Kosovo Culture

Kosovo Culture

According to TOPB2BWEBSITES, Kosovo has a number of outstanding medieval monuments, four of which are included in the World Heritage List: the Dečani Monastery, the Patriarchate of Peć, the Church of the Virgin of Leviša and the Gračanica Monastery. Other outstanding monuments include the archaeological excavation sites of the Roman Ulpiana near Lipljan, the Sultan Mehmet Fatih Mosque in Prishtina, the Mehmet Pasha Hammam in Prizren or the House of the League of Prizren. Important museums are the Kosovar National Museum, the Ethnological Museum “ Emin Gjiku”In Prishtina, the Ethnographic Museum in Peja, the Archaeological Museum in Prizren and the Museum of the Albanian League in Prizren. In particular, the ethnological museum “Emin Gjiku” in Prishtina provides a nice insight into traditional ways of life in Kosovo. There traditional robes, musical instruments, weapons and everyday objects are exhibited and their use explained.

Literature

A modern, independent Kosovar literature did not develop until the 2nd Yugoslavia, mainly due to the establishment of the University of Prishtina with the Faculty of Philology and the Institute of Albanology, the establishment of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo by publishing houses such as Rilidnja and Radio Prishtina developed.

The older generation of writers born before or during the Second World War, and now almost all of them deceased, who shaped and developed Kosovar literature in the 20th century, include Anton Pashku (1937-1995), who was primarily responsible for his children’s poems Rifat Kukaj (1938-2005) and the poets Mirko Gashi (1939-1995) and Ali Podrimja (1942-2012) – the latter is one of the most important poets in contemporary European literature. The literary and cultural scientist Rexhep Qosja (born 1936) was head of the Institute for Albanology for many years and one of the central intellectual figures of the Kosovarban national movement in Yugoslavia and after.

The most important of the middle generation of writers born after the World War, in addition to the long-time chairman of the Kosovar Writers’ Union and first President of Kosovo, Ibrahim Rugova (1944-2006), Arif Demolli (1949-2017), Eqrem Basha (born 1948) and the professor of literature, Student friend of Rugova, MP and education politician in independent Kosovo, Sabri Hamiti (born 1950).

The younger generation includes the poets Halil Matoshi (born 1961) and Lindita Ahmeti (born 1973) as well as Beqë Cufaj. Cufaj, who studied literature in Prishtina, immigrated to Germany in 1995, where he (s) works as a journalist, publicist, essayist and writer. His work revolves around the topics of state formation in Kosovo and flight and migration to Western Europe. The novels Der Glanz der Fremde (2005) and projekt @ party (2012) have been published in German. Beqë Cufaj is currently the Ambassador of the Republic of Kosovo in Germany.

An exciting project is “Beton”, a feature section for literature, culture and society published jointly by Serbs and Kosovar Albanians with the task of questioning the relationships between nationalist ideologies, culture and cultural politics.

Music

A scene of cultural workers is currently developing in Kosovo, which is growing in importance. In addition to traditional Albanian music (classic is the use of the traditional instruments Çiteli, a two-string Albanian long-necked lute, and Lahuta (Serbian Gusla) a single-stringed bowl – necked lute; representative of classical folk music: Ansamble SHOTA or Shkurte Fejza), many new young artists have appeared in recent years that create space for alternative music styles.

The following list gives an overview of this development and gives a linked listening recommendation:

  • young gypsy music made in Kosovo play for example Gypsy Groove and the Jimmy Mustafa Band.
  • Pop music: 7me7, Genc Salihu, Teuta Blaka, Gentiana Ismajli, Adelina Ismajli, Nora Istrefi, Era Istrefi, Leonora Jakupi, Majk ft Ghetto Geasy. Era Istrefi, who is also known as the Kosovar Rihanna, reached number 6 in the German single charts with her song Bonbon in May 2016.
  • representing the ethno-pop scene: Fisniketor Sabri Fejzullahu
  • a classic of the Kosovar music scene: Gjurmët
  • representative of the broad electronic scene: Fatos Çeta
  • Hip-Hop: Hija e Jetes, Entno Engjujt, Etnon
  • (Ethno-) rock, metal, crossover etc.: Jericho(interview with Petrit Çarkaxhiu, the frontman of Jericho), Humus, Troja, Asgjë Sikur Dielli, Retrovizorja, Por-no, Cute Babulja, Bloody Foreigners, Pink Metal, Diadema
  • Interesting music projects with Kosovar roots can also be found in the diaspora music scene. B. Kapsamunin Switzerland, or Irina Karamarkovic, who was born in Prishtina and lives in Austria, with her band.

World stars of pop music with Kosovar roots are the singers Rita Ora and Dua Lipa, who are also revered in Kosovo.

Festivals

A number of (international) festivals also testify to the dynamic cultural development:

  • Documentary festival: international documentary and short film festival in Prizren
  • Rolling Film Festival: a film festival with films by and / or about Roma
  • ReMusica Festival: Festival of contemporary music in Prishtina
  • Pri Film Fest: Prishtina international film festival
  • Prishtina Jazz Festival
  • Prishtina DAM Festival: music festival in Prishtina,
  • 40 Bunar Fest: alternative sports festival in Prizren
  • Hasi Jehon: Folklore festival near Prizren
  • KIT: Kosova International Theater Festival
  • ANIBAR: International Animation Festival in Peja

Art

The young art scene is represented by Anita Baraku, Alban Muja and Rrezeart Galica, among others. Meeting points for the cultural scene include the Dit ‘e Nat’ book club and the Tingle Tangle bar. An exciting project is Kosovo 2.0, a platform for alternative blogs, articles and multimedia.

Movie

More recent feature films and documentaries from or about Kosovo are Kukumi, Kthimi, Anatema (!), Parnassus Paper, Kosovo: View from the Bridge, Rule of Law, Mak 10 documentary, SHUFFLE – Politics, Bullshit & Rock ‘n Roll, Three Windows and a Hanging or Babai. The short film Shok was nominated for an Oscar in 2016 as the first Kosvar film.

Architecture

The contemporary architecture is, as by Kai Vöckler in his monograph “Prishtina is Everwhere. Turbo-Urbanism as the Result of a Crisis “aptly described, significantly influenced by the following factors: Despite often unclear ownership relationships in conjunction with a weak administration and strong informal local client networks, increasing urbanization leads to a sharp increase in the need for housing in cities and a building boom that reacts to this. The style that characterizes the building activities is named by Vöckler as “Turbo-Archiketur” (p. 52), which describes a style mix of tradition and transnational modernity. Modern reinforced concrete structures mix with curved facades, blue mirrored windows, oak wood applications,

In September 2020 the International Architecture Festival took place in Prishtina.

Kosovo National Library, Prishtina

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