The genesis of Serenades is somewhere around the 20s. The first immigrants who had left around the 1850s began to return at the end of the century. Romania, Argentina, Egypt, etc., were the main countries where they had immigrated and the schools they attended had a very advanced music program. In the meantime, the city of Korça had also turned into an important handicraft-commercial center. Many of them, residents of surrounding villages such as Drenova, Polena, Hoçishti, Ziçishti, Dardha, Voskopoja, etc., settled in Korça. The city band, as well as the young instrumentalists who came from exile, were the first pioneers of what would later be called the Korçare Serenade. Songs sung in the spring twilight were embraced by all. The instruments of the serenades were first the wind instruments and then the guitar, mandolin, buzuku. The term serenade, of course, is taken from Italian or even kantadha, but in Korça they created a special originality, because the light civic music and, not infrequently, the existing folklore music were also borrowed. Korça and the song, an inseparable binomial, while the Korça serenade itself creates the conviction that it was born at the same time as the city…

The 20’s – 30’s were the golden years of the real Korça serenade, where, among others, the contribution of the prominent Thoma Nasi stands out the most. The music schools, the existence of the French Lyceum and the “kurbetlli” who returned in those years, gave an unprecedented impulse to the cultural life of the city. The “Lira” group, created in the 30s, gave another impetus, not only to songs with a patriotic character, but also to the serenade. TTole Adhami, Vaskë Xherahu, Gaqo Jorganxhi, Gaqo Avrazi, Kosta Osmanlli, Ilo Morsko, Raqi Treska, Raqi Floriri, Niko Cavali, Llambi Ziko, Koli Kondakçi, Petro Dule, the Bakllamaja brothers and many others, will remain unforgettable in the history of Korça serenade. There is no “alley“in Korça that has not been trampled by the feet of serenaders, who sang of love, pain, separation. “O my darling sitting at the gate, don’t listen to what the world says”…is one of the serenades singing to love.

The first years after liberation would rekindle the fire of serenade, of eternal love, because the love for the song and the girl of the heart merged into one. The younger generation, where the well-known names of korça art stand out, such as Pandi Rraidhi, Gaqo Çako, Pandi Peleshi, but also others such as Pirro Sulioti, Pandi Tasellari, Ridvan Shëllira, Ligoraq Qano, etc., would sing with unprecedented passion the serenade, which began at dusk and ended in the early hours of the morning. But even the serenade would not escape the “vigilant” eye of the dictatorship. Perhaps it took the serenade out of the way, but not from the hearts and mouths of the Korca people.

“In recent years, all the artists, but also the common people of Korça, are trying to do something for the serenade, creating an association to continue the tradition. Mihallaq Andrea, is its chairman, Tomi Kondakçi and other guys are trying hard to continue this wonderful tradition. At family celebrations, weddings, social gatherings, it is impossible not to sing serenade songs, because it is everyone’s life in song, it is the story of Korça in song. Time passes and maybe the serenade has run its course, but true values can never be lost.

/k.s/