By Lefter Çipa

I had known Professor Dhimitër Shuteriqi without ever meeting him, through his writings and studies. Works that he carried out and published from time to time in publications and organs, especially in the weekly newspaper "Drita", an organ of the League of Writers and Artists. I was attracted by the articles published on Albanian folklore in particular, the folklore of the South, of Toskëria and of the Greater Labëria, where his wisdom and knowledge illuminated my soul, eager and passionate for the folklore of my countries, especially for the Labë Himariote song and dance. It is difficult to judge someone unknown and never met, even without having the opportunity to shake his hand in greeting. However, in my soul, Dhimitër Shuteriqi had made a nest of admiration. I truly dreamed of meeting and becoming friends with him...!

It was about a special personality, whom I imagined as an extraordinary man, with virtues, beauty, intelligence and a stature where wisdom, prudence and patience stood out. I often heard from intellectuals who knew him that he was knowledgeable and inaccessible. In general, I began to read his published works, from philological studies, literary criticism, studies and contributions with data on folklore and to historical studies. Every day my appreciation, silent love, complete and open admiration in the conversations we had in groups grew. I liked his portrait and especially his way of communicating and speaking in interviews in magazines, newspapers or on television and radio.

When I followed him in the first period of my creativity, I often said to myself: I will truly be lucky to get to know and converse with and befriend this writer of my country, who every day aspired to the feelings of a boyhood in the field of culture. The voice of Dhimitër Shuteriqi's work was heard as a voice of the height of hopeful messages, of continuity and without interruption in the field of Albanian literature. He encouraged all intellectuals and creators in the national arena, because the writer Shuteriqi was a talented personality. He carried an inexhaustible universe in several academic fields. He was a writer complete with a broad national and European culture.

He was the first among the first to shine a light in the field of folklore heritage, as a compassionate docent for the dreams of the nation and the long-suffering people. He conveyed the data and love with an unclouded illumination, penetrating centuries of darkness and oppression. He appeared publicly with a soul full of light of knowledge, culture, identity and without hesitation among the different circles and in relation to the numerous currents. Shuteriq, as a patriot of knowledge and far-sighted intelligence, had the courage and audacity to reflect with his memories, studies and often inaccessible creativity, the personal dimensions and proportions of personality. On one of the beautiful days, after many years, I had the opportunity to meet the noble writer and the respected scholar. It was 1971.

The 6th Congress of the Party of Labor was taking place in Tirana. Like all other artistic groups in Albania, the Piluri Folklore Group was assigned to participate in the jubilee concert. It was the Olympic November of traditional holidays in national history. Of course, in those years of political storms, it was a privilege to be chosen for such a concert. There were various criteria, but the main one was the artistic flow. Piluri's artistic achievements had given him the opportunity to bring the song "Commissioner of Times". It was the largest number of members of the group of 18; six girls and twelve men. Of course, enthusiasm and age increased the energy and revealed a temperament of young artists full of impulses. This attracted the maximum attention of the country's artists and writers who generally participated in the cycle of these end-of-year activities.

After many days of tense rehearsals, one day at the Palace of Culture of Tirana, the painter Petro Kokushta comes as a messenger from the League of Writers and Artists and asks for me personally. After we greeted each other, we met like patriots from the same province (he from Vunoi and I from Piluri), we went to the Palace cafeteria to drink a coffee. In the conversation, Petro tells me: "Dear Lefter, tomorrow afternoon, after you finish your rehearsals, you are invited to the League of Writers and Artists, for a friendly and entertaining concert in the League hall. Writers Dhimitër Shuteriqi, Dritero Agolli, Petro Marko and many, many others will be present. It will be a great pleasure for you as the Piluri Group, but also for us as the League, because it is on the eve of the Congress. So I trust that you will also find such an invitation from us, as an institution that belongs to the spiritual side, satisfactory."

So we agreed to hold the activity the next afternoon. And so it was. The next afternoon we went to the Lidhje. The hall was packed to the brim. As we entered another environment, very captivating, enthusiastic and with a spiritual greenery. It seemed to us that we were on wings. Everyone greeted us with chosen words. There was the hearth of cultural knowledge. This unforgettable evening for us, the concert and all the congratulations were the merit of Dhimitër Shuteriq, Dritero Agolli and Petro Marko, as patriots from Bregu. But there was also the support of many others, especially composers Çesk Zadeja, Pjetër Gaci, Limoz Dizdari, folklorists and researchers Beniamin Kruta as well as the Deputy Minister of Education and Culture, Mantho Bala.

This happened after the Pilurit Group had been evaluated during the rehearsals and the following, for the big concert that will be given on November 7, in the evening, at the “Partizani” Sports Palace. With a smile, like that wheat ripe and covered by the moon’s dew, during the night, which in the morning is showered with the rays of the sun’s eye, the same thing happened to me. Professor Shuteriqi was the first of the leaders of the League to ask: “Who is Lefteri?” At that moment I felt a surge of blood in my body. It was something special. The professor grabbed my hand and embraced me in a hug. Meanwhile, we also hugged other artists and writers who had happened to be at our concert at the League that evening. It was an event that lasted several hours.

It was a meeting with our curiosity, but also the artists'. The personalities surrounded us with a benevolent curiosity. After I was greeted by everyone, Professor Çesk Zadeja had stood closer to me. Meanwhile, Petro Marko did not wait and started the Himarjot song "Daughter of the Waves". All of us, like beautiful birds above the waves of the sea, poured out the symphony of Piluri's many voices, but also of the passionate voices of the artists of the pen. Suddenly, Shuteriqi and Agolli, opened their wings and started to fly.

In this moment of rainbow polyphony, the poet Xhevahir Spahiu poured out a “oooiiii” scraping, where the ceiling of the hall seemed to us to be covered with a Persian carpet, over our shoulders. At the end of this spiritual symphony, the director, “The People’s Artist”, with that dramatic voice of his, crushed the sparkling rocks. He poured out his trembling diction, saying: “This is a Shakespearean miracle! They should mount this on the stage of the concert they will give tomorrow”.

A gust of coastal wind was dictated in the hall, where everyone took their place and where the activity would continue. Professor Shuteriqi threw his arm again along with Dritëroi and I settled between them. The two of them like a Paris counter, and I like a stag stag, beaten by hail and the wind whipped through the storms of my region. The concert of the Piluri Group began with the first song, “Komissari i ħamtve”. The song was listened to with great curiosity. For the Group, this was a very general rehearsal. This concert in Lidhje was an appearance in front of the most prominent representatives of academic and artistic values. For the first time, we had so many knowledgeable personalities in front of whom we were unfolding our repertoire as a group. We had just appeared on the national stage with the flow and value of an unheard-of phenomenon in style and words.

We had begun to make our difference with the phosphoric styles of the southern regions of Albania. The problems of the spiritual and material heritage of our traditional folklore had been raised on a national level. For this reason, listening to the Piluri Group was of great interest to scholars, researchers, trackers, and collectors of these folktales. The personality who assisted and supported such assemblies of Albanian folk art, encouraging its continuity for the future, was Professor Shuteriqi. Of course, I do not exclude others in these fields. After the concert, which was applauded and enjoyed immensely, especially by great academics and artists, such as Professor Shuteriqi, Dritero Agolli, Petro Marko, and Çesk Zadeja, everyone approached us and invited us for coffee at the Lidhje bar. We sat down as a whole group.

The order for the feast was given and we entered into conversation. Professor Shuteriqi addressed me with a wish proposal. If we could sing the song for Abdyl Frashëri? There was a great desire to sing it as we were free, for the pleasure of spiritual joy, where those present would also do the same. I gave the title singer my approval: “Take Katina!” She began the song with her epic lyrical voice: “Avdul, you ruined the wealth/ a load of gold/ board the steamer and go/ into Berlin/…”! The song continued until it was all over. Professor Shuteriqi and Driteroi, along with the other present, were not only participants in the feast, but they also accompanied it with the stammered words through their lips and throats. Sometimes through the soul and sometimes through the light of their eyes…! They imitated the rhythm of the song with the movements of their shoulders and the swaying of their chests. I didn't take my eyes off either Shuteriq or Driteroi.

After its closing, there was an angelic pause. Shuteriq didn't hesitate and addressed me with his elegance, a stylist like a violin bow that plays the sounds of finesse over tempered strings. With a masterful delicacy, he opened the page of his heart and told me: "Dear Lefter, I am very interested in this very national song. It has a lot of historical value and makes me proud of this great man in the most critical and delicate moments of European politics at that time. It is about that very turbulent Balkan time when they intended to completely disintegrate Albania as a nation. Is there any trace of this song, which remains fresh for almost 100 years? It is almost anonymous without being addressed to any province or village or individual. In your singing, I was surprised by the stylistic side of the language and emphasis of the name Abdyl Frashëri, which you call Avdil and not Abdyl. This is very important for dialect reasons but also for addressing the origin!" / Memorie.al