Nexhmije Pagarusha facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nexhmije Pagarusha
Pagarusha in 2012
Background information
Born	(1933-05-07)7 May 1933 Malisheva, Vardar Banovina, Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Origin	Pagarusha, Kosovo
Died	7 February 2020(2020-02-07) (aged 86) Pristina, Kosovo
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Nexhmije Pagarusha (born May 7, 1933 – died February 7, 2020) was a famous singer and actress from Kosovo. Many people called her "the queen of Kosovan music." She became well-known in Kosovo and nearby countries because of her amazing singing voice. She had a special soprano voice, which is a high singing voice.

Nexhmije Pagarusha sang many different kinds of songs. She performed traditional Kosovan folk songs, but also rock, pop, and even classical opera. Her music career lasted for 36 years, starting in 1948 at Radio Pristina and ending with her last concert in Sarajevo in 1984.

Early Life and Music Journey

Nexhmije Pagarusha was born in a small village called Pagarusha. This village is close to the town of Mališevo in what was then the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Today, this area is part of Kosovo. She went to primary school in Mališevo.

After primary school, she moved to Belgrade. There, she studied music for three years. She focused on solo canto, which means singing alone. In 1948, she started her music career as a singer for Radio Pristina.

A Singer of Many Styles

Nexhmije Pagarusha's musical work lasted for almost 40 years. It's hard to describe her as just one type of singer because she sang so many different styles. She performed both folk music and classical music, including opera.

People gave her many special names. They called her Bilbili i Kosovës, which means "the Nightingale of Kosovo." She was also known as the Queen of Kosovar music and Madame Butterfly. In Kosovo, she earned the title Këngëtare e shekullit, meaning "Singer of the Century."

Performing Across Europe

Nexhmije Pagarusha did not only perform in her home country. She also sang in other European countries. These included Albania, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Bulgaria. She traveled with a music group called Shota. They also went on tours in the Middle East.

One of her most famous songs is "Baresha," which means "The Shepherdess." Her husband, Rexho Mulliqi, wrote the music for this song. The words were written by Rifat Kukaj. Nexhmije Pagarusha also acted in many plays and movies. She won many awards for her acting too.

Later Career and Legacy

Nexhmije Pagarusha stopped her music career in 1984. Her last big concert was in Sarajevo. After 16 years away from music, she sang a song called "Për ty" (meaning "For You") on an Albanian TV show in 2000.

Later, she worked as a senior adviser for music. She worked at Radio Kosovo and Radio Blue Sky, both in Pristina. In November 2012, she received a very special award. The President of Albania, Bujar Nishani, gave her the "Honor of the Nation" decoration. This award is called Nderi i Kombit in Albanian.

Nexhmije Pagarusha passed away on February 7, 2020. The cause of her death was not shared publicly.

Popular Songs

Nexhmije Pagarusha sang more than 150 songs during her career. Here are some of her most popular ones:

Movies and TV Shows

Nexhmije Pagarusha also acted in several movies and TV shows. Here are some of them:

• Makedonska krvava svadba (Bloody Wedding) (1967)
• Jugovizija (Jugovision) (1973)
• Gëzuar viti i ri (Happy New Year) (1976)
• E kafshoja terrin (Biting the darkness) (1977)
• I ikuri (Gone) (1980)
• Tre vetë kapërcejnë malin (Three people overpass the mountain) (1981)
• Lepuri me pesë këmbë (The Five-Legged Hare)
• Fluturimi i Micakut (Micak's flight)
• Daullet e të çmendurve (The drums of the crazy ones)
• Rexha i nënës në grazhd të kalit (Mother's son Rexha in the stall)
• Vrasësit bëjnë dasmë natën (The killers throw a wedding at nighttime) (1997)

See also

• Music of Kosovo
• Music of Albania