Description

Albanian folk iso-polyphony

© Vasil S.Tole

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.

Albanian iso-polyphony is characterized by songs consisting of two solo parts, a melody and a countermelody with a choral drone. The structure of the solo parts varies according to the different ways of performing the drone, which has a great variety of structures, especially in the popular style adopted by all groups performing this music. Over the last few decades, the modest rise of cultural tourism and the growing interest of the research community in this unique folk tradition have contributed to the revival of Albanian iso-polyphony. However, the tradition is adversely affected by poverty, the absence of legal protection and the lack of financial support for practitioners, threatening the transmission of the vast repertoire of songs and techniques. The rural exodus of young people to the bigger cities and abroad in search of jobs compounds this danger. Given these conditions, at the present time, the transmission of this tradition is maintained through professional folk artists, rather than within the family structure.

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Derived from Byzantine church music, Albanian Iso-polyphony is a sophisticated form of group singing, performed mostly by men. The rise of cultural tourism and the growing interest of researchers are contributing to the revival of this unique folk tradition.

This project contributes to the safeguarding of Albanian iso-polyphony, focusing especially on its transmission of to the younger generation.

The project’s main activity is establishing traditional iso-polyphony chambers (Oda) in four locations of Southern Albania, where masters of iso-polyphony will teach their skills to young students. Other activities include creating a register, an electronic database and a print catalogue of outstanding performers of Albanian folk iso-polyphony, delivering training to cultural workers and producing the first issues of the Iso-Polyphony Journal.

The project is intended to enhance the prestige and create a more favourable social context for the practitioners of this tradition, and to stimulate a renewed interest in iso-polyphonic music among Albanian youth.