Iso-Polyphony

Albanian iso-polyphony is a form of unaccompanied group singing found across the south, in which one or two soloists carry the melody and a chorus holds a continuous drone underneath, the iso, from which the form takes its name; the drone is either held on a single breath in rotation or pulsed rhythmically depending on the sub-tradition, and the Lab and Tosk regional styles differ in ornamentation and in the number of solo parts. Songs deal with emigration, loss, weddings and historical events, and the singing is a social act, done at tables and gatherings rather than on stages. UNESCO inscribed it in 2005. It can be heard at festivals, at the national folklore gathering in Gjirokastra, and in restaurants in Permet, Vlora and Gjirokastra.

What you actually see

• A held drone under solo lines - the iso the whole form is built on.
• Lab and Tosk styles - the regional variants and their differences.
• Singing at tables - the social rather than staged setting.
• Festival performances - the Gjirokastra gathering and regional events.

When to go

Year round in restaurants and at gatherings; the national folklore festival at Gjirokastra runs every few years and regional festivals fall in spring and autumn. An evening. Ask locally where singers will be.

Honest expectations

Restaurant performances are arranged for visitors and vary in quality; the real thing happens at private gatherings you will not be at. Festival dates are irregular and announced late. It is a specific taste and the drone can be hard on unaccustomed ears.

Nearby

Gjirokastra, Permet and Vlora are the main places to hear it.