Art of Playing, Singing and Making the Lahuta

The lahuta is a traditional single-stringed wooden instrument practiced in rural communities of northern and northwestern Albania. It has a leather-covered sound box and a carved neck, and is usually handmade from woods such as maple or walnut.
Performers play the instrument while singing narratives connected to legends, historical events, community memory, or personal experiences. The lahuta is performed at family gatherings, weddings, festivals, and other social occasions.
Although it was traditionally associated with men, women also perform it today. The practice is passed down through observation, participation, family teaching, courses, and festivals, helping preserve cultural memory while allowing the tradition to develop with new themes and modern forms of sharing.

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Art of Playing, Singing and Making the Lahuta was inscribed in 2024 on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in Albania.