Tallava | |
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Stylistic origins | Albanian music, Kosovar music, Byzantine music, pop music, folk music and dance music |
Cultural origins | Albania and Kosovo |
Tallava or Talava is a music genre originating in Kosovo, also popular in Albania and in the Albanian-speaking communities in the Republic of Macedonia. Having originated in the Roma community in Kosovo in the 1990s, it is oriental-sounding. It is becoming increasingly popular in Albania and Macedonia. It is identified as part of the wider Pop-folk genre of the Southeastern Europe, which includes Chalga from Bulgaria, Skiladiko from Greece, Manele from Romania and Turbo-folk from Serbia.
It originated in the 1990s within the Albanian-speaking areas of Kosovo region, created by the Ashkali minority (Albanian-speaking Romani). The name is derived from Romani tel o vas, meaning "under the hand", referring to the Chochek dance where the hands are waved delicately. Kosovo Albanian refugees of the Kosovo War in the Republic of Macedonia had brought their music with them, including Tallava. It has since also been adopted by the non-Albanian-speaking Roma in Macedonia.