In the early evening, under a wonderful pink sky, we gathered at the amphitheatre by the lake at Tirana for a very special evening’s entertainment. The event, Covivere, was described by the organisers as featuring “artists with different abilities.” Different abilities perhaps, but all with a shared passion for performance.
Headlining the event was a brass band from Shkodër representing an organisation called The Door, that was founded there in 1996 with the help of the Norwegian government.
The Door assists local people who need extra support in order to help them integrate successfully into the community to which they belong. The band was started in 2004, with the support of Mr Falk Bakke of Kiwanis International, an American organisation that helps children with different needs exploit their creativity and talents to the full.
The musicians, some with learning difficulties, some others with physical or other needs, are an inspiration for other young artists, those with talent, and anyone who feels they struggle to find a place to nurture that talent.
When it was started, the band was the only one of its type across the whole of the Balkans. It is now well known locally and is often seen playing in the town square of Shkodër. To add to the enjoyment of the evening, many of the band were visiting Tirana for the first time in their lives.
While the band was made up of young people with varying abilities, they had one thing in common, a love for music. And, while their enthusiastic and disciplined playing was a wonderful surprise for us in the audience, there was a surprise for the band as well.
There was a storm of applause as Ardit Gjebrea, the singer-songwriter and TV personality ran onto the stage to join them. Ardit’s presence electrified the whole event. He immediately established an easy rapport with the musicians – engaging in banter with them and joining them in song – before sitting down in the front row of the audience to enjoy and enthusiastically applaud the rest of the performance.
The second part of our evening was a highly imaginative collaboration between singers and dancers. The singers had visual impairments while some of the dancers had hearing loss. We had been briefed beforehand that we should express our admiration not only by applause but by the waving of hands so that the performers could see how much we were enjoying ourselves.
The combination of talents made for a sublime mix – culminating in a superb version of Leonard Cohen’s song, Hallelujah, accompanied by some beautifully choreographed and skilful dance moves. There was, as you can imagine, a riot of applause and hand waving.
The evening was ably compared by actress and teacher Ema Andrea and Holta Koçi, Director of Albania Community Assist, which was behind the organisation and sponsorship of the event. The event was attended by the Minister of Culture, Elva Margariti.
The evening was topped and tailed by two very moving personal testimonies. A young man, who introduced himself as a competitive swimmer, described the challenges he had faced and, with a justifiable glow of pride, his achievements.
Towards the end of the evening, another young man explained how he had pursued his dream of playing football. First, he had trained with his father. Then, after six months, he managed to play for his local team. Now, he shares his experience by coaching others.
It was this sense of generosity that marked the evening, of people supporting each other to do their best. A reminder how much we all need each other, and how much the expression of all our talents benefits society as a whole. What a wonderful evening – and one of which Albania can be proud.
