"MIK Festival" closes its 9th edition/ Magical evening dedicated to Korça serenades

2026-07-13 11:26:00, Kulturë CNA

"MIK Festival" closes its 9th edition/ Magical evening dedicated to

The ninth edition of "MIK Festival" kicked off with one of the most special and exciting nights of this edition.

The “Rinia” Park in Korça was transformed into a stage where tradition, memory and civic music came together in a concert dedicated to the Korça serenade, one of the city’s most precious cultural assets. Artists of different generations performed the songs that have accompanied the artistic and spiritual life of Korça over the years, while the large audience welcomed them with applause and emotion.

"MIK Festival" closes its 9th edition/ Magical evening dedicated to

At the conclusion of an edition that brought to Korça artists from different countries of the world and a rich program of concerts in unusual stages, the artistic director of MIK Festival, Inva Mula, described this journey as an annual challenge to never repeat the same formula. She emphasized that the festival aims to always be innovative, combining different musical genres and giving the public new artistic experiences, while praising the closing of the festival with Korça serenades as the most beautiful homage that could be paid to the city's cultural identity.

"MIK Festival" closes its 9th edition/ Magical evening dedicated to

"For me, it's always a special emotion every time I come here to Korça. I come with the greatest responsibility to do what I've never done before. That is, this pushes me to find, I would say, new ideas, to innovate the repertoire, to move from one genre to another. Therefore, this year, we managed to impose on the public a very beautiful idea, which starts with a jazz manouche, continues with an evening in a cinema hall, continues with a world ballet gala that for me was a true dream, that I had been thinking about for a long time and finally realized, with a magnificent stage at the South Pole. This morning we were in a wonderful church with the Greek Byzantine choir, which amazed us with its harmony, polyphony and beautiful voices, in an environment filled with art lovers of MIK Festival and residents of Voskopoja. To then come to this beautiful place, where the wind blows green, to listen to the Korça serenade. With an excellent lineup and musicians who have this music in their DNA, we pay homage to the beautiful Korça civic song. The serenade is the DNA of Korça and one of the most precious treasures of this city", emphasized the artist.

In addition to artists who live and create in Albania, names who have been living abroad for years, but who have never severed their connection with Korça and urban music, also returned to the stage of "MIK Festival". Singer Roberta Panariti recounted the emotions of returning to the city where she took her first steps in music, while also sharing her concern for the changes that, according to her, serenade has undergone over the years, emphasizing the importance of preserving its authenticity.

"I graduated from the 'Tefta Tashko Koço' music school for singing. I haven't sung for many years because I went to America and when I return to the city of Korça I remember these songs that we sang when we were young and we sing them with great pleasure. I don't like that the serenade is deformed over time, because I like that autochthonousness that we once had and it should always continue. I love the serenade as it was before. In some singers I still feel that spirit, while in others I don't. In America we sing the serenade every time we get together. It unites us in every family joy and it is sung not only by the people of Korça, but also by many others", said Panariti.

"MIK Festival" closes its 9th edition/ Magical evening dedicated to

A special emotion was also experienced by one of the most famous voices of the Korça serenade, Zhani Suljoti. Returning to the stage of the “MIK Festival” was for her not only an appreciation for the contribution given over the years, but also an opportunity to convey the message that the serenade must preserve the spirit and traditional interpretation that has made it famous generation after generation. With notes of nostalgia, she also spoke about the way this heritage is being passed on today.

"First of all, I would like to thank all these friends and Inva, who gave me the opportunity to be part of this festival for the second time. Although I was forgotten by the people of the city of Korça, today I am very happy to be here. There have been very beautiful serenades in Korça and we have always sung them as a family. But now, when I see how some of them were made, I feel like crying. Our generation can still sing them properly, but I don't know what will happen to the new generation," said Suljoti.

While the older generation artists brought back memories and nostalgia, the evening also gave space to the new generation of singers, who are taking on the task of keeping the tradition of the Korça serenade alive. One of them was Erika Ahmeti, who performed for the first time on the MIK Festival stage. For the young singer, participating in this festival is an important moment in her artistic career and a responsibility to advance the Korça civic song.

"I am very excited today, because I am one of the youngest girls, the youngest generation participating for the first time in the MIK Festival. I want to thank Inva, Aleks and Odeta for making me part of this festival. I grew up with Korça serenades in my family and I am very happy to be part of the new generation that will bring back the old serenades," said Ahmeti.

"MIK Festival" closes its 9th edition/ Magical evening dedicated to

After a series of activities that included classical music, jazz, ballet, concerts in cultural monuments and outdoors, as well as performances by Albanian and international artists, “MIK Festival” successfully closed its ninth edition. The final evening with Korça serenades brought a tribute to the city's musical identity, proving once again that this tradition continues to remain a bridge connecting generations and one of the most beloved symbols of Korça. /CNA