Merita Halili is one of Albanias top performers. Born in the capital city of Tiranë, Merita grew up singing the lyric songs of her native region of central Albania. Her nationwide debut came in 1983, at the age of 17, when she sang at the National Folk Festival in the town of Gjirokastër. Soon afterwards she began to perform on Albanian Radio and Television and as a soloist with the State Ensemble for Folk Songs and Dances. She subsequently became one of the most popular singers in the country. The repertoire for which Merita is best known is that of the towns of central Albania (Shqipëria e Mesme), particularly Tiranë, Elbasan, Kavajë, and Durrës. As she was growing up, Merita modeled her singing not only on family music making but also on recordings of older singers. Merita was among the first singers in Albania to release her own recording, which still sells briskly wherever Albanians live. Perhaps her greatest recognition came in 1995, when she was awarded first prize at a gala festival held in Tiranë, in which ninety singers from throughout the Albanian Diaspora participated. Raif Hyseni, Meritas husband and principal accompanist, hails from The Republic of Kosova. Before moving to Tiranë in 1992, Raif was a well-known radio and television performer in Prishtinë, the capital of Kosova, where he was a member of the group Besnikët. Through his recordings and media appearances, Raif has become known as a major innovator on the accordion. Merita Halili raised her radiant ...

• published: 13 Dec 2008
• views: 31437
• author: Kryezoti