Skënder Jazexhiu: The Ministry of Culture should focus on national works, after the 90s there are no more such works as the ballet "Halili and Hajria"

National works are an important part of artistic life in our scenes, but little attention is being paid to different artists. They say that the Ministry of Culture should focus on artistic activity in art institutions, where more needs to be done for new national works. Skender Jazexhiu, the first soloist at the National Theater of Opera and Ballet, says that the stage should have major works such as operas and ballets and play full plays. The well-known artist Jazexhiu says that it has been more than three decades since we no longer have major works like the ballet "Halili and Hajria". "It must be insisted that there is work exactly on the TKOB stage. Major works should be played on stage, there should be operas and ballets. There should definitely be seminars on how these can be done, because there are only foreign works left. It was more than 30 years after '90 that there is no such major work as the ballet "Halili and Hajria" composed by Tish Daija. To have major works such as "Skënderbeu" was previously on stage or the opera "Mrika", because then the memory will be lost. Our people have talents that can move forward, because we are not lower than others", says Jazexhiu in his reaction. Skënder Jazexhiu started working at TKOB in 1965 to retire in 2002. Jazexhiu also danced in the first Albanian ballet "Halili and Hajria", not in 1963 when it premiered, but later. But he says that more should be done by the Ministry of Culture for Albanian creativity, as the works should be put on stage and not remain written on paper. "The Ministry of Culture should focus on staging national works. Take the idea and attract the creators. There should be competitions for Albanian masterpieces, to encourage creators and not remain only on paper", says Skënder Jazexhiu.

Responsibility for cultural policies

For the well-known artist Skënder Jazexhiu, who for years was on the stage of TKOB, it is a problem that the voice of the artists is rarely heard. He says that he has previously expressed concern about the lack of major works on our stage, which according to him should not be missing every year. "Our people have a lot of culture moving in dance from the south to the north. But they forgot, we don't even see Albanian works on television like we used to. I am worried. Maybe what we say falls on deaf ears, but as an artist it worries me. The Ministry of Culture should have the main preoccupation that national works are on stage, because what are you going to do tomorrow? Programs and stimulation are needed for Albanian authors. The responsibility for the cultural policies it follows falls to the Ministry of Culture", says the soloist Jazexhiu. In the activity of Skënder Jazexhiu in national and foreign ballets, we mention the characters Musta in "Halili and Hajria", Arbani in "Delina", the role of Burizan in "Fatosi partizan", Pjetri in "Cuva e Maleve", in "DonKishtoi" Sanço, "Lola" the role of Mengo, "The Nutcracker" the Spaniard, "Invincible land" the fisherman, "The sons of the fisherman" Petriti, "Dead River" Llazi, etc. Skënder Jazexhiu has taught at the Ballet School, as well as at the High Institute of Arts