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Albanian rock describes music in Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia and other Albanian-inhabited areas closely related to western rock. It has a wide variety of subgenres like pop rock, alternative rock, hard rock and metal.
American and British influence marked Albanian rock music in its first steps. [1] The first known Albanian rock band was called Blue Star. They appeared in 1964 in Prishtinë and were later renamed as Modestët (The Modests). [2]
In the beginning of the 1970s, the rock scene present in Mitrovicë, Kosovo (then Yugoslavia) was made of Albanian and Serbian bands. Some of these bands, like MAK [3] had both Albanian and Serbian musicians. Another bi-ethnic band was FAN also based in Mitrovicë. In 1978 the famous guitarist and composer Nexhat Macula formed one of the best Albanian rock bands of all time, called "TNT" in Mitrovica. Between 1978 and 2006 the band published ten albums.
Prishtinë was the most important city for Albanian rock music during the 1980s. In the mainstream circles Gjurmët (founded 1981) were among favourites. Their combination of rock with "muzikë qytetare" laid the foundation of Albanian rock. Other known bands that formed during this period were Ilirët, 403, Telex, Seleksioni 039, Minatori and Menkis.
Underground rock leaned more towards punk music. The most notable underground rock/punk band of Pristina in the 1980s was Lindja with its lead musician Luan Osmani (lead guitar).
In Albania, the first rock concert was organised by Aleksandër Gjoka in 1989.
In North Macedonia the main Albanian rock/punk band is considered to be Blla Blla Blla who were founded in 1989. [4] Their influence can be seen not only in Albanian but also in Macedonian rock music. Another Albanian band from North Macedonia is Shekulli i Dreqit (The Devil's Century), who are a metal band from Struga.
In Albania, the most prominent rock bands and individuals only appeared after 1990. Before that period, rock music was prohibited. Although youth groups found ways to listen it through clandestine channels. [5]
The first rock band in Albania was Megaherz, which was founded by guitarist Bledar Sejko. After the fall of communism, he went on to form Thunderway with Elton Deda. They were a Power/Speed Metal band who recorded their first rock album in Albania called "The Executioner's Orders", on cassette. Meanwhile, Bojken Lako was experimenting rock with his first band, The Fishhook, who released one album on cassette.
Some notable rock bands include Akullthyesit (Icebreakers) from Elbasan (first rock album Lindja e Ujkut[ citation needed ]), Meteor from Durrës, Djemtë e Detit, Albatros, Grupi X, and singers like Gjergj Jorgaqi (who sang for a short while for Thunderway), Redon Makashi and many others.
Guttersnipe was a short-lived punk band from Tirana in the early 1990s (one song was released on the compilation Last Call for the Lost Scenes vol.1 7" vinyl on Tian An Men 89 Records in France). The guitarist, Eduard Dashi, went on to play as a session musician, while the vocalist, Klodi Agostini emigrated to Denmark.
A very popular and important band which remains solid until the present day, is CROSSBONES. Formed in the mid-1990s, the band reached a word-of-mouth reputation that culminated in August 1997 when they released their first and only official album to date. This was called Days of Rage. It was largely influenced by the turbulent times in Albania at the time and was the first ever album to be released and distributed in CD format in Albania. CROSSBONES have participated in countless live performances, both in Albania and abroad, such as in Skopje 1999 and Thessaloniki 2015. CROSSBONES is among the only Albanian bands from the 1990s that carried on producing music, despite numerous changes in their lineup. The original members that recorded the Days of Rage album and many other successful songs that have recently been included in a ten-song compilation album called Toxic Waste (2015), are: Olsi Ballta (vocals), Klod Shehu (guitars), Alban Male (drums, keyboards) and Arbi Xhelo (producer, guitarist) with Red Hasa and Fatjon Gjashta (bass). Other collaborators include Eduard Dashi, Andi Haxhihyseni, Gjergj Lena, Pol Flloko. Olsi Ballta and Klod Shehu remain the only long-lasting original members. They were joined by drummer Theo Napoloni in 2010 and guitarist Ben Turku in 2014, yielding a three-song single called "Alive" (2015). The band's distinctive style with powerful guitar riffs and vocals has influenced many following musicians and created many fans during their near 20 years of activity.
The beginning of the 1990s introduced other rock bands and individuals that played in Kosovo like Troja, Dardan Shkreli, Blla Blla Blla and Elita 5 (from North Macedonia).
During parallel governance (1989–1999) and after the 1999 war in Kosovo several new bands emerged. Among the most famous are Diadema, KEK ("Kreativ e jo Komercial" = Crative and not commercial), 7me7, The Hithat, Cute Babulja, Por-no, Gre3n, Retrovizorja.
Qelbanix were the first progressive band in Albania and in 2008 they released their first and last album "Infinit Relativ" as a double CD. In this album there is a piece of artwork for every song made by Qelbanix. The alternative band Linda në Botën e Çudirave was created in 2009 with lead singer and guitarist Linda Rukaj. Linda went on to release her single acoustic album "Jam" (I am) in 2011 which was written and composed by her. She was the first female artist in Albania to be a singer/songwriter and guitarist.
After 2004 many alternative rock bands appeared, forming a new wave. Many bands formed, dissolved and then reformed. This included Bands like Votra, Gillespie, The Bloody Foreigners, and Gre3n (who ceased existing in 2008). It also includes the Glasses, the Dizzies (with some band members of Gillespie) and the Freelancers with most of them debuting in 2009.
During this decade in Albania there were many alternative and rock bands such as Permit of Stay, Germs, Ora 3, The Room, The S Forest.
The music of Albania is associated with the country of Albania and Albanian communities. Music has a long tradition in the country and is known for its regional diversity, from the Ghegs in the North to the Tosks in the South. It is an integral part of the national identity, strongly influenced by the country's long and turbulent history, which forced Albanians to protect their culture from their overlords by living in rural and remote mountains.
Kachaks is a term used for the Albanian rebels active in the late 19th and early 20th century in northern Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo and Macedonia, and later as a term for the militias of Albanian revolutionary organizations against the Kingdom of Serbia (1910–18) Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1918–24), called the "Kaçak movement".
Music of Kosovo is music that originates from Kosovo, a country in the Balkans. Kosovo's population is mainly Kosovo Albanians, also known as Kosovars, and there are various minority ethnic groups as well. Kosovan music is closely related to that of neighbouring Albania, as well as to that of countries in the former Yugoslavia.
New wave in Yugoslavia was the new wave music scene of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. As its counterparts, the British and the American new wave, from which the main influences came, the Yugoslav scene was also closely related to punk rock, ska, reggae, 2 Tone, power pop and mod revival. Some of its acts are also counted as belonging to the Yugoslav punk scene which already existed prior to new wave. Such artists were labeled as both punk rock and new wave.
Klubi Futbollistik Trepça, commonly known as KF Trepça, is a football club based in the southern part of Mitrovica, Kosovo. The club currently plays in the First Football League of Kosovo in Group A. KF Trepça was founded in 1932.
Popular music in Yugoslavia includes the pop and rock music of the former SFR Yugoslavia, including all their genres and subgenres. The scene included the constituent republics: SR Slovenia, SR Croatia, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SR Montenegro, SR Macedonia and SR Serbia and its subunits: SAP Vojvodina and SAP Kosovo. The pop and rock scene was a part of the general Music of Yugoslavia, which also included folk, classical music, jazz etc. Within Yugoslavia and internationally, the phrases ex-YU or ex-Yugoslav Pop and Rock both formally and informally generally to the SFRY period, though in some cases also to its successor the FR Yugoslavia including Serbia and Montenegro which existed until 2006.
Aleksandar Makedonski was a Macedonian and former Yugoslav rock band.
Troja is a Kosovar heavy metal band which consists of Bujar Berisha (vocals), Florent Bajrami (guitar), Violand Shabani (drums) and Agron Ejupi (bass). The band was originally formed by Ismajl (Mak) Beqaj and Tomorr (Toma) Arifi (vocals) in 1990 in Pristina, SFR Yugoslavia. The same year Florent Bajrami (guitar) and Visar Blaku (drums) joined the band. Florent Bajrami remains the only original member of the band.
Gjurmët was a Yugoslav new wave band formed in Pristina in 1980. The band is notable for being one of the first Yugoslav rock bands formed by Kosovo Albanians and the first new wave band from SAP Kosovo.
Blla Blla Blla is an Albanian-Macedonian rock band from Skopje. It was formed in 1988 by then band members Idriz Ameti, Ermal Skupi (Mehmeti), Nikola Bočvarov and Blagojče Penov. Later, Ermal left the band and was replaced by Krenar Ismaili. Idriz Ameti is the singer. Most of the songs are in Albanian. Their style is called “Over Sky Ballkanishe Re-form” by the band itself, though there is no general consensus in categorising their characteristic rock. Other styles or genres used are Balkan-rock and punk.
The 100th Anniversary of the Independence of Albania was a yearlong celebration in 2012 when Albanians celebrated the 100th anniversary of establishing independent Albania, the first Albanian state in modern history.
Elita 5 is an Albanian rock band formed in Tetovë in 1988. The group consisted of vocalist Arif Ziberi was born on May 12, 1968, i Tetova guitarist Mevaip Mustafi, drummer Besim Ibraimi, bass player Agron Idrizi and keyboardist Nexhat Mujovi. With a heavy rock sound and Albanian influence, the band is considered a pioneer of Albanian rock and their songs have a very large fanbase in Albania. It is one of the bands that marked and indicated the path of Albanian rock music in the post-communism period.
Classical music in Kosovo refers to the art music cultivated in Kosovo. The roots of classical music in Kosovo are found in the 1940s and include the time period from the times when Kosovo was part of Yugoslavia to this day. It can be said that there is a tradition of classical music in Kosovo, however, compared to other Balkan countries and especially European countries this tradition is younger. Classical music in Kosovo reaches back about 70 years. Even though in a short period of time, this music has evolved, passing through generations of composers and artists. In his book Albanian: Zhvillimi i stileve në veprat e kompozitorëve shqiptarë të Kosovës, Engjëll Berisha comments:
"The diversity of styles in Albanian music [of Kosovo], its national patterns with sound idea-aesthetic foundations are a characteristic of the European musical reality, so many many works are of interest abroad, too, because during this relatively short period Albanian classical music in Kosovo has compensated for the delay in its development."
NGOM Fest is a music festival established in Prizren, Kosovo. The word "Ngom" is written in Gheg Albanian dialect and it means "Listen to me" whereas the word "Fest" represents the abbreviation of the word "Festival". This Festival originates from a group of young and creative people who are active in the social life of Prizren and Kosovo. The first edition of the festival was held in June 2011 and due to its major success, the activists were more committed in organizing this event. The main objectives of this festival are to promote new bands and artists, build a new perspective for music festivals in Kosovo, and to connect different ethnic groups in Kosovo and in the region.
Music composition and composers in Pristina refers to music composition and composers who have left their mark in Pristina. The importance of Kosovan Folklore on the different genres, their development and their popularity. As referring to genres as a categorization would not cover all compositions and composers in a fair way, a highlight of every composers work and different genres is provided because of the different genres a composers work has included throughout the years.
The railway network in Kosovo consist of 333.9 km (207.5 mi) of railway line, 103.4 km (64 mi) of which are freight-only. The railway infrastructure is operated by Kosovo Railways, a property of the public sector where the state has access to ruling all administrative actions in the Ministry of Economic Development.
Boiled in Lead is a rock/world-music band based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and founded in 1983. Tim Walters of MusicHound Folk called the group "the most important folk-rock band to appear since the 1970s." Influential record producer and musician Steve Albini called the band's self-titled first album "the most impressive debut record from a rock band I've heard all year." Their style, sometimes called "rock 'n' reel," is heavily influenced by Celtic music, folk, and punk rock, and has drawn them praise as one of the few American bands of the 1980s and 1990s to expand on Fairport Convention's rocked-up take on traditional folk. Folk Roots magazine noted that Boiled in Lead's "folk-punk" approach synthesized the idealistic and archival approach of 1960s folk music with the burgeoning American alternative-rock scene of the early 1980s typified by Hüsker Dü and R.E.M. The band also incorporates a plethora of international musical traditions, including Russian, Turkish, Bulgarian, Scottish, Vietnamese, Hungarian, African, klezmer, and gypsy music. Boiled in Lead has been hailed as a pioneering bridge between American rock and international music, and a precursor to Gogol Bordello and other gypsy-punk bands. While most heavily active in the 1980s and 1990s, the group is still performing today, including annual St. Patrick's Day concerts in Minneapolis. Over the course of its career, Boiled in Lead has released nearly a dozen albums and EPs, most recently 2012's The Well Below.
Dren Abazi is a Kosovan singer-songwriter and a producer of Albanian origin. He is the founder and leader of Zig Zag Orchestra, a popular band in Kosovo, Albania, and other Balkan countries. His music is a fusion of Balkan music, jazz, klezmer, ska and rock.
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