Music of Albania - Popular Music

Popular Music

The city of Shkodër has long been one of the most important cultural centers of Albania, and its early 20th century music is considered as one of the most sophisticated in the country. Bosnian sevdalinka is an important influence on music from the area, which is complex, with shifts through major and minor scales with a Turkish sound and a romantic and sophisticated tone. Traditional musicians from Shkodër include Bujar Qamili, Luçie Miloti, Xhevdet Hafizi and Bik Ndoja. Albanians also play the Armenian Duduk.

Albania's capital, Tirana, is the home of popular music dominated by Romani influences and has been popularized at home and in emigrant communities internationally by Merita Halili, Parashqevi Simaku and Myslim Leli.

Other voices in contemporary Albanian music include Vaçe Zela of Tirana and Nexhmije Pagarusha of Prishtina, Elsa Lila and Anna Oxa (Albanian/Italian).

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