayas forecast for the end of the world, wedding ceremonies, the coming of the summer, children’s harmony.
The famous “Polena” Carnival group, a predecessor of the Korca Carnival festival, also participated. Apart from people dressed up in Carnival outfit, there were also groups with guitars and people dressed in animal masks.
Kor衠Mayor Niko Peleshi said this year’s Carnival came with new surprises, including the direct participation of many self-organized citizens other than the consolidated carnival groups that take part every year. “This is very meaningful to the celebrations of this year. It gives everyone the opportunity to be part of the Carnival and to perform.”
The International Carnival Festival was also enjoyed by different groups of visitors from various cities including Tirana, Durres and other major or small cities, visiting Kor衠to be part of Carnival celebrations.
“I admit that the number of citizens of Korca who want to become part of the celebrations has increased this year. Apparently, people don’t want to see the celebrations as simple spectators, but they want to be organized and to be part of the Carnival festival,” said Peleshi.
The Carnival of Korca was first celebrated around the 1940s, a period when the cultural life in the city was revived.
The Carnival received further developed after the creation of cultural societies such as “Kor衧s Youth” a period in which the Carnival celebrations were accompanied by a mandolin, guitar and humorous songs. The celebrations were interrupted round the 1960’s to restart in other social conditions in the early 1990s.
The sixth edition of the International Festival of Carnival celebrated on June 8 also marked the opening of the 2013 tourist season in Korca.
