Albania's President Bairam Begay granted Albanian citizenship to Albanian-born British pop star Dua Lipa yesterday, Sunday, for her role in spreading the reputation of Albanians internationally through her music.
Bairam Begai said Lipa received the citizenship ahead of the 110th anniversary of Albania's independence from the Ottoman Empire, adding that he considered it an honour to do so because the artist made Albanians famous around the world.
[BR]
"I will also be an Albanian with papers," Lipa said before taking the oath of citizenship at Tirana City Hall, according to the Associated Press.
Lipa was born in London in 1995 to Albanian parents, Dugagin and Anisa Lipa, immigrants from Kosovo.
She started singing at the age of five and was musically influenced by her father, a former singer and guitarist in a rock band. She started uploading her songs to YouTube when she was 14.
Her first album titled Dua Lipa was released in 2017. In 2019, she won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist.
With her father, she founded the Sunny Hill Foundation in 2016 to raise funds from annual concerts held in her home country, Kosovo, to help people facing economic hardship.
"It's an indescribable joy such acceptance, love and everything," said Lipa, who took a passport photo, gave fingerprints and signed an application for an ID card and passport.
Lipa will conclude her annual concert tour at Tirana's central Skenderbey Square on Monday to mark Independence Day.
Source: protothema.gr
Contents of this article including associated images are belongs Cyprus Times
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or Cyprus Times
Source[/P]
