Tepelënë, June 4, 2022. Well-known Albanian artists held the “Vjosa Forever” concert in Tepelënë in support of the Vjosa national park now campaign for the declaration of the Vjosa river and its tributaries as a National Park. Many supporters of Vjosa campaign joined the artists at the “Lord Byron” square in Tepelena and enjoyed the electrifying performances during the magnificent concert, with: Eugent Bushpepa, Elina Duni, Shpat Deda, Eda Zari, Vlashent Sata, Asgje Sikur Dielli, Florjan Binaj , Linda Rukaj, Isopolyphonic Group of Tepelena and Dj Cool.
The artists have been engaged for 5 years in the protection of the Vjosa River, supporting the Vjosa campaign alongside other international personalities such as Leonardo Di Caprio and Edward Norton, have helped the activists to raise their voice for the importance of protecting the last wild river of Europe. This was the second awareness concert that was realized during 1 decade of continuous work to declare Vjosa a National Park, after the one held in Tirana in 2017 under the slogan “Don’t touch Vjosa”, which was followed by the protest song “Lum lum i lirë”. Today, after 5 years, artists and activists gathered together again to celebrate the achievements of the campaign so far and ask for a Vjosa National Park.
“The current achievements in the Vjosa campaign have been numerous and now we are closer than ever to declaring Vjosa a National Park. We hope that the call of the artists and all interested groups will be heard and soon we will announce the first National Park of a wild river in Europe”, said Olsi Nika, Executive Director of EcoAlbania.
EcoAlbania and its partners RiverWatch and EuroNatur with Patagonia’s support continue their battle for the protection of the Vjosa River and its tributaries, to achieve the final goal, the declaration of the Vjosa River National Park for a sustainable development of the entire valley.
Additional information:
- The list of artists who participated: Eugent Bushpepa, Elina Duni, Shpat Deda, Eda Zari, Vlashent Sata, Asgje Sikur Dielli, Florjan Binaj, Linda Rukaj, Isopolifonik Group of Tepelena and Dj Cool. Tulla Culture Center helped to organize the concert with artistic director Alban Nimani.
- The Vjosa is the last large untouched river in Europe, outside of Russia. Along its 270km stretch, from the Pindos Mountains to the Adriatic Sea, it flows untouched through wonderful canyons.
- The protection of Vjosa is one of the main goals of the “Save the Blue Heart of Europe” campaign, which aims to protect the most precious rivers in the Balkans. The campaign is coordinated by the organizations Riverwatch and Euronatur, in cooperation with EcoAlbania in Albania and partner organizations in the Balkans.
