At the East European Folklife Center’s Balkan Music & Dance Workshop in Rock Hill, New York, a group of American women surprised everyone by taking the stage as an Albanian-Kosovar Ensemble.

Led by Raif Hyseni, the most recorded Albanian accordionist, with the legendary singer Merita Halili and frame drum master Polly Tapia Ferber, the ensemble performed the beloved dance tune “Vallja e Prishtinës”—composed by Isak Muçolli and specially arranged by Hyseni for this concert.

The women, proudly holding frame drums, sang and played with energy that stunned the audience, earning the nickname “The Albanian Army.”

“This collaboration created something unforgettable,” said Hyseni. “Our students put their hearts into every note, and the result was extraordinary. They carried the spirit of Albanian music with pride.”

For years, Hyseni and Halili have spread Albanian music across America, founding ensembles at universities, performing on world stages, and introducing thousands of students to Balkan traditions. Now, their students—many of them Americans—are carrying the torch forward.