Meet Armando, the Executive Director Behind Albanian Night

Preserving culture and tradition is, at its core, preserving identity. And while that’s not an easy job in a time and age where modern life is moving faster than ever, we believe that’s exactly what makes it so meaningful and powerful at the same time.

Culture doesn’t only live in museums or history books. It lives in the way stories are passed down, in how we gather around the table like our grandparents did, and in the songs and dances that have echoed through generations.

It lives in the emotions we feel when traditional music plays, when the body moves before the mind even has time to think. And it lives in the way we hold on to our customs, determined to pass them on to the next generation, just as they were passed on to us.

For this reason, today, we’re more excited than ever to represent Albanian Night, a beautiful project designed to bridge the past and the present of Albania, between the curious traveler and a country whose soul is often overlooked.

We sat down with Armando, the Executive Director behind this powerful project, to hear more about how Albanian Night came to life, what makes it so unique, and why it’s striking such a deep chord with both international visitors and Albanians themselves.

And through this interview, we’re proud to share his story and the heart behind Albanian Night with you.

Can you tell us the story behind Albanian Night?

Albanian Night has a long history! We first envisioned Albanian Night as an ethnocultural guesthouse in Valbona where guests could sleep in a traditional Albanian house and participate in cultural activities as well as day sports that would immerse them in our intangible cultural heritage through storytelling, costumes and local activities, as well as engaging with the beautiful nature of the Theth-Valbona valley.

That idea did not pan out for technical reasons, and we decided instead to create a proper cultural center and entertainment venue in Tirana where we could hopefully reach more tourists and create something sustainable throughout the year, since the capital is where almost all foreigners begin their Albania itineraries. 

We created Albanian Night for 2 reasons:

1- We saw that the touristic infrastructure in Albania was seriously lacking when it came to cultural offerings. Visitors to the country leave with the impression that Albanian culture is all about communism – House of Leaves and Bunk’Art tell important stories, but they represent a mere 45-year blip on the radar of Albanian history and culture. What about the epic warriors of the Northern mountain passes? What about the Kanun of Leke? Iso-polyphonia? Xhubleta? Are foreigners experiencing the warmth of genuine Albanian hospitality when they come to our country, or are they merely booking a cheap Airbnb, eating delicious food and lounging on the beach? We saw this unfortunate dynamic and wanted to change it – Albania is much more than a cheap beach destination with some communist relics for history buffs to admire. We are an ancient and proud people who have thousands of years of culture: whether it’s the way we marry off our children, the clothes we used to wear, the beliefs and customs of the typical Albanian and even the way we speak to each other, Albanian culture is a hidden gem that no one is properly explaining and showcasing to the outside world! We therefore endeavored to create a one-stop-shop for authentic Albanian culture that would be easily accessible to the foreign visitor curious to scratch under the surface of our incredible country. 

2- With so many diaspora Albanians coming back to holiday and spend time with their families in Albania, we saw a real need for authentic cultural experiences that reconnect our brothers and sisters living outside the country with their roots. Many times, these Albanians come back with foreign friends who are curious to hear about their country, and yet, there was nowhere for the average diaspora Albanian to learn about his/her own roots and to reconnect with what it means to be Albanian. Albanians are a proud, tight-knight community, and we wanted to create something that would help Albanians living abroad strengthen their connections to our heritage and to be able to explain it in an interactive, fun and enjoyable fashion.

What can visitors expect from the signature show at Albanian Night?

The Albanian Night show is a highly immersive experience that engages all the senses – visitors are greeted by Leka, the Bajraktar of the village, who takes them downstairs to the Costume Hall to change into their traditional Albanian clothes. We have authentic clothes from different regions of Albania that guests can choose from – whether you want to be a Delvinjote or Tironse, we’ve got you covered!

As guests enter our premises, they learn all about Albanian culture as they interact with our knowledgeable staff, who help them put on the clothes and head to Oda e Zjarrit, a faithfully recreated traditional Albanian village house.

Guests learn all about Albanian wedding customs as the night’s festivities begin, with a recreation of a traditional wedding and dances from the north, south and center of Albania. Guests are encouraged to dance along with our professional staff, who will show them how to dance valle, the traditional Albanian circle dance.

The show features two UNESCO World Heritage items that can’t be missed – a rendition of iso-polyphonic singing as well as k’cimi i tropojës, the dance of Tropoja.

These two intangible cultural heritage items showcase the unique aspects of Albanian culture that the center seeks to preserve by making them accessible to viewers in a deeply moving live rendition. The show experience lasts for around an hour and a half and teaches people all about the social hierarchies that existed in the times of the Kanun, such as the relations among family members, villagers and the social expectations each member of society had to live up to. Those who purchase dinner can then go to Oda e Besës, another hall that’s structured like a traditional Albanian sofra, where people sit to eat a 7-course meal that samples foods from all the different regions of Albania as well as one dish from Kosovo. Wines indigenous to and produced in Albania, rakia and traditional drinks are available for purchase throughout the evening.

You also host the Albanian Bazaar, can you tell us how it supports local artisans and what makes it special?

Albanian Bazaar is the largest artisanal hall and souvenir shop in the Balkans. This store is home to over 10,000 unique, handmade items that are crafted by Albanian artisans and craftsmen. Our purpose with opening this bazaar was to help the local artisanal economy grow – right now, many places in Albania selling souvenirs are being supplied by huge factories in China and Turkey, a process which does nothing to support the endangered craftsmanship that once flourished in Albania while providing visitors with cheap and culturally-empty souvenirs to take home.

Shopping at Albanian Bazaar is a cultural experience in and of itself, with our staff available to explain to people the significance of different items, themes and motifs. The 600 artisans who contribute to the bazaar create each item with love and precision – our hall features video footage we took of each artisan in their workshop, interviewing each one and asking them about their process and the history behind their craftsmanship.

Many people continue these traditions to keep them alive so they don’t get forgotten, while for others, they are their only income source; Albanian Night is working with these artisans to preserve ancient Albanian artisanal techniques, many of which have been handed down generation to generation, and to provide these artisans with a livelihood.

How do you see Albanian Night contributing to the cultural tourism scene in Tirana and Albania overall?

We want the average tourist to Albania to learn more about authentic local culture, to look past communism and to walk away from their trip to Tirana or Albania with a deeper understanding of the defining features of Albanian culture: hospitality, honor, kinsmanship and love of family. With the touristic season almost upon us, we are poised to alter the cultural tourism scene by providing tourists with interactive experiences that immerse them in our culture and expose them to aspects of Albania that have until now been forgotten or neglected.

What has the feedback been like from both locals and international visitors? Any memorable moments so far?

The feedback has been enormous and almost 100% positive. Everyone who walks into Albanian Night can immediately see the investment we made and appreciates how beautiful, modern and yet traditional our facilities look, praising the attention to detail that went into making this cultural center and entertainment venue possible.

Every night, we usually have at least one person cry during the iso-polyphonic singing portion, which is a very stirring and emotional segment of the experience that takes the listener deep into the heart of Albanian rituals around significant lifecycle events. One Albanian diaspora visitor from the United States told us it was actually a healing process for her; most Albanians are simply blown away and can’t believe that Tirana now has such a high-quality cultural offering where they can take friends and family (see our Google Maps reviews). People appreciate our staff’s professionalism and how engaging and immersive the nightly show is. The artisanal hall offers plenty of options for those looking for gifts or souvenirs, and people are more than happy to support the local artisanal economy by purchasing items from it. 

What are your future plans for Albanian Night?

We have big plans for Albanian Night. Our three biggest upcoming developments are:

1. We will open up an online bazaar featuring all of our artisanal products for sale. Buyers from all around the world will be able to purchase handmade Albanian artisanal crafts at our ecommerce store, shipped directly to their doors.
2. We will perform at different destinations within Albania to help promote tourism to less-visited towns and villages in the countryside and in remote areas.
3. We will go on tour in Europe and the United States, bringing Albanian tradition, music, dance and culture to a worldwide audience. We’re especially excited to bring our show to diaspora Albanians who are yearning to reconnect with their culture, as well as to educate foreigners curious to understand our beautiful heritage. 

If you haven’t yet experienced the magic of Albanian Night, you’re more than welcome to come visit our center, steps away from Skanderbeg Square, every day of the week between nine AM and ten in the evening. Albanian Bazaar is always open for those looking to purchase items during these hours, and our show starts every evening at 19:00. Whether you want to just experience the magic of the immersive show or also enjoy fine Albanian traditional cuisine after the show, we welcome you to explore Albanian culture with us!