Ramadan Sokoli, researcher of ethnomusicology and ethnoorganology, composer, and professor, died in Tirana. He was born in Shkodër, in 1920. He graduated from the state high school in his hometown. He studied flute and composition in Florence. In the years 1946-1953, he worked in various tasks in the field of culture and music; since 1953, he taught at the “Jordan Misja” artistic high school, where he founded the flute class, the folklore class, and the cabinet of folk instruments, which became the basis of Albanian ethnomusicology. He conducted many expeditions and collected rich folkloric material. In 1957, he participated in the complex expedition with the German researchers Doris and Errik Shtokman and Wilfrid Fidler; in 1958, he led the Albanian-romanian expedition. Ramadan Sokoli has published a series of works from the field of ethnomusicology and musicology, such as: ” Les danses populaires et les instruments musicaux du peuple albanais “, 1958 (“The folk dances and musical instruments of the Albanian people”); ” Chansons populaires albanaises”, 1966 (“Albanian folk songs”); “Figura të ndritura: Jan Kukuzeli dhe Andrea Aleksi” (“Prominent Figures: Jan Kukuzeli and Andrea Aleksi”), 1965; “Folklori muzikor shqiptar (Morfologjia)” (“Albanian music folklore (Morphology))”, 1965; “Vallet dhe muzika e të parëve tanë”(“The dances and music of our ancestors”) (1971); “Folklori muzikor shqiptar (Organografia)” (“Albanian music folklore (Organography)”), 1975 (republished in 1984, 1987, 1991); “Figura e Skënderbeut në muzikë” (“The figure of Skanderbeg in music”) (1978); “Gjurmime folklorike” (“Folkloric Studies”) (1982); “Këngë patriotike” (“Patriotic Songs”) (1985); “Veglat muzikore të popullit shqiptar” (“The musical instruments of the Albanian people”) (co-author) (1991). Ramadan Sokoli has traced the figures of the Albanian art and culture over the centuries and published the books “16 shekuj” (“16 centuries”) (1995), “Gojëdhënat e botës shqiptare” (“The legends of the Albanian world”) (2000). He has regularly published articles in his musical studies and other art and national culture fields. Ramadan Sokoli has composed vocal-instrumental and symphonic musical works, especially many songs that have become popular. He received the “World Oscar of Folklore” award from IUFA (International Union of Folklore Associations) and was decorated with the “Grand Master of Labor” order. (In the photo: Ramadan Sokoli)
Text: Albanian encyclopedic dictionary – Vol. 3 , Academy of Sciences of Albania, “Kristalina-KH”, Tirana, 2009, page 2369-2370.
Photo: © https://www.teksteshqip.com/ramadan-sokoli/biografia
Graphic processing: AHCF
