ually accompanied by folk instruments, were passed down from
generation to generation over the centuries. In the mountains of the
north the _lahute_ (lute), which is a stringed instrument, is popular.
Other Albanian folk instruments are the _roja_, which is a bagpipe, and
the _tupan_, which is similar to a tambourine. Orchestras, called
_saze_, are found in many towns in the southern part of Albania. These
are usually composed of about five instruments and often provide music
for folk dances at weddings and on other special occasions.

Western music was first spread throughout the country in the 1920s by an
Albanian brass band that had received training in the United States.
After touring the larger towns, it established itself in Korce, giving
regular popular and classical concerts. The Royal Band was later
established in Tirana, whose repertoire consisted of Western music but,
generally, indigenous music predominated and Western music made little
impact.

Western-trained Albanian singers appeared in the mid-1930s. Tefta
Tashko, Gjorgjija Filce, and Maria Paluca were well-known sopranos who
sang both operatic music and folk tunes. Kristaq Antoniu began his
career as a tenor before World War II and continued it under the
Communist regime. Filce and Paluca also remained musical stars after
World War II.

Kristro Kono was the only composer of significance in pre-World War II
Albania. He remains a highly rated composer under the Communist regime.
In the 1950s he wrote several songs, some of which were dedicated to
Enver Hoxha and Stalin. Some of his orchestral pieces are "Fantazi
Shqiptare" (Albanian Fantasies) and "Agimi" (The Dawn). Konstantine
Trako is another popular composer of the Communist period.

The predominant musical creations are songs with lyrics because they are
effective means of inspiring patriotism and pro-Communist sentiments.
All activity in the musical field is controlled and supported by the
Party, primarily through the Union of Artists and Writers and the
Ministry of Education and Culture. There are state-supported music
academies and institutions for training in this field. Besides the many
local musical groups, there are the state-supported Opera and Ballet
Theater of Tirana and the Song and Dance Ensemble of Tirana (see ch. 5,
Social System).

Fine Arts

The first art school was established in Tirana in the 1930s. The
curriculum of this school did not go beyond the fundamentals of art and