News and events
Presentation of the book “Kompozitori Bojan Adamiç në Shqipëri” on February 8, 2024 in Tirana
2. 3. 2024
On February 8, 2024, that is “Prešeren Day”, the Slovene cultural holiday, a formal event was held in the lobby of the Theatre Opera and Ballet in Tirana, Albania, for the presentation of the book Kompozitori Bojan Adamiç në Shqipëri” (Composer Bojan Adamiç in Albania).
The presentation was co-organized by the Ministry of Economy, Culture and Innovation, the National Center for Books and Reading, the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Tirana, the Albanian Academy of Science and the Theatre Opera and Ballet in Tirana.
In addition to the members of the family of the composer Bojan Adamič’s, there were present the author of the book, prof. dr. Vasil Tole, ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia in Albania H.E. Mr. Petar Japelj, the ambassador of Kosovo H.E. Mr. Skënder Dyrmishi, ambassador of Egypt H.E. Mr. Mohamed Heider, ambassador of Serbia H.E. Mr. Slobodan Vukčević, ambassador of Bulgaria H.E. Mr. Ivaylo Kirov, Deputy ambassador of Croatia Mrs. Maja Drmač, Deputy ambassador of Bulgaria Mrs. Dimitrina Temelkova, Deputy Minister of Economy, Culture and Innovation Mrs. Lira Pipa, Director of the National Center for Books and Reading Mrs. Alda Bardhyli, director of the Mediaprint publishing house Mrs. Anila Bisha, translator of the book Mr. Nikolë Berishaj, many academics, researchers, artists and cultural figures from Albania and Kosovo, diplomats and high representatives of state institutions.
The presentation was also attended by many Albanian musicians: Edmond Doko – conductor of the Theatre Opera and Ballet in Tirana, Olsi Qinami, conductor of the Radio Tirana Symphony Orchestra, who will conduct the opera Madame Butterfly in Ljubljana in March 2024, Ylli Leka – conductor and nephew of the composer Dhora Leka and composers such as Aulon Naçi, Krist Sopiqoti, Andi Kongo, Olsi Qinami, Jetmir Zaganjori and Denis Bizhga, who is also a university lecturer and renowned guitarist.
Aulon Naçi, Krist Sopiqoti, Andi Kongo, prof. Vasil Tole, Olsi Qinami, Jetmir Zaganjori in Denis Bizhga.
The book was written by prof. dr. Vasil Tole, vice-president of the Albanian Academy of Sciences and Dr. Darja Koter, full professor at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana, in close cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Albania, the National Center for Books and Reading from Tirana and the Adamič family. The book is a continuation of the material obtained for the international symposium about Bojan Adamič, which took place on May 4, 2022 at the Academy of Sciences in Tirana.
In addition to the report, sent by Bojan Adamič to Belgrade in May 1947 and the 24 letters he wrote to his wife Barbara between May and September 1947, numerous documents were obtained from the Archives of Yugoslavia in Belgrade. They shed additional light and explained the Bojan Adamič’s task in Albania in 1947 and 1948, as he was sent to Albania as an official cultural support from the former Yugoslavia and not as a punishment for playing jazz.
For the acquisition of the first important documents from this archive in Belgrade in April 2022, we would like to thank the ambassador of Slovenia in Belgrade, H.E. Mr. Damjan Bergant, as they completely changed our view of Bojan Adamič’s departure to Albania, where he was sent by the then Minister of Culture, Mrs. Lidija Šentjurc.
As written in the book, which was published in Albanian language in February 2024, Prof. Vasil Tole highlighted the love that the Slovenian composer had for Albania, its culture, tradition, dances and the people. His opinion is that this is a story that deserves to be known by both the Albanian and Slovenian public and beyond.
The introduction to the book was prepared by Mrs. Elva Margariti, the Minister of Culture in Albania and H.E. Mr. Peter Japelj, Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia in the Republic of Albania. In the preface he wrote: “The book about the great artist Bojan Adamič and the hitherto little-known period he spent in Albania is the result of information gathered from all over the world, happy coincidences and the dedicated work of many who respect and love his work.”
The event was chaired by Mrs. Alda Bardhyli, director of the National Books and Reading Center in Tirana. She praised the book by Prof. dr. Vasil Tole as a surprising discovery for getting to know Bojan Adamič as an important personality of European culture, since this outstanding Slovenian composer worked in Albania in 1947-1948 as a pianist, orchestrator and composer with the orchestra of Radio Tirana and the orchestra of the Hotel Dajti.
Ambassador of Slovenia H.E. Mr. Peter Japelj praised the book as a fascinating work for this special period of our common history.
He emphasized that the book contains many intriguing facts and assessed it as a document that represents the short but fruitful period of the Slovenian artist, who came to Albania for the first time in 1947 and made a significant contribution to the field of music in post-war Albania. He also took a part of the Albanian cultural essence to his homeland, which resulted in his later successful collaboration with Albanian artists in Kosovo and Albania. Among other things, he emphasized: “Presenting a book about a great man who connected our nations with music and who, among other things, arranged the compositions of the first Albanian composer Mrs. Dhora Leka, is a more than appropriate way to honor him.”
Also researcher and writer dr. Arian Leka market the book as a prove of Adamic’s work in Albania. All this on the basis of extensive archival and bibliographic records, most of which appear before the reader for the first time and are part of the author’s systematic research to clarify the attitude of Albanians to their musical culture and openness to the world.
He also emphasized that all the data and information in this book are based on the scientific criteria of historiography.
Bojan Adamič’s daughter, Mrs. Alenka Adamič, mentioned among other things. “We are in the land that my father admired. You can read the letters he sent to my mother, where he writes about kind people, beautiful nature and rich culture. Father was fascinated by folklore elements of Albania, costumes and music. In his letters, he talked about the dances, about the passion and nobility of the dancers.”
At the gala event, the participants also had the opportunity to enjoy the interpretation of one of the most popular compositions arranged by Bojan Adamič My Song.
The popular Kosovar singer Besnik Krajku, who won the Festival Akordi Kosova with this composition many years ago under the conductorship of Bojan Adamič, was accompanied at the piano by the composer and professor at the Faculty of Arts in Priština, Mr. Valton Beqiri.
The family of Bojan Adamič would like to thank everyone in the Albanian cultural and wider environment for the interest and acceptance of the new book, which discovers and describes the life and duties of Bojan Adamič during his stay in Albania in 1947 and 1948.
Special thanks to H.E. Mr. Petar Japelj, ambassador at the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Tirana, for the great appreciation he has shown to the work of the Slovenian composer Bojan Adamič.
