Albanian Cinematography & Scene Art: MARK KAFTALLI

Mark Kaftalli (1933 – 2014)

Composer / Instrumentalist, conductor and virtuoso violin performer. Albanian "Paganini". #KinematografiaShqiptare #AlbanianCinematographySceneArts

Born in Shkodra on December 14, 1933. Author of 750 works as civic songs but also lyrical such as operettas. He completed the violin course at the House of Culture in 1949-1952. Later in the years 1952-1955, he completed his compulsory military service at the Army Ensemble in Tirana, where he continued his violin studies. In the years 1955-1969, he worked under the tutelage of the composer Preng Jakova for the teaching of harmony and composition. It was presented for the first time in the house of culture of the Shkodra with the big orchestra and choir of this institution. Career until retirement has continued without interruption for 30 years in the theater "Migjeni" as artistic director. The great composer and instrumentalist from Shkodra, Mark Kaftalli, for the first time in 1962 realized the first festival of light music in Shkodra with an orchestra consisting of 15 instrumentalists. In the first festival of amateur composers, he won the first prize with the song "Vallë çka drue" with lyrics and music created by himself. Mark Kaftalli's career continued with hundreds of concerts throughout Albania. For over 30 years as a violinist he has conducted the Grand Coffee Orchestra. Since the establishment of the music school "Prenk Jakova", he worked as a violin teacher preparing the younger generations. He has participated as a violinist in various artistic formations in tours outside Albania. From 1967 until his death he was a member of the League of Writers and Artists of Albania.

He has been honored with numerous awards, as well as with the orders: "Naim Frashëri" of the second class in 1969 and "Naim Frashëri" of the first class in 1983. This potential figure of music does not have the highest titles that he deserve. Master Kaftalli is also distinguished as a composer with great value in several genres of music such as: children's songs, civic songs, light music songs and operettas. With his virtuosity as a violinist he has inherited the masterful interpretation in the famous Shkodra “jare”. For several years he has led the professional Estrada`s orchestra of the Shkodra. As a composer he has participated in many song festivals on Radio-Television, in folk song and children's song festivals. He has composed over 750 songs, transcribed and harmonized over 400 folk songs from Shkodra. Mark Kaftalli is also the author of seven operettas. For the master Kaftalli, the Municipal Council of Shkodra awarded him the title "Gratitude of the City" in 2008 while on the 100th anniversary of independence he was honored with the diploma of "Gratitude". He passed away at the age of 81 on October 16, 2014.