ALBANIE-KOSOVO

HAPI SYTE

XHEMALI BERISHA ET L'ENSEMBLE SKAROS

Skaros is a Greek word meaning ‘pastoral melody’. It brings to mind the sounds and atmosphere of shepherds and their flocks as they leave at dawn. Formed in Geneva in 1982 and directed by Gilles Torrent, the Skaros ensemble carefully explores the traditional repertoires of Greece and Albania. Although most of its members are not of Balkan origin, the group nevertheless achieves an authentic vocal and instrumental sound. The clarinet plays an important part in this repertoire; notice the fine use of ornamentation.
Gilles Torrent's high degree of excellence in this music is explained by his many stays in Epirus and Rumelia, where he has made friends with many traditional musicians, both rural and urban, from solitary shepherds who play the flute and sing to great soloists of national and international fame. Inspired by these encounters, he taught himself to play the clarinet, mastering each technical or theoretical element by carefully listening to and observing the traditional musicians. He has also made many recordings in the field and uses pieces from the Greek and Albanian radio archives. This material forms the essential basis of Skaros's work. For several years, the participation of the Albanian violinist Erida Bega has also played an important part in strengthening the ensemble's approach as well as its authenticity.
Skaros has taken part in many festivals and radio and television broadcasts in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy and Greece, either as an independent instrumental group or accompanying prominent Greek or Albanian singers, including Stelios Bellos, Savvas Siatras, and Christos Zotos, for the former, and Natasha Bega (Erida's mother), for the latter. This CD is devoted to their latest collaboration of this type, with Xhemali Berisha, a singer and dancer from Kosovo.
Xhemali Berisha has been living in Geneva since 1988. He was an established professional musician in Kosovo before he moved to Switzerland. From 1967 to 1971 he was a regular singer for Radio Pristina. In 1972 he began to specialise in dance and choreography, which he studied mainly in Sofia. In 1975 he became artistic director of Shota, one of Yugoslavia's national folk ensembles. He choreographed many new works for Shota, and travelled with the ensemble to many parts of Europe, Africa, Asia and America. In 1979 he won first prize for singing at the Akordet e Kosovës Festival in Pristina, and in 1986 he was awarded second prize for traditional choreography at the Dijon International Festival. He has also written a book about the traditional dances of the Opojes region, entitled Valle tradicionale të Opojes.
Xhemali Berisha has appeared regularly with Skaros since 1999, thus achieving his dream of continuing his artistic career outside his native country, with accompanists of the highest quality.

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Detail about the disc

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