Ilir Shaqiri

Ilir Shaqiri is a Kosovo Albanian singer, songwriter, and author who served in the Kosovo Liberation Army. He wrote 619 songs, and he has given 1,000 concerts, over 900 of them humanitarian relief fundraisers. He lives in Pristina, is a member of the Lidhjes së Shkrimtarëve të Kosovës ital (Kosovo Writers’ Association) and works for Radio Television of Kosovo.

Biography

Shaqiri was born on June 12, 1960, in Burojë, near Skenderaj in the Drenica region of Kosovo. He went to elementary school in Turiçec and to high school in Prizren, going on to study Albanian Languages and Literature at the University of Prizren and the University of Pristina. He holds a Master’s degree in Albanian Letters (Emphasis on Aesthetics and Semiotics).

His first public concert was in 1978 at the Prizren Cultural Center. He won first prize at the 1983 edition of the juried Drenica-area Rapsodët Këndojne Festival, but gained more prominence in 1984 when he won the Shoqërinë Kulturore "Akumulatori" të Mitrovicës ital (the Mitrovica Cultural Society’s “Preserver” Award) at the Kaçanik Festival.

In 1985, he and fellow folk singer Hamëz Jashari formed the folk music group Drenica, active until 1990, debuting at the Theranda ‘85 ital Festival. From 1988 to 1989, he toured solo twice in Tirana, going on to win an award at an early Pan-Albanian music festival, the Fest-Arb 1992 ital in Skopje.

He competed in 1994 at the 33rd edition of the annual Eurovision qualifier Festivali i Këngës ital sponsored by Radio Televizioni Shqiptar, singing Naim Gjoshit’s “Jam Evropë” (“I’m Europe”). He won a special award the same year at Folkmoot USA, an international folk music festival held in Waynesville, North Carolina. Winning both the Critics’ Choice and People’s Choice Awards at the 1995 edition of the Kënga Shqiptare ital Festival in Pristina, he appeared in director Isa Qosja’s 1997 TV movie A.D. – Vite të rëndësishme ital (“A.D.: Important Years”). Starting in 1998, he gave 109 benefit concerts on behalf of the Kosovo Liberation Army across Europe, including ones in Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Austria, the Netherlands, and Albania. On March 6, 1999, he participated in a memorial to famed KLA general Adem Jashari after his death in a border skirmish at Prekaz i Epërm.

Singles Discography

• “Djem petrita ka rritë Drenica” (“Petrita Boys Raised in Drenica”, 1986)
• “Luma e kuqe ka lidhë besë” (“The Red River Has Forged a Covenant”, 1987)
• “Falë të qoftë gjaku Kosovë” (“Thanks to the Blood of Kosovo,” 1988)
• “Fjalët e qiririt” (“Words of a Candle,” 1989)
• “Plisat udhëtojnë kah dielli” (“Earth Travels to the Sun,” video, 1990)
• “Prite, prite” (“Wait, Wait,” 1990)
• “Këngë e rrallë” (“Rare Song,” 1991)
• “Kthehu” (“Return,” video, 1991)
• “Këtu kam folenë” (“Here I Have a Nest,” 1992)
• “Liri” (“Freedom,” video, 1993)
• “E nesërmja lind sot”” (“Tomorrow Is Born Today”, 1994)
• “Unë jam këtu e këtu do të jem” (“Here I Am and Here I Will Be,”1995)
• “Ta shoh blerimin në sy ” (“To See the Purchase with One’s Eye,” 1996)
• “Tingujt e zjarrtë” (“Fiery Sounds,” 1997)
• “A.D. – Vite të rëndësishme (soundtrack, 1997)
• “Kushtrimi i Drenicës” (“The Siege of Drenica,” 1997)
• “Ringjallje” (“Resurrection,” 1998)
• “Thirrja e kryengritësve” (“Call of the Insurgents,” 1999)
• “Çlirimtari” (“Deliverer,” 1999)
• “Thirrja e shpirtrave” (“Call of the Spirits,” 1999)
• “Nderi i Dardanisë” (“Honor of Dardania,” 2000)
• “Garda e Kosovës” (“Kosovo Guard,” 2000)
• “Këngët e përndritjes” (“Songs of Enlightenment,” 2001)
• “Bota e rinisë” (“World of Youth,” 2002)
• “Kujdes lirinë” (“Beware of Freedom,” 2003)
• “Dridhe Shkup e Shkodër” (“Skopje and Shkodër Tremble,” 2004)
• “Lugina e dashurisë” (“Valley of Love,” 2005)
• “E di një këngë për ty” (“I Know a Song About You,” 2006)
• “Pranë diellit” (“Near the Sun,” 2007)
• “Kudo emrin ta shkruaj” (“Write the Name Everywhere,” 2008)
• “100% SHQIP” (“100% ALBANIAN,” 2010)

Literary works

• Herizëm dhe dashuri (“Heroism and Love,” co-written autobiography of General Kudusi Lama, 2012)
• "Estetika dhe semiotika në krijimtarinë e nënës" (“Aesthetics and Semiotics in Maternal Creativity,” 2014)
• Tan Temali (novel, Tirana: Toena, 2014)
• Lemza e dheut (novel, “Trembling of the Earth,” Pristina: LSHK, 2016)
• Kangjelet (“Railings,” screenplay, 2017)
• “Adem Jashari” (poem, 2018)

Awards

• Kosovo Liberation Army Medal (1999)
• Oda Dibrane Festival Award (2006)
• Naim Frashëri Award, presented by Bamir Topi, President of Albania (2011)
• Special Operations Battalion (Albania) Medal (2014)
• Award of the Albanian Ministry of Defence (2014)
• “Kalorësi i Skënderbeut” (“Knight of Skanderbeg) Award from the Arbëreshë Cultural Association of Calabria (2017)
• “Nderi i rrethit Mat” (“Honor of the Mat District” Award from the Burrel City Council (2018)
• “Merited Citizen of the Republic of Kosovo” Award from the President of Kosovo (2019)

References

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