(b Përmet, Albania, May 12, 1924; d Tirana, Albania, April 9, 1992). Albanian opera and folk singer. He was named People’s Artist of Albania in 1975. He was born in a family of traditions in folk music and dance. He spent his childhood in his hometown. In 1943, he joined the guerrillas and became part of the (guerrilla) army music bands. He joined the choir of the Army Ensemble at its creation in 1946. From 1952 to 1955 he studied singing at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow. Afterwards, he was nominated soloist at the Theatre of Opera in Tirana, where he sang most of his bass-baritone repertory, including the song Për ty atdhe (‘For You Homeland’) by Pjetër Gaci (1931–95), the romance O ju male (‘Oh You Mountains’) by Çesk Zadeja (1927–97), and arias from the cannonic repertory. He made his first recordings of iso-polyphonic songs with ...
