In Greece wearing
skoufos and
fustanella Among
Greeks, polyphonic song is found in the northern part of the Greek region of
Ioannina; in
Ano Pogoni, (Ktismata, Dolo,
Parakalamos) and some villages north of
Konitsa), as well as in very few villages in northeastern
Thesprotia (
Tsamantas,
Lias,
Vavouri,
Povla). Among the
Greek minorities in southern Albania, polyphonic singing is performed in the regions of
Dropull,
Pogon (Kato Pogoni) (
Poliçan) and the cities of
Delvinë,
Himara,
Sarandë and
Gjirokastër. Greek polyphonic groups can include six different parts: taker (partis), turner (gyristis), spinner (klostis), isokrates, rihtis (the one who "drops" the voice) and foreteller (prologistis). Songs are performed in two (taker and turner or taker and isokrates), three, four or five voices. In five-voice singing all parts are present, while the role of the spinner and the rihtis is performed by one part. The main voice, the taker, can be sung either by men or women, but it can also alternate between them. Greek polyphonic groups usually consist of 4 to 12 persons. Among Greeks a second kind of polyphonic singing differing in maximum roughness is also performed in
Karpathos and
Pontos. In 2020, the Polyphonic Caravan, which is a Greek project with the purpose of researching, safeguarding and promoting the Epirus polyphonic song since 1998, was inscribed in the
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List of Good Safeguarding Practices.
In Albania wearing
qeleshe and
fustanella Among Albanians, all four regions of
Myzeqe,
Toskeri,
Chameria, and
Labëria have the polyphonic song as part of their culture. Among Albanians a related form of polyphonic singing is also found in northern
Albania in the area of
Peshkopi, the Albanian communities of
Kaçanik in
Kosovo, the areas of
Polog,
Tetovo,
Kicevo and
Gostivar in
North Macedonia and the region of
Malësia in northern Albania and southern
Montenegro. The region of Labëria is a particular region known for multipart singing and home to many different genres like that of
pleqërishte. Songs can be of two, three, or four parts. Two part songs are sung only by women. Three part songs are more diffused and can be sung by men and women. Four part songs are a Labëria specialty. Research has shown that four part songs have come after three part ones and that they are the most complex form of polyphonical singing. The
Gjirokastër National Folklore Festival,
Albania, (), has been held every five years in the month of October, starting from 1968 and it has typically included many polyphonic songs.
Albanian iso-polyphony is included in UNESCO's
intangible cultural heritage list. The tradition of polyphonic singing has been contested and used by both sides of the Greek and Albanian border in a nationalistic manner. ==Structure==