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The Polyphonic song of Epirus is a form of traditional folk polyphony practiced among Albanians, Greeks, Aromanians and Macedonian Slavs in southern Albania and northwestern Greece.

The polyphonic song of Epirus is not to be confused with other varieties of polyphonic singing, such as the yodeling songs of the region of Muotatal, or the Cantu a tenore of Sardinia.

Origin

Although current research has not reached absolute conclusions, this polyphonic form is considered to be very old. The melodies of polyphonic songs of Epirus, including some more songs of Epirus and Thessaly, are the only ones in Albania and Greece that have preserved the pentatonic scale without semitones (a scale consisted of five tones without semitones). According to some musicologists, this scale is identified with the Doric way of the ancient Greek Dorians, the par excellence Hellenic harmony. Except from its scale, what pleads for the very old origin of the kind is its vocal, collective, rhetorical and modal character.

Polyphonic Music in Greece and Albania

Among Greeks, polyphonic song is found in the northwestern Greek region of Ioannina (villages of Pogoni, Parakalamos and some villages north of Konitsa), in very few villages in northeastern Thesprotia (Tsamantas, Lias, Vavouri, Povla) and, mainly, among the Greek minority in southern Albania (Northern Epirus), for instance in the villages such as Delvinë, Dropull, Pogon, Poliçan, Vuthroto, and Himara.

Among Albanians, all four regions of Myzeqe, Toskeri, Chameria, and Labëria have the polyphonic song as part of their culture.

The region of Labëria is particular region for multipart singing. Songs can be of two, three, or four parts. If two part songs are sung only from women, three part songs are more spread, but four-part songs are a Labëria specialty. Research has shown that four part songs have come after three part ones and that are the highest form of polyphonical singing.

The National Folklore Festival of Gjirokastër (Template:Lang-sq), held every five years beginning from 1968, has typically included many polyphonic songs.

The tradition of polyphonic singing has been contested and used by both sides of the Greek and Albanian border in a nationalistic manner.

Structure

Polyphonic groups of Epirus consist of four members at least. Each group has two soloists and a drone group, which provides and maintains the vocal rhythm of the song. The first soloist (Template:Lang-sq, Template:Lang-rup, Template:Lang-el) acts as the narrator of the song singing its main part and leader of the group. The second soloist (Template:Lang-sq, Template:Lang-rup, Template:Lang-el) repeats the lyrics sung by the first soloist, while the drone group ((Template:Lang-sq, Template:Lang-rup, Template:Lang-el) maintains the rhythm and the vocal base of the song.

The perfection of the rendition of the polyphonic song presupposes the existence and the unity of the several voices–roles of the polyphonic group. As a result, polyphonic song presupposes the collectiveness of expression and the firm distinction between the roles it reflects, and the unwritten hierarchy in the composition of the group and the distribution of the roles.

See also

• Music of Albania
• Music of Greece
• Song of Çelo Mezani
• Yodeling

References

1. Bart Plantenga. Yodel-ay-ee-oooo. Routledge, 2004. ISBN 978-0-415-93990-4, p. 87 Albania: "Singers in Pogoni region perform a style of polyphony that is also practised by locals in Vlach and Slav communities communities .
2. Engendering Song: Singing and Subjectivity at Prespa by Jane C. Sugarman,1997,ISBN 0-226-77972-6,page 356,"Neither of the polyphonic textures characteristic of south Albanian singing is unique to Albanians.The style is shared with Greeks in the Northwestern district of Epirus (see Fakiou and Romanos 1984) while the Tosk style is common among Aromanian communities from the Kolonje region of Albania the so called Faserotii (see Lortat-Jacob and Bouet 1983) and among Slavs of the Kastoria region of Northern Greece (see N.Kaufamann 1959 ). Macedonians in the lower villages of the Prespa district also formerly sang this style "
3. Engendering Song: Singing and Subjectivity at Prespa by Jane C. Sugarman,1997,ISBN 0-226-77972-6,page 356,A striking counterpart from outside the Balkans is the polyphonic Yodeling of juuzli from the Muotatal region of Switzerland
4. Ricky Holden, Mary Vouras: Greek Folk Dances, 1965, page 10
5. Simon Broughton, Mark Ellingham: World Music: The Rough Guide, 1999, ISBN 1-85828-635-2, page 149
6. Simon Broughton, Mark Ellingham: World Music: The Rough Guide, 1999, ISBN 1-85828-635-2, page 5, 127
7. European voices: Multipart singing in the Balkans and the ..., Volume 1 By Ardian Ahmedaja, Gerlinde Haid page 210
8. European voices: Multipart singing in the Balkans and the ..., Volume 1 By Ardian Ahmedaja, Gerlinde Haid pages 214-215
9. European voices: Multipart singing in the Balkans and the ..., Volume 1 By Ardian Ahmedaja, Gerlinde Haid page 241
10. Notes from the Balkans: Locating Marginality and Ambiguity on the Greek-Albanian Border,2005,ISBN 0-691-12199-0,page Back matter ,"... the appropriate manner(Adkins 2002; Adkins and Lury 1999; Skeggs 1997). 16. Theodosiou (2003); Nitsiakos and Mantzos (2003) note that polyphonic singing has become one of those traditions that is argued about by nationalist folklorists on both sides of the border, .."
11. Sugarman, Dave (1997). Engendering song: singing and subjectivity at Prespa Albanian weddings. Chicago studies in ethnomusicology. University of Chicago Press. p. 221. ISBN 0226779734.
12. Tziovas, Demetres. Greece and the Balkans: identities, perceptions and cultural encounters since the Enlightenment. Ashgate Publishing. p. 198. ISBN 0754609987.

Further reading

• World Music: The Rough Guide by Simon Broughton, Mark Ellingham - 1999 - ISBN 1-85828-635-2
• Greek Folk Dances by Rickey Holden, Mary Vouras – 1965
• Engendering Song: Singing and Subjectivity at Prespa by Jane C. Sugarman,1997,ISBN 0-226-77972-6

External links

• Vasile Tole (in English)
• Unesco

Songs in Greek

• Greek Polyphonic Song
• Songs from Politsani
• Polyphonic Song from Delvino
• Polyphonic Festival, MySpace
• Polyphonic Singing from Epirus, Greece
• Polyphonic Song from Deropolis
• Greek Polyphonic Song

Songs in Albanian

• Songs from Laberia
  • Song from Laberia Template:Lang-sq
  • I'll Start by Thinking Template:Lang-sq
  • Ismail Qemali Song
  • Albania Rock and Stone, You'd Kill Yourself for Your Flag Template:Lang-sq
  • Wake up Himara, Wake up Vlora Template:Lang-sq
  • Manushe Your Hair Template:Lang-sq
  • Sons of Shepards Template:Lang-sq
  • Kurvelesh, What did You Do with Your Sons? Template:Lang-sq
  • Shake Your Handkerchief Template:Lang-sq
  • Get Out, May Your Root Get Out Template:Lang-sq
• Songs from Skrapar
  • I miss you Riza Cerova Template:Lang-sq
  • Month of August, Day the Twentieth Template:Lang-sq
  • When the Boyhood I Remember Template:Lang-sq

• Albanian music
• Epirus
• Greek music