31/05/2009
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Gazeta Shqiptare

31 May 2009

Xhevair Spahiu

Art and dictatorship as I see it Art and dictatorship as I see it BY FJORALBA SATKA A warm October day seems to favor our conversation. Xhevahir Spahiu and I sat down in the outdoor area of a café in Tirana. And just like that, spontaneously, our conversation about art began. He likes to drink a dark Korçe beer... ... words, these are what have interested me as a writer. The words that are in the basin of central Albania, in Tirana, Durrës, Kavajë; they are very Illyrian, if not entirely so. Which is surprising when we look at Turkish/Ottoman clothing, most of the music is Ottoman. So they were very influenced by the Turks. Then how is it possible that the words have preserved their Illyrianness!? And if you look, these words are monosyllabic; Dajt, Krrabë, Prezë, Pezë, Helmz (Helmz also exists in Skrapar). But here there are no people to take care of them. We too always destroy history, so we boast that we are patriots, but our patriotism is very weak. Now, in recent times, we are sending them into retirement altogether, because there are other ideals. What is your generation? I belong to the generation of the 1970s. In 1960 there is the generation of Ismail Kadare, Dritëro Agolli and Fatos Arapi... On page 2

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