“Jazz” in 50’s (Albania)

• The word “JAZZ” entered in Albania from foreign radios, especially from RAI’s and later from Yugoslav TV. Unknown as a music stream but as a term circulated with great curiosity.

• Little by little some musician began to frame some more intimate element or some free emotional expression, especially talented instrumentalists who have improvisation ability and free technical quality “virtuous”. During these years, soft music began to explode.

• Musician now did not use only tango, beguine, foxtrot, waltz and rumba music elements, they even began to infiltrate some contemporary rhythms like swing, hula – hoop, Charleston, cha – cha – cha, twist and the first signs of rock n roll.

• We had few information from east countries, but had some films sequences which was accompanied by Jazz music which now already was known, films like “Slide ” ( Czech film ), “Sea Cat” ( Romanian movie ), “Spring ice” ( Austrian film ), “Payment of fear” ( French film ) and any others….. Also circulate plastic disks (45 and 78 turnover) that went in Albania so carefully from artist who were on tours overseas.

• At that time radio Tirana has played an important role with the creativity and recordings, of the artist like: the quartet of Agim Prodani, the recording of Llazar Moreka, Quintet of Agim Krajka. Agim Krajka it was a composer and excellent accordionist that in 1962 in the first Festival of Song in the Albanian Radio Television introduced he’s quintet “Rhythmic Complex”.

I think that this was the beginning of a “spark” which after a few years would return to “fire” with the firs Festival of Soldier and get the top in the 11th Festival of Song in Albanian Radio Television with the “Big – Band” created by the eminent and unforgettable musician Gasper ÇURÇIA. As I think, Jazz music is: expression of maximum individual freedom, instant emotion, sophisticated and virtuous taste of singers and instrumentalists.