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Music from Kosovo
History of music from Kosovo
In the past, epic poetry in Kosovo and northern Albania was sung on a lahuta (a one-string fiddle) and then a more tuneful ēiftelia was used which has two strings-one for the melody and one for drone. Cultural anthropology researches revealed the antiquity of this tradition and how was it developed in parallel with other traditional music in the Balkans, while various archaeologists discovered finds dating back to the 5th Century B.C. such as stone paintings depicting musicians with instruments, notably the portrait of "Pani" holding an aerophone similar to flute.
Rapsodi
Rapsodi is a special traditional music genre. Rapsodi are poetry mainly about homeland, war and famous warriors. They are always accompanied with original Kosovar instruments such as Ciftelia or Sharkia. In a special way, they are patriotic songs which are dedicated to brave warriors, continuous wars against the Turks and Serbians. Rapsodi is also known for its charismatic interpretation, for the old traditional Kosovo away from every oriental element that represents, for the clear pronunciation of the word, for its distinctive vocals, gestures, and acting in singing as well. Their topics were very real because they always tell a homeland story by singing.
Here are some famous rapsodi verses:
E nPrishtinė atje pikė s pari
Krisi topi o me duhi
Atje gjaku o i shqiptarit
Ra nė tokė me bi pėrsėri...
Sofrat
Sofrat represents a group of male artists and singers who sing together siting around the table. Their songs are mostly folklore with different social topics which are followed by generations. These songs are accompanied with many instruments. The musicians are also part of sofra. Sofrat, organized into traditional orders represent a precious treasure of cultural heritage in Kosovo. Lots of traditional artists have become famous from their interpretations in Sofra. Depending from the rhythm, sofra songs can be accompanied with various traditional dances. Most popular sofras are Sofra Pejane,Sofra Gjakovare etc. Nowadays, sofra continues to be very popular and present at almost every wedding. It happens to be organized also as a part of cultural program in some cities.
Wedding songs
These songs are characteristic for weddings. They are separated in two parts. The first part are songs for the bride before she gets married. They're usually accompanied with Def a traditional instrument and are similar to poetry. Most of those songs are original creations that are a momentary dedication for that person getting married. The second part are songs for the couple. They are accompanied with lots of instruments and have interesting topics. Some of them express congratulations for the couple, characteristics of living together, etc. Wedding songs usually go together with specific traditional dance, therefore they are interesting and important because they also represents lots of general Kosovar tradition information.
One of the most famous Wedding Song is:
Sonte kemi dasem
Hajde Marshalla'
Hidheni vallen goca
Hajde me sevda
Dirge (Kenge Vaji)
It is one of the most famous Albanian characteristics. They represent an original and very emotional creations which are dedicated to a close and beloved person after their death. It is specific because it is an art born from the suffering. This genre is almost the oldest. It has many variations and it is very popular because it has to do with a special condition that people confront in their daily life. Dirge can be created by from one or more persons. The most difficult and rarest variation is the polyphonic Dirge because it needs four participants to be in a harmony.
Lullabies
Lullabies are short poetic monologues, where the parents express their wishes about their children before sleep. The most usual artistic and literary figures that are used are comparison and personification. They are also lyrical. Their characteristic is that most of them start with "Nani-nani djalin/vajzen" or "Nina-nana". Lullabies are the finest representation about expressing parental love and the irreplaceable role of family in Kosovo tradition.
Well-known kosovar lullaby is :
Nina-nina, more pllum
Flej se nana te don shum
T'i m'u rritsh-o nafaklum
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Originally Posted by MiloshN
Kosova
Srbija
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