07/01/2018 ALBANIA, More To Love

LTR’s July showcast focuses on ALBANIA, the once celebrated Roman province of Illyria. Bordered by the Adriatic and Ionian seas to the west and southwest, to the northeast by Yugoslavia and Greece on the southeast, the country is known for its rugged terrain and independent people. Now a democratic republic after four decades of Communist rule, and with a population of less than 3.5 million people, it is mineral rich with a promising future, and is ripe for tour and travel discovery. Its culture is unique, both Moslem and Christian, where theatre, fashion, music, and food predominate.

Angjelina Nika

Dancer, Choregrapher and Instructor for the Rozafati group

Dancer, Choregrapher and Instructor for the Rozafati group, an ensemble of dancers, ages 4-22 years from different regions of Albania, and affiliated with Our Lady of Shkodra Catholic Church in Westchester County, New York, the official residence of the Albanian Church in New York.
Originally from Tropoj, Albania.

e-mail:angjelinanika@gmail.com

Kreshnik Zhabjaku

Classical music performer

“Kresh” is a classical music performer in both the U.S. and Europe and his operatic programs have been widely acclaimed throughout his musical career. His recent album of songs includes an ensemble of traditional Albanian Wedding Songs, titled Merita Potpourri Dasme Tiranese. He is a graduate of the School of Arts, Albania, with an MA from the Mannes School of Music in New York.

e-mail:kretone@yahoo.com

. Sharon King Hoge, e-mail: skinghoge@aol.com

Award winning lifestyle Contributing Editor and Features Writer: Global Traveler, Luxury Web,
Conde Nast Traveler, Huntington Post, Gotham, and Hampton magazines; New York Social Diary and the New York Daily News. A seasoned traveler with residences in the U.S., Ireland, and Canada,
Sharon recently completed a 10 day tour of Albania and the Adriatic region.

. Ramiz Kukaj, e-mail:ramiz.kukaj@gmail.com

Executive Chef & Owner, CKA KA QELLU, Albanian Restaurant, Bronx, New York., which includes a photographic panorama of a the most popular regions in Albania. The restaurant is a veritable museum with decor and artifacts from the last century. It is managed by the Kukaj family and features native dishes from both Albania and Kosovo. It’s a popular enclave for tourists and Albanians living in NYC.

. Almira Bubesi, e-mail:almirabubesi@hotmail.com

Originally from the capital city of Tirana, Albania, Almira has taught specialty subjects of Art, Architecture and Fashion Design over the last 20 years at the Thornton-Donovan School in New Rochelle, NY, an elite school for gifted students. Almira has also developed an Travel Study Abroad program for her students to different countries each calendar year. Last year Albania was selected.

. Elvira S, e-mail:albaniatravel@yahoo.com

Albania Tour & Travel specializes in travel to the Adriatic and Ionian regions with emphasis on both group and FIT travelers from the metropolitan New York-New Jersey area. The company also develops Corporate and Incentive programs as well as Summers Abroad itineraries for students from the various schools, churches and community-based organizations in the U.S.