Art of playing, singing and making the lahuta

Overview

The lahuta is a single-stringed wooden instrument with a sound box covered in leather and a carved neck that is made, played and sung with by which the rural communities of north and northwestern Albania. The instrument is handcrafted from wood such as maple or walnut, with strings once made of horsehair and now often nylon. It is played in family and community groups and on special occasions such as weddings and festivals. The performer usually plays while singing, telling stories that reflect important legends, historical events, or personal experiences. Although traditionally played by men, today women also perform. The practice is transmitted mainly through observation and participation in family or community settings. Individual lessons and seasonal courses also help young people in urban areas engage in the tradition. National and local festivals support its visibility, and...

This record is imported from the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage public dataset as discovery metadata. ARED has not independently verified community authority, access protocols or local naming beyond the source record.

Community and Authority

Communities: Albania
Languages: Not specified in UNESCO dataset
Cultural territories: Albania
Countries: Albania

How the System Works

Music, Performance and Oral Literature Language, Story and Memory Material Culture, Design and Technology Ways of Knowing and Knowledge Transmission

Sources and Evidence

Imported from UNESCO DataHub dataset ich001. Field-level provenance is retained in the record metadata.

UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage ListsDataset

Open original source record

Field-Level Provenance

title: UNESCO DataHub field title_en
preferredTitle: UNESCO DataHub field title_fr
summary: UNESCO DataHub field description_en
type: UNESCO DataHub fields type_of_element_en and type_acronym
countries: UNESCO DataHub field countries, ISO codes resolved with ISO-3166 regional metadata
categories: ARED category inference from UNESCO concepts_primary_names, concepts_secondary_names and title
relationships: UNESCO concepts_primary_names, concepts_secondary_names, type fields and World Heritage links
sourceUrl: UNESCO DataHub field http_url_en
rights: UNESCO DataHub dataset metadata license and license_url

Original Source Metadata

uuid802f1891-e4eb-47c2-92ca-f60c362e1bad

ich_public_ref2310

inscription_year2025

title_enArt of playing, singing and making the lahuta

title_frL’art de jouer, chanter et fabriquer la lahuta

type_of_element_enUrgent Safeguarding List

type_acronymUSL

countriesAL

http_url_enhttps://ich.unesco.org/en/USL/02310

concepts_primary_namesBowed string instruments, Epic poetry, Instrument making, Vocal music

concepts_secondary_namesCollective memory, Economic aid, Educational programmes, Emotions, Family role, Festivals, Instrumental music, Intergenerational relationship, Inventories, Moral values, Social gathering

main_image_urlhttps://ich.unesco.org/img/photo/thumb/18434-LRG.jpg

main_image_caption_enPractitioner Pjeter Matusha teaching his student at home in Lezha

main_image_copyrightE.Baxhaku 2023

main_image_authorNot supplied

videos

images[object Object], [object Object], [object Object]

Why This Record Is Credible

This public record is connected to 1 source and has been labelled Source Supported. ARED separates evidence sources from cultural authority so users can see both provenance and review limits.

Cultural Access

Use this as public discovery metadata only. It does not replace community authority or local access protocols.

Relationships

Bowed string instruments Epic poetry Instrument making Vocal music Collective memory Economic aid Educational programmes Emotions Family role Festivals Instrumental music Intergenerational relationship UNESCO urgent safeguarding list

Review and Corrections

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