Leonora Jakupi | |
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Birth name | Leonora Jakupi |
Born | March 3, 1979 |
Origin | Skenderaj, Kosovo |
Genres | Balkan pop |
Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
Years active | 1997-present |
Leonora Jakupi (born March 3, 1979) is an Albanian Kosovar singer.
Leonora Jakupi is originally from Skenderaj, Kosovo, but later moved to the capital, Pristina. She lost her father during the Kosovo war (1998–1999) – he was killed by the Yugoslav security forces. Her repertoire includes old-style Albanian folk and modern popular music.
The song that made her popular was "A vritet pafajsia?" (Can innocence be killed?), released in 1998 while she was a war refugee in Albania. She dedicated the song to her father and other Albanians who died during the Kosovo War.
Although Jakupi began her music career with ethno and folk-influenced songs, she has recently been working with modern pop. In 2009 she released "Ky është fundi" (This is the end), which became a hit on the radio and the Internet. She is popular in the Albanian-speaking territories of Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia and Montenegro, and in countries such as Germany, Switzerland and, recently, Bulgaria.
Jakupi has been featured in gossip magazines and tabloids regarding her personal life. There have been rumors over whether or not she is single, but she has often declined to speak about this.