Category Archives: Culture

Enriching the Kosovo-Swiss Community Cooperation

Aiming to enhance the positive experience between the people of Kosovo and Switzerland, GjakovaBasel organization is continuing to serve as a link between the Kosovar and Swiss community in both countries. “Our activities serve as a connection of economic, touristic, and cultural interest between the two countries,” said Mr. Skender Nikoliqi, co-host of the economic forum held recently by GjakovaBasel in Switzerland. This activity was featured in our platform in the last week of January and the article published can be found here.

During this event, the participants interviewed by RTV 21 explained that these activities aim to encourage Diaspora engagement in supporting Kosovo and providing information for investment opportunities to be implemented in the future.

The full story was broadcast in Albanian and you can watch it below.

Celebrating Kosovo’s Culture and Traditions

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The American Councils for International Education is organizing the Evening of Culture and Discovery to share with you Kosovo’s culture and traditions. The event will feature a virtual tour of Kosovo through centuries and special live musical performance by Shpat Deda, a critically acclaimed Kosovar singer-song writer, current KAEF Fellow. H.E. Ambassador Akan Ismaili, Kosovo Ambassador to the U.S will be the Guest of Honor for the night.

When: Friday, March 27, 2015 from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

Where: Mrs. Jane Blair’s Residence
5006 Warren Street, NW
Washington, DC 20016

Ticket sales from this event will benefit the Kosovo American Education Fund (KAEF). Established in 2004, KAEF is dedicated to the economic development of Kosovo through the education of its most promising youth and professionals. To date, KAEF has provided 74 graduate degrees to Kosovo’s best and brightest.

American Councils for International Education expresses special thanks to the Host Committee and a select group of Albanian Professionals of Washington, DC in organizing this special evening.

Additional information regarding the event can be found HERE.

KODEF Charity Gala in Prishtina – Follow Up!

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Kosovo is still built upon the tradition that the young family members take care of the elderly. Yet, there are cases when elderly people have no one, in which case the Prishtina elderly home provides shelter for them. With the aim of helping the elderly house in Prishtina, the Kosovar-German Friendship Association (KODEF) held a charity gala in September 2014.

Thanks to local Kosovars, Diaspora members, private attendees from the German embassy and members of the German armed forces in Kosovo, KODEF was able to gather 4000 euros, out of which a professional dish washer for 2292,10 Euros was purchased and successfully built into the elderly home’s kitchen. One might think that the elderly people have other urgencies, but the hygienic condition in the kitchen should not be underestimated. From the remaining money, the German Embassy, GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) and the company Bavaria SHPK will paint the elderly home. The German armed forces in Kosovo volunteered to renovate and built new wardrobes for the home.

Picture: ZERI. KODEF donation of professional dish washer to the elderly home.

Click here to read more about this donation in one of Kosovo’s news platform.

Agron Saliu Reaches Vienna

Agron Saliu’s third international exhibition is destined to be held in Vienna.

Following the success of the personal exhibition in Skopje’s Cultural Information Centre, Agron Saliu has been invited to present the same exhibition at “Kunstraum Wien Mitte” in Vienna, Austria.

“I consider it to be a very important step in my career, for many reasons. The most important fact is that my works are filtered by the curators of the Gallery of Vienna and the Commission of the Ministry of Culture, ” said Mr. Saliu.

His journey goes through studies in Paris and exhibitions in Berlin. Now, 2015 brings his work to Vienna. KultPlus reports that Saliu’s exhibition in Vienna will be financially supported by the Ministry of Culture of Macedonia. On February 20, his works presented in the exhibition in Berlin will be transferred to the Art Gallery of Kumanovo.

Agron Saliu was born in 1984 in Tetovo, Macedonia. He graduated from the State University of Tetovo, Faculty of Arts with a focus on painting.

Abetare Hyseni Plays Coppelia in Italy

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Abetare Hyseni was the only ballerina of the National Ballet of Kosovo, which played on “Coppelia” show choreographed by the Albanian Ilir Kerni in “Luciano Pavarotti” theater of Modena, Italy.

On 16 January 2015, the Kosovar ballerina Abetare Hyseni played with National Ballet of Albania in “Coppelia” dance show in “Luciano Pavarotti” theater in Modena, Italy. “Coppelia” was premiered during the last year in Prishtina, Kosovo.

KultPlus reports that “Coppelia and La Stravagnaza have opened the 2015 season of Luciano Pavarotti Municipal Theatre of Modena, Italy.”

The Kosovo Ballet is a very active troupe, dancing in performances of the highest professional quality. With hard working dancers and director, they work intensively with great devotion and with great for this difficult yes beautiful form of art.

The Albanian National Theatre of Opera and Ballet rebuild its way of performing international and national repertoire, despite country’s economic transition during 1992 – 2010. Today, T.K.O.B. normally develops its activity, in order to increase the development of theater in contemporary concepts.

GjakovaBasel: Switzerland invites Kosovo

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NGO GjakovaBasel is hosting a two-day event in Basel, Switzerland to help promote future cooperation possibilities between partners in Kosovo and Switzerland. From January 30-31, the event aims to cover topics such as: promoting Kosovo as a tourist destination, youth and sports, marketing in Switzerland for products from Kosovo and showcasing Kosovo as an attractive option for potential investors.

Among the participants in this event, Kosovo 2.0 today gave a short presentation on the magazine and their work to promote independent journalistic opportunities to young people in Kosovo and throughout the Balkans.

Kosovo 2.0 goes to Switzerland! http://t.co/YV3geEQQBs

— Kosovo 2.0 (@kosovo2point0) January 29, 2015

Kosovo 2.0 team highly values events such as this week’s GjakovaBasel, as an important way of “helping to keep the diaspora connected to Kosovo and to develop and maintain the strong bonds between Kosovo and Switzerland.”

NGO GjakovaBasel was founded in May 2014 with the aim of establishing cooperation in cross-boarder projects between persons and institutions in the regions of Gjakova, Kosova and Basel, Switzerland in all fields of culture, social care, economy, civil society and joint social activities.

Kosovo Sets Guinness Record on Largest Grain Mosaic

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It’s official: Kosovo now holds the Guinness World Record for the largest mosaic of grain in the world, thanks to Alkent Pozhegu, a 38-year-old Kosovar born in Gjakova.

In May 2014, Alkent Pozhegu made a mosaic of dimensions 20×25 meters, with an area of 500 m2. Pozhegu’s work, with which he set a new Guinness World Record for Kosovo in this category, has set behind the previous record of 400 m2, which was presented in India.

Pozhegu’s mosaic figure is made of maize, rice and wheat. He used 2500 kilograms of grain to create the names of Lionel Messi and Christiano Ronaldo, two world-known soccer players. The mosaic also includes the symbols of Barcelona and Real Madrid FC Club.

Below you can see Pozhegu’s recent interview for TV Syri Vision, a local TV Station in Gjakova, Kosovo.

La France Is Amazed by Young Erza’s Talent

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The voice of Erza Muçolli, a 8 year-old Kosovar living in France, has amazed the public of “France’s Got Talent”. The new star is one of the five finalists of “France’s Got Talent” competition.

She is the daughter of Luljeta and Mehmet Muçolli, both originating from Kosovo. Her father is originally from Zabel, Drenas. Along with Erza’s mother, they were part of cultural and artistic associations at the time they lived in Kosovo. During her early childhood, Erza’s family moved from Kosovo to France. They managed to easily adopt in the culture of a new country and soon, Erza started building her image in the music field.

Regarding her participation in “France’s got talent,” Erza explains that she is “very satisfied to be on top of this strong competition”. Her parents are exceptionally proud of a Kosovar participation in this prominent show, knowing that the competition is high and she is the most supported semi-finalist by the show’s public.

Below you can see her performance in “France’s got talent” and an interview of Klan Kosova with Erza and her family.

After her outstanding performance in this scene, Erza has accepted an offer from a French movie-production studio for the spring of 2015.

Rita Ora Makes It to the Oscars

Kosovo’s Rita Ora is nominated for an Oscar based on her performance on the “Grateful” soundtrack for the 2013 movie Beyond the Lights. The nominees for the “Original Song” category usually perform during the ceremony, which means that we will probably get to see Rita at the Oscars Academy Awards on February 22nd in Los Angeles.

“Grateful” will face competition from “Everything is Awesome”, a soundtrack of the The Lego movie. John Legend and Common are also nominated in this category for the song “Glory” on the movie Selma. The other nominees are Adam Levine with the song “Lost Stars” and Glen Campbell’s song “I’m Not Gonna Miss You”.

Bota Reaches World Film Festivals

“Bota” is a movie written and directed by Iris Elezi and Thomas Logoreci. The movie is a co-production of Kosovo, Albania and Italy, expected to appear on the 38th edition of The Goteborg Film Festival to be held between 23rd of January to 5 February, 2015 in Sweden.

The Goteborg Film Festival is ranked as one of the best festivals in the world, featuring over 500 films from 84 countries of the world, with over 40 seminars and discussions on film and production.

The Karlovy Vary international film festival, held in the Czech Republic a year ago, announced “Bota” amongst its winners in the 49th edition. After the success in the Czech Republic, France, Finland and Germany, “Bota” was shown in Kinema Millenium in Tirana, Albania.

The actors starring in the movie are Flonja Kodheli, Artur Gorishti, Fioralba Kryemadhi, Tinka Kurti, Erand Sojli, Guljelm Radoja dhe Alban Ujkaj.

The original article was published in KOHA net: http://bit.ly/1ygmDUR