TRADITA E RENDIT - AHENGUT NË GJAKOVË
TRADITION OF RENDI - AHENG (ORDER-PARTY) IN GJAKOVA

Summary/Abstract: Ahengu (the party) includes a certain musical repertoire of city folk songs as well as particular orchestral melodies which in their organizational structure display: - Old original strata of modal-diatonic music from pre-Turk occupation - The strata of modal-chromatic music, as a part of Turk – Arabic - Persian culture, which was spread by the flux of ottomans, both among us and in the folklore of other Balkan countries - The strata of Balkan wide music. The role and relevance of Rendi-Ahengu in Gjakova had a great value, since both in Kosovo and Gjakova there was not created a sufficient space to cultivate talent, affinities and skills in different art fields in order to be expressed feelings of this population. Meetings in parties created a possibility for youth to find spiritual relaxation, to awaken the sense of joy, satisfaction and to socialize. In the city of Gjakova there was a tradition that in Saturdays, after finishing working week, to gather and sing together with passionate instrumentalists and singers of Gjakovar so called ahengu- rendi. Rendi (order) in itself consisted of strict rules which nobody had right to break. It was a tradition that, while song was sang, the silence and order had to be kept, other wise the punishment would follow from the guardian of order which symbolically would throw a cigarette in the direction of the rule breaker. Songs, melodies one after another were listed beautifully and tastefully. When the orchestra stopped performing then would come out bejtexhinjtë – (from Turk bejte=verse/those who told verses/ bejtexhinjte also means a literary trend) with their humor. This ''diversity'' made the atmosphere very cheerful in these parties. At the end it was continued with folk games which were characteristic and significant for the period we are talking, such as: the game ''Vili BAT'', ''Loja e Kapuçave/Game with hats'', game '' Këpuca në arr/Shoe in the walnut tree''. All these made gjakovar order a symbol of cultivation and presservation of traditions, of old city songs, of peculiar gjakovar humor and antient folk games.

• Details
• Contents