- artist:Rona Nishliu Quartet
- featured artist:Rona Nishliu
- region:Balkan
- release year:2015
- style(s):Balkan, Freestyle
- country:Kosovo
- formats:Audio File / Digital, DVD Video (Digital Versatile Disc)
- record posted by:Nishliu, Rona
“Me motive tonat” is a collection of eight re-arranged traditional songs from all regions inhabited by Albanian speaking people in the Balkans and Mediterranean and one original song written during the production of the album, accompanied by a documentary and music videos.
“Me motive tonat” started in 2011 as a piano and vocals experiment. With the addition of drums and double bass over the first half of 2015, the project matured into an ethno-jazz quartet that researches the roots of Albanian musical heritage for the original emotions or sins that led to the creation of the songs, revealing the inner workings of traditional songs and the many blended layers of exchange with other cultures.
“Me motive tonat” rearranges the architecture of traditional Albanian music in a constant search for connections to today’s world by reinterpreting songs such as “Moj e bukura More” (O beautiful Peloponnesus), dating back from the late 14th century, sung by Albanians of southern Italy to mourn the loss of their ancestral lands to foreign invasion.
“Me motive tonat” maps and reinterprets cultural milestones by rediscovering traditional songs dealing with moral, gender and social roles, such as “Ke pjeshka” (At the peach tree), “Moj a majr, e hollë e gjatë” (Good, slender and tall), “Nji lule” (A flower) and “Po shkon goca me korr në arë” (On the way to harvest) from northern, central and eastern regions and “Vare Vare” (Let’s dance, let’s dance) from south Italy; and songs dealing with the topics of homosexuality and adultery from the mid 17th and 18th centuries, such as “Amon kom nji babë” (Good grief, I have such a father) from central Albania and “Moj e bukura gjitone” (O beautiful neighbour) from Greece.
The album was recorded live in Prishtina in late April, and will be released in early October.