Some of the biggest names in music, film, sport and literature have Albanian roots. Some were born in Albania or Kosovo, others grew up in the diaspora with Albanian parents. Here are 16 you might know.
Music
- Dua Lipa: the pop star was born in London to Kosovo Albanian parents from Prishtina, and received Albanian citizenship in 2022.
- Rita Ora: born Rita Sahatçiu in Prishtina in 1990; her family moved to London when she was a baby.
- Bebe Rexha: the American singer-songwriter’s father was born in Debar, North Macedonia, and her mother’s family has roots in Gostivar.
- Ava Max: born Amanda Koçi in Milwaukee; her parents are from Albania and left in 1991.
- Era Istrefi: born in Prishtina, she went viral with “BonBon” and sang “Live It Up”, the official song of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, with Nicky Jam and Will Smith.
- Ermal Meta: born in Fier, Albania, he moved to Bari as a teenager and won Sanremo in 2018, representing Italy at Eurovision that year.
- Inva Mula: the Tirana-born soprano is the voice of the Diva Plavalaguna in The Fifth Element.
Film and television
- John Belushi (1949–1982): the Saturday Night Live and Blues Brothers star was born in Chicago to Albanian-American parents; his father came from Qytezë, Albania.
- Jim Belushi: John’s brother, an actor in his own right, was honoured by Albania in 2008.
- Eliza Dushku: the actress’s father is Albanian-American, with family roots in Korçë. She made the documentary Dear Albania.
Sport
- Granit Xhaka: born in Basel to Kosovo Albanian parents, he has captained Switzerland and won an unbeaten Bundesliga title with Bayer Leverkusen.
- Xherdan Shaqiri: born in Gjilan, Kosovo, he was part of Champions League-winning squads at Bayern Munich and Liverpool.
- Tie Domi: born in Windsor, Ontario, to Albanian parents, he is the Toronto Maple Leafs’ all-time leader in penalty minutes. His son Max Domi also plays in the NHL.
Letters, science and faith
- Ismail Kadare (1936–2024): the novelist from Gjirokastër was the first winner of the Man Booker International Prize, in 2005.
- Ferid Murad (1936–2023): born in Indiana to an Albanian immigrant father, he shared the 1998 Nobel Prize in Medicine for his work on nitric oxide.
- Mother Teresa (1910–1997): born in Skopje to an Albanian family, she won the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize. Read her story.
And the one who started it all
Before any of them there was Skanderbeg, the 15th-century national hero whose flag became Albania’s. Read his story.
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Sources: Wikipedia: Dua Lipa · NPR: Dua Lipa citizenship · Wikipedia: Rita Ora · Wikipedia: Bebe Rexha · Wikipedia: Ava Max · Wikipedia: Era Istrefi · Wikipedia: Ermal Meta · Wikipedia: Inva Mula · Britannica: John Belushi · Tirana Times: Jim Belushi honoured · Boston Globe: Dear Albania · Wikipedia: Xherdan Shaqiri · Wikipedia: Tie Domi · Britannica: Ismail Kadare · Nobel Prize: Ferid Murad