TIRANA, Aug. 10 /ATA/ The Folk Festival in the municipality of Selenica has concluded after three days of performances in the centre of the Kote administrative unit.
For three consecutive evenings, 20 traditional Labëria folk groups performed on a stage set up in the centre of Kote, filling the Vjosa River valley with the sounds and melodies of songs from settlements across the territory administered by the local unit.
More than 250 festival participants dressed in traditional costumes took part in the competition with their carefully selected performances, adding to the vibrancy of the contest.
The fourth edition of the festival was further enhanced by the participation of youth-only groups, including the Vllahina and Gjorm group, which received the jury’s “Special Youth Award”. The award was presented for the first time and is intended to encourage greater participation by young people in preserving and passing on the Lab folk singing tradition, one of the event’s key objectives.
At the end of the festival, the jury, comprising three artists who hold the title “Grand Master” — Golik Jaupi, Artur Dhamo and Kristo Çipa — awarded the Audience Prize to the group from Vajza, third prize to the group from Gumenica, second prize to the group from Velça and first prize to the group from Vezhdanisht.
Selenica Mayor Nertil Bellaj presented the first prize, praising all the participating groups and describing the song as an identity “passport” that lives in the spirit of Labëria’s singers and dancers.
“Lab folk song is an identity, a source of pride and an enduring heritage. The presence of young people is the clearest sign that this tradition will live on from generation to generation. With the voice of Labëria and the love of its people, this festival will continue,” Bellaj said.
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