Welcome to the Albanian Institute Channel
Home to a network of international artists and creatives, Channel draws on the Albanian Institute’s unique community to drive a distinctive and evolving programme of original films, documentaries, talks, podcasts, special series and original stories.
WATCH
Dance Series
Music Series
Albanian iso-polyphony – Hasmi Zu Vatanë
This ambitious project brings together the most incredible vocal traditions. This amalgamation, not exactly a fusion, since each tradition is still perfectly recognizable, showcases Albanian iso-polyphony with its plangent quality, the cantu a tenore of the Sardinian countryside, Beko blues singing of southern Madagascar, Finnish yoik and rune singing and the Belgian récit chanté.
Line-up
Raphael De Cock (Belgium). / Anu Junnonen (Finland). / Talike Gellé (Madagascar). / Tenore de Monte Arvu (Sardinia) Domenico Nanu, Ivo Deledda, Tore Deledda, Manuela Deledda, Giovanni Carta. / Gjini Family (Albania) Gramoz, Brihans & Ylber Gjini
The Albanian Iso Polyphony
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.
The Albanian Institute Channel
Home to a network of international artists and creatives, Channel draws on the Albanian Institute’s unique community to drive a distinctive and evolving programme of original films, documentaries, talks, podcasts, special series and original stories. As well as presenting newly commissioned cross-disciplinary works, we explore and unpacks the artistic process, thinking, and ideas that drive them, reaching new audiences on new platforms, collaborating with passionate artists to amplify their voices, and to nurture our community.
Contact: [email protected]
→