Homage to Gaqo Çako on his 90th birthday/ Korça honors its distinguished "son"

2025-07-12 15:02:00, Kulturë CNA

Homage to Gaqo Çako on his 90th birthday/ Korça honors its

A special evening, filled with emotions, memories and unforgettable sounds, took place at the “Andon Zako Çajupi” Theater in Korça, on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the birth of the great lyricist of the Albanian stage, Gaqo Çako. Renowned artists from Albania gathered to honor his extraordinary figure through a festive concert where some of the most beautiful works of his vocal repertoire were performed.

Under the care of the famous soprano Inva Mula, the evening brought to the stage a heartfelt tribute that was not only musical, but also human, filled with appreciation for the contribution that Gaqo Çako has given to Albanian art over the decades.

Inva Mula, organizer of the concert and one of the most respected voices on the international scene, shared with the public the strong feeling that connects her to the figure of Gaqo Çako, not only as a colleague, but also as a model in her artistic life.

"I had an example because Gaqoja was discipline, hard work, seriousness, a man who would not compliment you if he was not convinced that you were worthy and every time I sang in front of him, I felt very bad because it seemed to me that he would never say "Good luck". I achieved my goal, I sang, I did many roles with Professor Gaqo. He was a very dear man to me, a man who valued me extremely highly and gave me the model of an artist. To do this tribute concert in his hometown, in Korça, on the 90th anniversary of his birth, I think the emotion was extraordinary. The audience gave us everything, their love, they remembered Gaqo Çako with his interpretations, with his greatness and in their hearts they thought "Gaqo is a son of Korça."

Conductor Eno Koço, an early friend and close collaborator of Gaqo Çako, recalled moments from their friendship and shared career, which began during the days of the Artistic Lyceum.

"We have had an early friendship, since the artistic high school, we have made many recordings, many concerts. We have been on several tours, in Kosovo, Turkey. He was very loving, there was a mutual love but also a very good musical relationship. I am glad that the audience of Korça respected the main protagonist of this evening."

Another well-known voice of the Albanian scene, soprano Tatjana Elmazi, who was also a student of Gaqo Çako, described her professor as a leading figure in artistic life.

"I went up on stage with strong emotions. Being a student of Gaqo has a lot of weight because in reality I had an excellent career thanks to my professor who was a perfect, correct, rigorous man, always demanding more and more. Now I have other responsibilities, to make the students walk in the path of Gaqo Çako. Tonight was wonderful, Inva Mula is unprecedented for the energy and talent she has. I am very pleased that she extended this invitation to me, I thank her very much. Thanks also to the people of Korçë who are such music lovers and always attend these important events."

Young tenor Xhoiden Dervishi, invited to perform at this concert, was confronted with the creativity of Gaqo Çako for the first time. He shared how he felt when he discovered the richness of this rare voice.

"When I first received the invitation and we were discussing Gaqo Çako, I went in and saw many recordings. I realized that Albania has had a great jewel, a diamond that it has known how to preserve but has preserved only for Albania. This jewel could be outside, in the eyes of the whole world. This was an extraordinary concert, organized by Inva Mula, a concert with many values and emotions and it was an extraordinary evening."

The evening ended with long applause from the Korça audience, who not only honored the memory of Gaqo Çako, but also gave voice to a precious legacy that continues to live on through new generations of Albanian artists. Korça once again showed that it knows how to appreciate its best sons, remembering them with love, dignity and pride./ CNA