Dua Lipa Receives Citizenship in Albania

The British pop diva Dua Lipa, who is of Albanian descent, was given citizenship by Albania’s president, in recognition of her contribution to spreading Albanians’ fame internationally through her music.

Prior to Albania’s 110th anniversary of its independence from the Ottoman Empire, President Bajram Begaj stated that Lipa had been granted citizenship. Begaj claimed that because Lipa made Albanians well-known throughout the world, he thought it an honour to do so.

“I will be an Albanian with papers too,” Lipa said before taking her citizenship oath at Tirana city hall.

Lipa was born in London in 1995 to Kosovo-born parents Anesa and Dukagjin Lipa, who were immigrants from Albania.

Her father, a former rock band guitarist and singer, had a musical influence on Lipa, who began singing at the age of 5. When she was 14 years old, she began uploading her music to YouTube. She released her debut studio album in 2017. She received the Grammy Award for best new artist in 2019.

She co-founded the Sunny Hill Foundation with her father in 2016 to generate money through yearly concerts performed in her native Kosovo to assist those in need of financial assistance.

“It is an indescribable great joy with such acceptance, love and everything,” said Lipa. The artist then took a passport photo, got her fingerprints taken and signed an application form for an identity card and passport.

In honour of Independence Day, Lipa will conclude her annual concert tour in Tirana’s Main Skanderbeg Square, the centre of Tirana.

Sikha Sohan