Song of Çelo Mezani
Encyclopedia
The Song of Çelo Mezani is an Albanian polyphonic
folk song. It is considered to be the best-known Cham Albanian
song. The song increased the awareness in Albania about the Chameria
region and its history.
and a lament
of the death of Çelo Mezani, a well-known Cham Albanian revolutionary from the village of Perdika
in modern north-western Greece
(Çamëria). Çelo Mezani lived in the late 19th century and was a kaçak
who fought against Ottoman
rule in his homeland. The Ottoman agents managed to kill him through betrayal.
in the Myzeqe region and in Skelë in the area of Vlorë
by Cham Albanian refugees who had settled in those areas after the expulsion of Cham Albanians
. In both recording the groups sang a cappella
.
It was supposed to be performed in the National Folklore Festival of Gjirokastër
in 1973, but the political regime censored it. In 1978 it was performed in the National Folklore Festival of Gjirokastër by a folk singers' group from Rrogozhinë
. In the festival of Gjirokastër the song was accompanied by an instrumental ensemble of violin, clarinet, llautë and def. It was well-received by the public and became a synonym of Cham Albanian music.
According to Albanian composer Agim Krajka, the song was one of the best ways for the Albanian public to know better the Chameria region and its history.
Polyphonic song of Epirus
The Polyphonic song of Epirus is a form of traditional folk polyphony practiced among Greeks, Albanians, Aromanians and Macedonian Slavs in southern Albania and northwestern Greece....
folk song. It is considered to be the best-known Cham Albanian
Cham Albanians
Cham Albanians, or Chams , are a sub-group of Albanians who originally resided in the coastal region of Epirus in northwestern Greece, an area known among Albanians as Chameria. The Chams have their own peculiar cultural identity, which is a mixture of Albanian and Greek influences as well as many...
song. The song increased the awareness in Albania about the Chameria
Chameria
Chameria is a term used today mostly by Albanians for parts of the coastal region of Epirus in southern Albania and northwestern Greece It was also used by Greeks till the mid of 20th century and is frequently found in Greek literature. Today it is obsolete in Greek, surviving mainly in Greek folk...
region and its history.
History
The song was composed during the period of the Albanian National Awakening and is a narrativeNarrative
A narrative is a constructive format that describes a sequence of non-fictional or fictional events. The word derives from the Latin verb narrare, "to recount", and is related to the adjective gnarus, "knowing" or "skilled"...
and a lament
Lament
A lament or lamentation is a song, poem, or piece of music expressing grief, regret, or mourning.-History:Many of the oldest and most lasting poems in human history have been laments. Laments are present in both the Iliad and the Odyssey, and laments continued to be sung in elegiacs accompanied by...
of the death of Çelo Mezani, a well-known Cham Albanian revolutionary from the village of Perdika
Perdika
Perdika is a village and a former community in Thesprotia, Epirus, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Igoumenitsa, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 2,272 ....
in modern north-western Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
(Çamëria). Çelo Mezani lived in the late 19th century and was a kaçak
Kachak
A Kachak is an originally Turkish term for rebel or bandit. In Albania the term is used to define guerrilla units established by Albanian revolutionaries who fought in Albanian inhabited areas against foreign rule during the period of the Albanian National Awakening and the early 20th century in...
who fought against Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
rule in his homeland. The Ottoman agents managed to kill him through betrayal.
Song
The song of Çelo Mezani consists of three parts and is sung by two soloists and a drone group. It was recorded officially in 1957 in FierFier
Fieri is a city in southwest Albania, in the district and county of the same name. It is located at , and has a population of 82,297 . Fier is from the ruins of the ancient Greek city of Apollonia.-History :...
in the Myzeqe region and in Skelë in the area of Vlorë
Vlorë
Vlorë is one of the biggest towns and the second largest port city of Albania, after Durrës, with a population of about 94,000 . It is the city where the Albanian Declaration of Independence was proclaimed on November 28, 1912...
by Cham Albanian refugees who had settled in those areas after the expulsion of Cham Albanians
Expulsion of Cham Albanians
The expulsion of Cham Albanians from Greece was a forced emigration of thousands of Cham Albanians after the Second World War to Albania, by the Resistance National Republican Greek League forces. The EDES and the Joint Allied Military Mission in the Axis-occupied Greece accused Chams for...
. In both recording the groups sang a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
.
It was supposed to be performed in the National Folklore Festival of Gjirokastër
Gjirokastër
Gjirokastër is a city in southern Albania with a population of 43,000. Lying in the historical region of Epirus, it is the capital of both the Gjirokastër District and the larger Gjirokastër County...
in 1973, but the political regime censored it. In 1978 it was performed in the National Folklore Festival of Gjirokastër by a folk singers' group from Rrogozhinë
Rrogozhinë
Rrogozhinë is a municipality in Kavajë District, Tirana County in Albania. The population currently is 28,758. The football club is KS Egnatia Rrogozhinë....
. In the festival of Gjirokastër the song was accompanied by an instrumental ensemble of violin, clarinet, llautë and def. It was well-received by the public and became a synonym of Cham Albanian music.
According to Albanian composer Agim Krajka, the song was one of the best ways for the Albanian public to know better the Chameria region and its history.
Lyrics
The first soloist sings in a narrative way, while the second soloist replies to him by singing the second part of the verse again. The drone group provides vocal backing. The first verse of the song is:| Albanian Albanian language Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece... |
English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
|---|---|
Doli djelli ne Malavire, Qisi Çelua ne Harile, Qisi Çelua ne Harile, Për të shkretën Pajgorile, Për te shkretën Pajgorile. |
The sun arose in Malavire, Çelo came out in Harile, Çelo came out in Harile, Out to offer his condolence, Out to offer his condolence. |