The lute player Adem Syla lived a difficult and arduous life, especially in his early youth. Like his generation, born at the end of the Ottoman Empire’s rule in Albanian lands, Adem Syla spent his early youth growing up in the Albanian anti-Ottoman uprisings of 1908-1912.

The events that followed left deep traces in his life, especially the occupation of Rugova in 1912, when he was already an adult. This was also the period when he had already begun to shape his epic repertoire with songs about the great heroes from Stankaj, especially about Çelë Shabani, one of the main commanders of the defense of Plavë and Gucië, 1879-1880, against the decisions of the Congress of Berlin.

He had also begun to play folk songs from the previous generation of Stankaj lute players, especially Avdyl Sejdi – Bardhobroçaj and Qos Alia-Hysnikaj. The years 1918-1919, when Rugova rose up with arms again against the re-occupation by Montenegro and Serbia, also left their mark on his life. In the 1930s, when Rugova stabilized after the great migration in February 1919, Adem Syla was already one of the established lute players and ranked among the best.

This continued even after World War II, even during the time of persecutions and imprisonments, the action to surrender weapons, the pressure to move to Turkey, and until 1968. Even later, when his repertoire began to be recorded, and even until his death, he played the lute in Stankaj, in other villages of Rugova, in Fushë i Pejës, and elsewhere in the Dukagjini Plain.

Source

Information gathered from relatives.