UraCult celebrates its 10th anniversary with a rich artistic program

It was the evening of a Saturday in October. At the exit of the Palais Wittgenstein, a well-known address for classical music in Dusseldorf, stood an elderly German couple who had just come out of a concert, which seemed to have left a big impression on you.

"Tonight I experienced perhaps the most beautiful musical hour in my life," the lady told a young man who was waiting for them at the exit. "They were from Kosovo. What beautiful voices, miracles!” she continued, leaving without hiding the pleasant surprise she had just experienced.

The beautiful voices that the impressed lady was talking about belonged to the singers of the "ReVocal" ensemble from Kosovo, who had just finished their concert. Maestro Rafet Rudi was still standing on the stage, surrounded by a group of guests who congratulated the well-known composer and conductor and the leader of the ensemble for that evening's performance. With a repertoire of Albanian and international songs, "ReVocal" presented an evening of high artistic level to the German-Albanian public in the capital of the state of NRW.

"Thank you for the organization and come to Düsseldorf more often." With these words, the guests addressed the organizers, who for the first time offered a classical music program in Düsseldorf.

An ordinary cultural evening of the Albanian community in Germany? Yes, when the organizer is the association URACult from Köln, which for this concert had chosen the beautiful hall of the Palais Wittgenstein in the neighboring city.

But who is URACult?

On their presentation page we find reviews from many artists and artists of the artistic scene from Albania and Kosovo, who were presented on its stage.

"URACult for me is the most credible and unique cultural association that the Albanian diaspora has today, not only in Germany. Organized. With vision. Comprehensive. With taste" writes the playwright Jeton Neziraj, whose plays URACult brought to various German cities. Others wrote about magical evenings and unforgettable experiences. Comments came from: Rona Nishliu, Visar Kuçi Trio, Flaka Goranci, Hersi Matmuja, Jacopo Conoci, Elina Duni and many others and aroused curiosity to understand more about who is behind this creative organization.
10 years ago, Bashkim Meholli from Mitrovica, residing in Köln, had the idea of ​​founding an association as a meeting place for art lovers, but which would also serve as a bridge between his hometown and Germany, the country where he lived.

"The union excited us with this idea and we joined you. Inexperienced but motivated, the association was founded and organized the first event," says Ali Salihu, the current chairman of the association, who has been active since the first day of its foundation, recalling the first steps of the association.

An exhibition of paintings and photographs, a reading and a concert. This was the program of the first organization of the new association in November 2014 in Köln. The positive reactions from those present after this evening motivated the art lovers from the city on the banks of the river Rhine and very soon other organizations followed which continue to this day.

Various concerts, theater performances, literary evenings, exhibitions, film evenings, etc. contained the URACult program for a decade, offering you a presentation stage for many artists and artists from different countries, but with a focus on those from the Albanian lands where many talents and talents of different arts live.

"Our stage is open to everyone. We want to show the public in Köln and the surrounding area that the Balkans also has a very creative artistic scene. The criticisms of the audience, which always includes non-Albanians, are very positive," continues Salihu, emphasizing the importance of diversity on stage and in the audience.

Even the musical groups of Arbëresh from Piana degli Albanesi in Italy and from Zara e Koracija, URACult enabled the presentation of their cultural heritage, these organizations were extremely well received by the public.

Undoubtedly a success story and an excellent example of using the potential that the Albanian community in Germany has today. The members of the association invested many hours of volunteer work for 10 years, during which there was no lack of support from friends and donors but also from the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo, especially in recent years.

But before continuing its mission, for which it deserves support in the future, URACult will celebrate the 10th anniversary of its foundation with a rich program next weekend. Photographers Dash Izairi and Andrea Shkreli will present their works, while Visar Kasa, Albana Bilalli and Faton Lahaj will take care of the musical program. A trio from Kosovo, Avni Shkodra, Valina Muçolli and Kushtrim Qerimi, will appear on the Stand Up Comedy stage. There will also be dance courses for adults and children, but also an art workshop for children is on the program as well as food specialties from all Albanian lands. One point of the program seems to URACult perhaps the most special. It is about the scene of young talents.
"In the future, we will offer our stage to young people even more. On the festive weekend we will have talents and talents that will be presented on violin, piano, cello and harp" say the organizers from URACult about their plans.

We wish you art lovers from Disapora to continue this work, the importance of which is manifold. A congratulation from the author and journalist Lindita Arapi, posted on the URACult website, probably best shows the result of this 10-year commitment and creativity.

"You brought the new image of the Albanians, through you Europe knows the Albanians better, as they are, Europeans".

We hope that Köln and its surroundings will breathe Albanian for many more decades. For our community there but also for the other guests, for whom a cultural organization with Albanian participation will no longer be a surprise but something ordinary.