Folk Rocks was an EU-funded project, with the goal of bringing back Albanian traditional music to the mainstream through Live Studio Sessions of reimagined Albanian folk songs by emerging local & international artists from the UK and Europe. It created an industry-standard online presence and digital campaign, which involved artists and music professionals; and created a blueprint of one of the first online folk music promotional campaigns in Albania. It all culminated in a live show named "Echoes," blending the modern and traditional nature of the project. The goal was to create the opportunity for younger artists to work with experienced and international artists on Albanian folk and the many ways it can be reimagined. The collaboration involved three musical forces: Beti, David Cummins, and Erina and the Elementals. The team had six live sessions, including full song productions and the recording of music videos that highlighted the theme of rearranging traditional Albanian songs. Although Altin and his team faced some challenges in the initial phases of the project, they succeeded in bringing new life to Albanian polyphonic music by merging it with rock, heavy metal, prog rock, UK folk, and British rock genres. 31
Project of the MOST Urban Creatives Page 32 Page 34