Gonxhja on Intangible Heritage Day: protection begins with the bearers of tradition

The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sports, Blendi Gonxhja, marked the International Day of Intangible Cultural Heritage with a message of appreciation for the bearers of Albanian traditions, those who preserve them and pass them on from generation to generation.

In his statement, the minister listed some of the best-known expressions of this heritage: iso-polyphony, songs accompanied by the lahuta, a traditional one-stringed instrument, folk dances, artisan crafts and traditional rituals. He stressed the need to actively protect this living heritage.

The younger generation at the center

According to Gonxhja, the protection of intangible heritage does not start with institutions, but with the people who keep it alive in everyday life. He added that continuity depends on young people, who must learn it, experience it and pass it on.

The message comes after a period in which the ministry has declared several new elements to be national treasures, among them the dance of Osman Taka, the Ngjala dance, the Myzeqe couple dance, and the knowledge of making the Zadrima costume and the qeleshe, the traditional felt cap.

However, not all scholars are satisfied with the official approach. Folklorist Yzeir Llanaj has argued publicly that the heritage is being kept alive mainly by the communities themselves and that institutions should recognize and support the bearers of tradition more concretely.