By Merita B. McCormack

This summer has been quite busy for many Albanian families in America. The weddings planned during the pandemic were postponed and the burden of businesses was obvious… As many of us (including myself) became father-in-law and father-in-law during the summer, for an Albanian family from Vlonia in Northern Virginia, this joy came in the week of the third of October 2022.

The most pleasant month of autumn, with the dizzying colors of the vegetation, with the very beautiful weather, neither too cold nor too hot, suitable for weddings, gathered weddings first in the Albanian family where it was celebrated and enjoyed in the Albanian way, like the hospitality, the food as well as from the entertainment tradition. On that day, Friday, October 21, the rehearsal of the marriage ceremony took place. The second day was the real wedding day of Albi Selimaj, the son of Adhurimi and Valbone, with Eugenie Bedell, his fiancee, his best friend for many years, raised by two immigrant parents, also from another continent. The love of two young people brought these two families and countries together.

The religious ceremony, held in a church of the Episcopal Christian rite, gathered about three hundred weddings who were witnesses of the marital promise and unconditional love in the eyes of God and man. After the religious ceremony of crowning, the new couple announced as Mr. and Mrs. Albi Selimaj and the wedding party traveled to the southeast, in Manassas, where the family had chosen the venue for the dinner and dance.

After the cocktail, photos and the company of weddings of completely different cultures, but united as American and family, the bride and groom’s party began to enter the hall, according to tradition.

Of course, the Selimaj parents, dressed as the Albanians know how to dress, bright and tasteful, were the ones who raised the Albanian part on their feet, but also the Bedell parents, dressed according to the occasion, raised the rest of the hall on their feet.

I remembered the movie the happy couple for a moment!

The entrance of the couple’s companions was pleasant and accompanied by the appropriate music. While the couple entered doing a beautiful dance to the sounds of an African musical number, as a precursor to their official first dance to the sounds of a song in the English language.

After the blessing of the food by the oldest of the bride’s tribe, dinner was served and for those of us who knew what was going to happen later, we felt an atmosphere of a little anxiety, a little joy, a little pleasure… all together. So there was talk of the beginning of dancing to the sounds of Albanian folk music. After the bride’s father’s speech and after a short greeting from Selimajt, I went to ask the groom’s mother when she wanted us, her friend, to enter the Albanian dance. He said leave us five minutes at the family’s house and then enter, and kept his eyes on the entrance…. Meanwhile, the DJ who was going to play Albanian music was sitting at the table and was preparing for the next surprise.

The host of the dinner, a friend of the bride’s family, clearly does not know the Albanian language, but he did not miss a single letter when he announced through a sentence in English that the evening had a surprise and announced that Ylli Baka himself, the most favorable singer, had come to the wedding. and my dearest, Albi, the son-in-law.

When the music started, Ylli entered with a microphone in hand from the side of the hall and started singing congratulations on the marriage. He started with the song “Jam fisnik den bava den”.

Albi was of course super surprised, the bride was happy because she knew, she was part of the surprise plan. The star was accompanied by the groom’s father, who went out and received the great and well-known artist, as well as by a family friend who had made the contact possible.

That word that the groom’s mother told us to wait five minutes did not “drink water”, because it was as if a flame of joy had been lit and no one could hold back. Everyone goes out on the track singing and dancing. Especially young people!

The star, of course very respected and very used to such activities every time he sang, from wedding songs to his latest songs that were just released, patriotic songs and for the longing of the exile, gave his best .

The joy and happiness was not only seen in the eyes and movements of the Albanian-American dancers, but also friends from the bride’s side, right or wrong, had a lot of fun. For mothers of children who grew up here, it was a pleasure to see our children dance and rejoice in Albanian, as our hearts love. Not only that, but meeting with family and friends is also a welcome and desired event. And they were all known, because our community is always together in every case.

According to an American, the photographers had a “field day”, meaning they had a lot of material to make the wedding video film as beautiful and rich as possible. And the visible excitement is the right material!

Songs such as “Te rapi ne masculin” to the humorous song “Baftjari me raki Skrapari” were also accompanied by weddings and the laughter and joy did not stop.

Of course it is not missing not even the generosity with monetary gifts on the couple’s forehead and this was also another special occasion for the videographers and photographers.

Ylli, the beloved and talented artist, although he had traveled a long time, seemed as if he was tired and ready to rekindle each piece of music, in turn.

According to the original plan, the wedding was supposed to close at 12 midnight, but people didn’t leave and Ylli didn’t dare to sing until the end.

The party continued the next day and the day after again a nice lunch among friends to accompany Ylli. There I dared to ask another question to the modest and respected star.

I learned that he did not discuss it at all when they asked him if he could come to this wedding so far away in America. Especially so. I have done it several times, he said. The artist feels the longing and compassion of the Albanians in migration and brings you even a little joy and happiness. I asked him if he was tired, he said no. We come for joy.

When I asked him when his breakthrough as a music star began, he told me that it was many years ago, but it was early beginnings, 2004 was the year that made him very popular. So about two decades on the national stage and it remains as if you have an old friend, known for a long time.

When he found out that I was from Cangonji, he told me that he had written a song about Devolli and the devils, but it hasn’t been released yet. I thanked him! I asked him how he interpreted the words and findings. He showed me that he values ​​meetings in person and they become inspiration.

The conversations continued from topic to topic, and Ylli congratulated us for the warmth shown but also for the good and strong community we have created. We thanked him for bringing us a small package to a wedding and wished him well. All this was because of a couple that got married, but mostly because of the groom’s parents who, for the sake of their son, do something that not everyone does. And when people’s curiosities died down about “why and how and how much”…Bona, in her own way, answered:

“If it wasn’t for Ylli, would the wedding be the same? “And the answer was: “No!”.

His presence ignited the atmosphere and the fire of joy was long and inexhaustible. Thank you to the star, to the family that invited us to the wedding, thank you, and the young couple with heritage!