Gjirokastër National Folklore Festival
The National Folklore Festival of Gjirokastra (Albanian Festivali Folklorik Kombëtar i Gjirokastrës ) is a multi-day art festival of folklore, which takes place every five years in Gjirokastra in southern Albania. The festival presented to the public traditional Albanian music, clothes and dancing from all areas in South Eastern Europe and Southern Italy, which are inhabited by Albanians. The Folklore Festival is considered the most important event for Albanian culture. The different groups in colorful costumes consisted of a large number of musicians, singers and dancers. Often iso- polyphonic music was presented.
For the first time the festival in 1968 was carried out. It refers to a tradition of folk festivals, which was launched in 1949 in Tirana.
Venue
The Folklore Festival was held, with the exception of the event from 1995 since 1968 at the castle of Gjirokastra. The high above the city, perched fortress was used at least in part nor as a prison before 1968. Later it was made available to the public and set up a museum. In the eastern part of the complex is a nearly 100 to 50 meters wide open, slightly sloping surface, which is used for the festival.
Most recently in 2000 replaced - - 1984 was a metal platform construction built, which is otherwise now and used for parties. Before that, the area was still being investigated archaeologically; this ceramic remains have been found dating from the 4th to the 2nd century BC.
At least before the festival was the evening continued in the streets of Gjirokastra, where the participants of the festival continued to dance along with the passers-by and sang together.
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 in November 1959.
" Highlight of the folk life of the country"
Ten years later the first National Folk Festival in Gjirokastra took place from 8 to 16 October 1968, which was performed on the occasion of the birthday of Enver Hoxha. Gjirokastra is the hometown of Hoxha, the former political leader of Albania. The week-long festival was carried out with an interval of five years, 1973, 1978, 1983 and 1988 respectively in October on the occasion of birthdays round of Hoxha.
The festival was the most important occasion of folk music. Folklore was one of the few musical styles tolerated in Communist Albania. The Folklore Festival national unity and identity should be underlined. So about were each reported in detail nationwide. The entire program was recorded and aired almost non-stop evening of radio and television. The participants for the bulk occasion were on long regional preliminary decisions - that time were only artists from Albania - selected. The musicians who were mostly lay people, representing all 36 regions of the country.
" [ The festival ] ... probably is the highlight in the organized folk life of the country"
Time and again, artists who were not politically acceptable to, refused to participate. The award winners probably had political backgrounds. Old melodies were presented in part with new lyrics that paid tribute to Enver Hoxha, the achievements of communism and the partisan struggle of the communists during the Second World War. Religious music was banned after 1967.
Repositioning after the turn
After the collapse of the communist system became the festival in a crisis, sometimes due to lack of funds, but also by a change in social values regarding music. In 1995, the Folklore Festival was held at the castle of Berat. Since September 2000 Gjirokastra is the venue again. The next issue already took place in the fall of 2004, after the promotion of folklore had been transferred to a specific institute by law in 2003.
The ninth edition of the festival was organized in September 2009. Winner of the festival was the Qark Shkodra for the best overall performance, while the bards Sherif Dervishi and Myfterin Uka were awarded for the best solo performance.