Vaçe Zela facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vaçe Zela
MA PA HNO
|
|
|---|---|
| Born | 7 April 1939 Lushnjë, Albanian Kingdom
|
| Died | 6 February 2014 (aged 74) Basel, Switzerland
|
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 1962–2014 |
| Spouse(s) | Pjetër Rodiqi |
| Children | 1 |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar |
| Signature | |
.svg) |
|
Vaçe Zela (born April 7, 1939 – died February 6, 2014) was a famous singer and songwriter from Albania. Many people think she was one of the most important musicians of the 1900s in Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia.
She was born in Lushnjë and grew up in Tirana, which was then called Communist Albania. Vaçe loved music from a young age. She started her professional music career in 1962.
Vaçe Zela became very well-known by winning the first-ever Festivali i Këngës, a big music competition. She won this festival eleven times!
She also received many important awards. These included the Merited Artist Order, People's Artist Order, and the Honor of Nation Order.
Early Life and Music
Vaçe Zela was born on April 7, 1939, in the city of Lushnjë. At that time, it was part of the Kingdom of Albania. Her family loved music, and she often said that music was "sitting cross-legged in everyone's soul."
Her school teachers were the first to notice Vaçe's amazing talents. She was not only good at music but also at painting and acting.
When Vaçe was only ten years old, she started singing folk songs. These songs came from the Myzeqe region. She would often sing in the parks of Lushnjë, and people passing by would stop to listen.
Soon, she began to perform in small concerts in her city. Her parents were not very happy about her choosing this path. Still, she went to Tirana to try and get into a special School of Arts. She was not accepted there. Instead, she went to Qemal Stafa High School, where she began to learn how to play the guitar.
Music Career
First Performances
Vaçe Zela first joined the Army's Music Ensemble (called Ansambli i Ushtrisë). After that, she worked with the State's Ensemble (Ansambli Shtetëror). Finally, she became part of the Ensemble of Songs and Dances (Ansambli i Këngëve dhe Valleve).
Awards and Recognition
Vaçe Zela was the very first winner of the Albanian music competition Festivali i Këngës. She won with her song "Fëmija i parë," which means "First Child." This happened on December 26, 1962.
She also won many international awards. These included the "Golden Disk" and being named "Woman of the year" in Cambridge, England in 1997-1998. She also received the "Golden Microphone" from the Ministry of Culture of Kosovo.
Her most recent award was the "Special Grand Prize for Singing Legend." She received this award at the 45th anniversary of the Festival at ART. This was to honor her unique contributions to Albanian music. It also recognized her participation since the very first years of this festival, where she won many awards.
