The news was sad, but nevertheless true. The famous Albanian singer, composer and producer Eda Zari asked to relinquish her Albanian citizenship for the German one. This was more of an obligatory choice since the German government rules required it.
Eda is well known among Albanians not just for her beauty, but also for her unique contribution to the Albanian music. She has composed and arranged Albanian songs to then sing them in music styles like jazz and contemporary to then perform them in stages all over the world. Thus giving her unique contribution to our language and nation.
She was born and raised in Albania. Her connection to music started from the early age of 4 while singing for her family and then at the age of 6 when she made her first appearance on a stage.
For her high school years she went to “Jordan Misja” Art School, where by the way is where I went to as well, however not during the same years. Later she continued to pursue her higher education at the “Akademia e Arteve” – Arts Academy, but was not able to finish due to the persecution on her family by the then communist government, which forced them to move to Germany, where Eda pursued her education at the Köln Conservatorium “Musikhochschule”.
Beyond the details behind Eda’s decision, I am sure that she will continue to be a great Albanian symbol wherever she goes.
“She was born and raised in Albania”
Some Albanians just dont understand what does it mean to be Albanian.
Shame on her. I was big fan of Eda, but this changed me to be the opposite.
Shqiptaret qe e shesin veten per gjera materijale dhe per dokumenta ata nuk jane PURO shqiptare.
Edukata, karateri, morali, Kultura tradita, jane veti qe e perbejn njeriun.
Albanians like her we dont need anyway. She is a bad role model for many other famous Albanians.
Dear Avni,
I would say that that is not how she thinks of her decision. The fact is that there is a large number of Albanians who have made such a decision for want of a better life for them and their families. Meanwhile, you said “Edukata, karateri, morali, Kultura tradita, jane veti qe e perbejn njeriun.” and in all those things she is Albanian to the core. Personally I have no doubts to that.
Thanks for pointing that out Elvis,
It doesnt mean that giving up you Citizenship you give up your identity. Perhaps we should look at the work of many Albanians abroad whom are doing just that, making their Albanian Identity known to the work i.e. the statue of Skenderbeu in the U.S ect, ect
If you are left in a situtation whereby your country cannot provide you with the freedom of working and travelling abroad, especially allowing you to provide a secure and better future for your children and your family then I think it is more than justifiable to do what it takes to provide such necessities.
Of course it is always sad to see and hear that fellow Albanians are giving up their Citizenship but I fully support them and keep an open mind as to why they are resutling to this solutions.
I cannot understand why such personal choice as citizenship should be a news at all. Everyone had the natural rights to chose its citizenship. At all, ms Zari had to become a German citizen and a European citizen and in any means this is not the kind of national treason.
mire o beri. si ti behet me per mire. ca lidhje ka pashaporta me karakterin e njeriut. e keqja eshte kur e fshehin faktin qe kane lindur dhe rritur ne shqiperi. po e nxjerrin te hapur qe jane shqiptare dhe nxjerrin nam te mire per shqiperine le te kene ca do lloj pashaporte. shendet.
jam dakort me viktorin dhe gjergjin. ajo tashme e ka zgjedhur vendin ku do te jetoje. nuk e kuptoj perse duhet te beje nje sensacion.
dhe nje fakt tjeter qe nuk ka shume lidhje me eda zarin, nuk e kuptoj perse blogu eshte ne anglisht. perse nuk behen postimet dhe ne shqip.
ne kete menyre dhe neve qe jemi jashte vendit na ben mire, te mos harrojme gjuhen. aq me teper qe shume postime ne anglisht nuk jane te shkruara mire e ne shqip akoma me keq.
megjithate, shendet e gjithe te mirat
ke te drejte per gjuhen, ky blog mund te ishte edhe ne shqip, por kjo eshte nje menyre per te qendruar ne kontakt edhe me miqte e mi dhe vizitoret anglisht foles. Per te mos permendur faktin qe shkrimet e mia shpesh kane te bejne me imazhin e vendit, dhe ky imazh nuk eshte me i perlyer te te huajt dhe nga ana tjeter numri i blogjeve ne shqip eshte rritur mjaftueshem.
faleminderit per mirekuptimin 🙂
I don’t think you guys are being fare to her. I think in her heart she still is that proud albanian otherwise she wouldn;t share our wonderful music with the world and putting albania in the map for good things, not drugs and prostitution… we moved out of albanian as we need a world without politics a world of security and opportunities.. it’s not us that have give up on our citizenship, is your wonderful goverment that has driven us away.
igli
melbourne
She did that for herself because her country haven’t done nothing good for her and for any other albanian. Now she has the opportunity to move all over the world without problems and without paying taxes for viza(if she could get). Shame in albanian goverment not her.
Im replying to this in english cuz the majority have…se mos na suleni te na shani se kemi harruar gjuhen e nenes 😀
I dont understand whats wrong with becoming a citizen of another country. As someone said about, its your characted, your culture and eveything else that makes you Albanian, or whatever other nationality.Being a citizen of another country, its just paper… we are albanians at heart and blood.
Also, it is her personal decision, as some other people said above. Who are we to judge her? How does that affect us in any way? Just because she became a citizen of another country, does not change her personality or what she represents.
We have left Albania because we saw no future… we only have one life, and we are only trying to provide ourselved with the necesseties of making this life better for us, and for the future children we will bring into this world.
I lexova keto llafet e shumta ketu per “te drejten e saj per te ndruar nenshtetsi, jete me te mire, mundesira me te shumta e me the e te thashe”. broculla, justifikime te njerezve qe gjenden ne te njejten pozite me kete bukeshkalen dhe kerkojne ti justifikojne vetes se nuk kane bere ndonje gabim, kur dhe brenda vetes e kuptojne se hapi qe kane mare eshte hap frikacaku, hap dezertori, hap i dikujt qe eshte i paafte te perballoje jeten sic i ka rene ne pjese.
Patriotizmi nuk mbaron te flamuri ne makine, tek prija e rakise apo dergimi i $20/muaj ne Shqiperi. Po tek shumica patriotizmi kombetar eshte kthyer ne patriotizem financiar. Prostitutat me Grate e ndershme nuk i ndajne mundesirat e ndryshme, nuk i ndan deshira per te qene me mire, nuk i ndan deshira per te patur leke apo per te patur nje jete me te mire. Kurva dallohet te paaftesia per te perballuar rrugen me te veshtire, rrugen me me pengesa, rrugen me me pak fitime financiare, te njejten rruge qe do i mbante koken lart, qe do e bente krenare e qe nuk do ja trazonte gjumin naten. Fatkeqesisht per ne, kombi yne eshte mbushur me kurva, e kjo kurveri na i paska zene deren kaq shume sa nuk po e konsiderojme me “felliqesire” ti heqim vetes emrin Shqiptar.
Hello guys,
I’m albanian, too.. I think we’ve all lost our fatherland, and we’ll search it until we perish..so far, US is not my homeland, and, sad to say, neither Albania is anymore.
we’ll gonna feel that later in life, within our empty beings
sad, sad
(sorry, I don’t have anything to comment on her)
hello everyone,
I am albanian but married to an english guy (for LOVE).
I am sorry to say but what is wrong with taking a different citizenship???
Whe our government is F**** up???
continue….as i pressed the wrong button.
I think she has done the right thing. I will tell you an example:
I gave birth to my son last year and i wanted my mother to be here in UK before i gave birth. She applied for a visa and never got it!! What was the reason ???? NO reason. Full stop.
I am proud of being AL but not proud of our Law and government!
Love to all Al,
Spring, United Kingdom.
Good on you girl. You did the right thing.
Welcome to the EU.
Na fiku deren. :S Nuk di a do me zej gjumi sonte …
I did not see anywhere that anybody is calling the German government stupid. But I think the biggest blame goes with it and their stupid rules which rule out double-citizenship. In my opinion in this totally globalized world multiple citizenships should be allowed.
Random reader
Dear Dace,
I have to say that I agree with you very much that this should be an option for all those like Eda who would like to get their citizenship elswhere. However, the issue remains that this does not diminish the blame of our government’s foreign and domestic policies.
Elvis, why don’t you go and run for next elections?
What is the blame of your government? It is a normal transition government… you cannot expect that 50 and more years old mistakes can be fixed in a fortnight. Unluckily you cannot erase the history and remake it, and generations need to change for people’s mentality to change.
But we live now and here. You can blame noone that he or she chooses a better life, better carreer prospects, love after all (romantic or whatever). There are so many stories why people end up with one leg in one country and with another leg in another one. Paperwork and bureaucracy is just paperwork and bureaucracy, though very annoying when you have to deal with it just to live and do what you like. Eda is still Albanian, but because of German bureaucracy Albania is losing one more citizen. And of course of your government’s mistakes, but already so outdated ones that there is no more point to talk about them. Vorbei ist vorbei.
Dear Dace,
I agree with you when you say that it’s not just the government to blame, but in large part it is. However, I am not a pessimist nor am I so idealistic that I fail to understand the transition process.
As regards the second part of your comment, my response is already posted: “Beyond the details behind Eda’s decision, I am sure that she will continue to be a great Albanian symbol wherever she goes.” So obviously I do not blame her. That’s it.
Today is a sad day and chances are such great event as Eda Zari relinquishing her Albanian citizenship will send shock waves through my spine, distorting my train of thought and torturing me with amnesia for over a week. How could this happen?
In other words, Eda Zari’s “personal” decisions are quite telling, at least making me allege that her “glorification” of Albanian is only done in vain, and yes, for “personal i.e. financial” matters.
I’m gonna go ahead and allege that Eda Zari is a man. I am starting this news. The burden of proof that she is allegedly a “woman” rests on Eda Zari. Let’s see if she objects.
hi everyone . i think she done the right choise . like everyone it’s gone do . you people just wish her good luck and let her enjoy in the time. because she change the citisenship i dasen’t mean it’s not ALBANIAN . I’m leavin for 5 years in the UK cause our cuntry it’s f……t. sorry for that . thank you .
Who is to say what is right or wrong? Do not you people get it that for decades we have cursed the West as being Capitalist and We lived in One, We called the World Chavinist while we bragged for a fake proud Chauvinist Country ourselves, we mocked the West Moral while Albanians practice Prostitution in Tirana and worldwide, married and unmarried without distinction, we mock the West Corruption, while the Albanian citizens of all kinds are filthy corrupted, we ridiculed the Western Youth as the Albanian Youth is a big time Failure. I am not making this up, take a tour in Tirana and you will see for yourself.
I worked hard in a foreign country and gave me pride and I am to be condemned for not keeping a worthless passport that represents a worthless government and a worthless future? Albanians are enemies of themselves, we destroy our lives with our own hands, and do not blame Transition. The land is Beautiful but the People are not.
I have one life to live and I do not want my kids to damn me for life. We are brainwashed by some dead principles of Nationalism / Idealism / Patriotism. Albania is where my origin is from, but not where I happily dwell. Keep it real!
Dear Albanian American
first of all let me say thank you for sharing your thoughts on this issue. Obviously we don’t see the issue in the same way and may be you are a little more realistic and may be I’m just a little more patriotic.
But hey, despite its many flaws and unending difficulties of living in Albania, I still love this country and want the best for it. So it is a natural outcome of these same feelings when I express my sadness in the loss of someone whom I think has and will continue to give so much to the culture and musical arts of Albanians.
That does not mean that I judge her, nor that I think it is some kind of a treason to your own country if you decide to relinquish your citizenship. What I wanted to point out, was the fact the Albanian people have their own dignity, traditions and culture, and it feels almost like a true loss when someone relinquishes part of that identity, which is what Eda has done. And that is all I am trying to say.
I still love her songs and know that she is Albanian, despite of what her passport may say.
Elvis, Traditions , culture, music, customs are great (besides each country brags about their customs/traditions), anyways nothing against those, people are to pity, quite unrespectful/ mind prone to crime human beings. I do not think I would be able to live there, I will visit to see the land, not the people!!!My opinion just as yours being patriotic. Peace!
o shqiptare i lezova komentet tuaja nuk dua qe te ofendoj askend ketu pore dua te shfryhem mos ma merrni per keq komentin time e para pse shkruani anglisht une ju shkruaj mqs e di se nuk e shkruaj mire se kam ikur qe femi pa mbaruar shkollen qe me ka mbetur peng ne zemer pore kam emigruar qe ne moshe te vogel pse o vellezer shqiptar shani gjuhen tuaje te bukur shqipe pse o vellezer shani nanen shqiperi une kam ardhur ne angli qe ne moshen 14 vjecare dhe kame 12 vite ketu ne angli pore nuke kam letra raste kam pasur me qindra me martese me genjeshtra pore kurre nuk e kam bere kurse kjo vajza ketu e ben per fun se di per loje turpe te kete njerez si une qe vuajne ka sa te duash pore kurre nuke shaje shqiperine kurre nuk them shqiperia se kjo dele qe te shaje vetvehten shqipetare thirrni trurit jemi kush jemi ata jemi pore te nderrosh pasaporten per fun ky ashte turp une mendoj se shteti shqiptare tja heqe te drejten e hyrjess ne shqiperi kesaj vajzes dhe gjithe atyre qe tallen me stemat e kombit tone u lutem mos me keq kuptoni pervec ca njerzve qe nuk kane patur rruge tjeter ju lutem nuk dua te ofendoj asnjeri pore zemra me qane per keta te mjere se sa lire e shesin vehten une po i tregoje kesaje vajze se kurre gjermane ska mu ba pore e perulur tere jeta ka me ishkua pse se lopa nuk bahet dele edhe pse dy palet hane bare
shqipetare mose bini ne depresion pse kure njeriu bien bene gjera te gabuara une edhe pse ndollem ketu ne kurbet e ndjek shume mediat e tv dua tu them qe pote vini e te rrini ketu ne gurbet e ta shikoni vehten ca thoni ju thoni paskemi kane te dehur cfaje ju ka shteti qeveria ps pd kto shohe une cdo dite po pse o vellezer nuk punoni ne shqiperi tani do ju jape ca fakte angli qyteti north england derby popullsia shqiptare rreth 100 to 150 me letra 80 per cent 20 per cent like me jo letra 50 per cent familje fillojme familja 1 problem vajza 17 vjec ike nga shtepia me zezak babai tenton te marre vajzen ta ktheje ne shqiperi kapet nga policia panorama bbc one 2005 albania dad try to stop his daughter from marrin a colour man police charge him vith gbh and racisem tani mbaroi gjygji 7 vjet i nipi 3 vjet i biri 18 muaje beqaret martua per letra min i vjetersive te grave qe kane marre per letra fillon 35 mbaron 60 vellezerit shqiptare mosha 20 to 28 tani 80 per cent te ndare nga dy femije gjithe java e punes u shkon ne mortgage dhe pagesa per femi qe gjysme e ketyre femijve nuk jane te tyre ju lutem vellezer e motra shqiptare nqs ju kam ofenduar te me falni pore e kam per te miren tuaje me falni nqs e kam tepruar ju kerkoj ndjese pore me qane zemra per ju vellezer e motra shqeperia eshte vendi yne e di se ka probleme pore jo si ketu thirrni trurit perderisa nuk eshte vone se evropa eshte e bukur ne telivizor pore jo jetosh ketu ju lutem te gjithve qe lezojne kete koment te me falin e te ma bene hallall nqs se ju kam prekur ne seder sepse ky koment nuk ka qellim qe te ofendoje asnje vella e moter shqiptare pore tu bahet mesim brezave te rinj qe vine prapa nga nje shkodran qe u uron te gjithe emigrantave kthim te shpejte ne shqiperi e ju ne shqiperi ju gjetshim mire nga zemer perveluari ne gurbet me falni edhe per shkrimin e shkruar keqe ye gjuhes shqipe shqiperi te dua shume ZOTI IM NDIHMOJE SHIPETARET
Albania is a nest that does not hold well! Just simply forget it!
Shkruaj me shum deshire ne kte blogg, edhe jam shum i kenaqur qe te ghithe kane opinione dhe kane aftesi tju pergjigjen njeri tjetrit.
Gjat leximeve te dy palet te bindin edhe ato qe duan te jetojn jeten e tyre ne nje vend me te pershtatshem per to edhe te atyto qe duan te jetojn jeten si shqiptar.
Mendimi im esht se ne qoft se don te jetosh si shqiptar esht te rrish ne shqiperi dhe atje je “tamon” shqipetar dhe jeton without a doubt si shqiptar.
Keta qe kane deshire te jetojne jasht shtetit leri te jetojne edhe ne qoft se kane deshire te martojne nje te huaj i zi apo i bardh regardless of that leri te jetojne jeten e tyre.
Une jam gender mashkull dhe kam pas te perbej me dashnore te zeze pse femrat tani mos te perbejne me dashnor te zi? apo te drejtat e femrave nuk njihen ato jane sherbetore dhe mekaniz’m seksi?
Shpresoj qe dhe commenti im te mos ofendoj asnjeri its merly an opinion like every one alses.
Look forwards to receiving reply’s in relation to this topic Eaquality. Male/Female.
I think that some people have misunderstood one important part in this story..Elvis wrote – This was more of an obligatory choice since the German government rules required it.
Thanks Dea