ALBANIA – ALBANIE Folk Music of Albania – Topic Records – 12T154

ALBANIA – ALBANIE

Folk Music of Albania – Topic Records – 12T154, recorded by A.L. Lloyd in 1965 (LP)

Albania is a small country located about 50 miles (80 km) across the Adriatic Sea from the southern tip of Italy and bordering Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia and Greece. Despite its turbulent history – including five centuries of Ottoman rule – Albanians have shown great resilience in defending their identity, language, culture and distinctive music, which often had to be nurtured in secluded rural and mountainous areas.

 

I first discovered traditional Albanian music in the mid-1980s when I came across this brilliant album recorded by A. L. Lloyd* in 1965 and published on the British folk music label Topic Records. This anthology presents a comprehensive collection of northern Albanian music on Side A and southern Albanian music on Side B, and includes dances (A2, A4, B1, B9), instrumental improvisations (B5, B7, B10), ballads (A7, A8), shepherd’s melodies (A6, B3), a mountain signal (A1), a pastoral melody (A9), a lullaby (A3), a funeral lament (A5), a ritual song (B4) and a political song (B6). 

 

These pastoral and rural sounds – with voices (A1, A3, A4, A5, A7, A8), fascinating southern Albanian polyphonic vocal ensembles (B2, B6, B8), flutes (A2, A4), violins (A1, A5, B1, B2), cifteli lutes (B4, B6, B7), clarinets (A1, A5), a zurna oboe (A9) and bagpipes (B3) – create a rich palette of intense, fluid, abstract and quirky sound textures that testify to Albania’s vibrant musical traditions, brimming with vitality and emotion.

 

L'Albanie est un petit pays limitrophe du Monténégro, du Kosovo, de la Macédoine et de la Grèce, situé à environ 80 kilomètres de la pointe sud de l'Italie de l’autre côté de la mer Adriatique. Malgré une histoire mouvementée – avec notamment cinq siècles de domination ottomane – les Albanais ont toujours vaillamment défendu leur identité, leur langue, leur culture et leur musique, souvent en cachette dans des zones rurales ou montagneuses isolées. 

J'ai découvert la musique traditionnelle albanaise au milieu des années 1980, lorsque je suis tombé sur ce brillant album enregistré par A. L. Lloyd en 1965 et publié sur le label de musique folklorique britannique Topic Records. Cette anthologie présente des exemples pertinents de musique albanaise du nord sur la face A et de musique albanaise du sud sur la face B, avec notamment des danses (A2, A4, B1, B9), des improvisations instrumentales (B5, B7, B10), des ballades (A7, A8), des mélodies de bergers (A6, B3), un signal de montagne (A1), une mélodie pastorale (A9), une berceuse (A3), une complainte funèbre (A5), un chant rituel (B4) et un chant politique (B6). 

Ces sonorités pastorales et rurales, avec des voix (A1, A3, A4, A5, A7, A8), de fascinants ensembles vocaux polyphoniques du sud de l'Albanie (B2, B6, B8), des flûtes (A2, A4), des violons (A1, A5, B1, B2), des luths cifteli (B4, B6, B7), des clarinettes (A1, A5), des hautbois zurna (A9) et des cornemuses (B3), forment une riche palette de textures sonores intenses, fluides, abstraites et sinueuses, qui témoignent de la vitalité et de la richesse des traditions musicales de l'Albanie, débordant de vitalité et d'émotion.

 

NORTHERN ALBANIA

 

A1 – Këngë Majekrahi (mountain signal)

Vocals by Zef Deda;

Nikaj-Shalë, Shkodër region.

 

A2 – Valle E Lezhës (dance)

Çifteli lute by Mark Pashku;

Lezhë, Lezhë region.

 

A3 – Këngë Djepi (lullaby)

Vocals by Mri Jaku;

Gjadër, Lezhë region.

 

A4 – Ti Në Kodër, Un Në Kodër (dance song)

Vocals and çifteli lute by Tom Nikola;

Iballe, Püke region.

 

A5 – Vajtim (funeral lament)

Vocals by Dila Gjoni;

Gjadër, Lezhë region.

 

A6 – Dhent Në Mrizë (shepherd’s melody)

Fyell flute by Martin Vata;

Ishulli i Lezhës, Lezhë region.

 

A7 – Kenga E Çun Mulës (ballad)

Vocals by Tom Marashi & Zef Deda;

Nikaj-Shalë, Shkodër region.

 

A8 – Zenel Kadrija (ballad)

Vocals & çifteli lute by Mark Pashku;

Lezhë, Lezhë region.

 

A9 – Melodi Baritore (pastoral melody)

Zumare clarinet by Gjon Shahini;

Merq, Lezhë region.

 

SOUTHERN ALBANIA

 

B1 – Valle E Gajdës (dance)

Gajdë bagpipes by Sadik Diko & daÎre tambourine by Reshit Shehu

Përmet, Përmet region.

 

B2 – O Bilbil Sakat, Sakat (lyrical song)

Vocals by Kili Dano, Kristo Dano, Nikollaq Dano & Vangjel Dano;

Sheq i Madh, Fier region.

 

B3 – Vajtim (shepherd tune)

Cyledyjare flute by Sadik Diko;

Përmet, Përmet region.

 

B4 – Llazore (ritual song)

Vocals by Kili Dano;

Sheq i Madh, Fier region.

 

B5 – Avazi I Dy Motrave (instrumental improvisation)

Llaute lutes by Riza Muhaxhiri & Qerim Baki;

Korçë, Korçë region.

 

B6 – Do Dalim Nga Myzeqeja (political song)

Vocals by Kili Dano, Kristo Dano, Nikollaq Dano & Vangjel Dano;

Sheq i Madh, Fier region.

 

B7 – Kaba Vençe (instrumental improvisation)

Accordion by Hysen Zizolli, clarinet by Refki Taho &

drum by Ahmet Metolli;

Vranisht, Korçë region.

 

B8 – Fuat Bahani (historical song)

Vocals by Ali Kondi, Nevruz Kondi & a group of farmers; 

Vranisht, Korçë region.

 

B9 – Valle Kolonjarçe (dance)

Gajdë bagpipes by Feim Feizo & daire tambourine by Riza Muhaxhiri;

Kolonjë, Korçë region.

 

B10 – Kaba Me Gërnetë (instrumental improvisation)

Accordion by Qerim Hajre, clarinet by Rakip Muhaxhiri,

llaute lute by Qerim Baki & violin by Festim Përmeti.

Korçë, Korçë region.

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*Albert Lancaster Lloyd (1908–1982) was an English folk singer and collector of folk songs who played a pivotal role in the British folk revival of the 1950s and 1960s. While Lloyd is best known for his contributions to British folk music, he also had a keen interest in the music of Spain, Latin America, Australia and Southeastern Europe, where he made field recordings in Albania and Bulgaria.

More Albanian music posts:

L'Albanie Folklorique – Disques Cellier N° 010 here

Folklore Instrumental Albanais – Disques Vendémiaire - VDE/PAL 114 here

Vintage postcard of flute player, Northern Albania: 

Vintage postcard of a woman from Shkodra, Northern Albania:

Vintage postcard of two farmers from Dibra, northeastern Albania:

Albanian wedding ensemble, wool, cotton, silk, metal c. 1900:

(www.metmuseum.org)

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