Vaçe Zela (1939-2014) | The Icon of the Albanian Song!

#KinematografiaShqiptare #VaceZela #MuzikaShqip
Vaçe Zela (April 7, 1939 – February 6, 2014)
A life built with melodies and notes. Vace Zela is rightly evaluated as a great and unique singer of Albanian music. The rare and prominent talent has placed her in the pantheon of artists of our nation!
“The Golden Voice of Albania”, “The Holy Icon of the Albanian Song”, “The Queen of the Albanian Song”, “The Polar Star that revolves alone in the Galaxy of the Albanian Light Song”, “The Giant of the Albanian Stage”. These are just some of the epithets for this now legendary symbol.

Born on April 7, 1939, Vaçe Zela, a girl from Lushnje, who became the “People’s Artist”, did not think that singing the Albanian song would include her in the book of 500 personalities with the most influence in the world, the only Albanian who received this award from the Institute of Biographies in America.

In Paris, compared with the great French singer, Edith Piaf, while in Italy with the great Mina. And the dissident poet, Visar Zhiti, would call Vaçe’s voice a part of the missing freedom.

She would sing since she was little in various activities that were organized in her town. While later, when Zela climbed the stage of the song festival, where she recorded about 30 participations, she would become the most popular singer.

Numerous awards would come one after the other for the Albanian music star. The songs “Celu si mimoza”, “Djaloshi dhe shiu”, “I love my country”, “My dream”, “Hiccup”, “Albanian mothers”, “O new sun”, “Today I turned 20”, “Te lumtur te dua” and many more would remain in the golden fund.

Her appearance on the stage was a guaranteed success. Singing ran in her family’s blood. Her brother, Hysni Zela, said that “I also took from her voice. But let’s not forget that “Zela’s voice” transmitted the wonderful vocals of our mother, Maja. It’s not that we did it verbally with Vače, I would deal with folk songs and she with light music. This thing happened quite spontaneously”.

Many of her colleagues would call Vace Zela`s vocal inimitable. While the awards that would go to the singer are countless.
“Merited Artist” in 1973, “People’s Artist” in 1977, “Great Work Master”, “Honorary Citizen of Lushnje”, in her hometown the Cinema was named after her name and raised also a bust, President Alfred Moisiu awarded her the “Honour of the Nation”, she was declared “Honorary Citizen of Fier District”.

Other awards also come from outside the territory of Albania. Vaçe Zela received the Golden Disc from America for her contribution to society in 1997, she was chosen as the woman of the year 1997-1998 in Cambridge, England, “Golden Microphone”, by the Ministry of Culture of Kosovo, “Career Award” and many others.

While the American Biographical Institute lists her in its publication among the 500 most influential people. The year 1991 would mark the last ascent to the stage for her, exactly in Switzerland, in a concert for the Albanians who lived there. The adoration that the public still has for the great singer today is the best wish that can be given to her. The songs of Vace Zela, The icon of the Albanian song, the queen of our scene, her trophies come one after the other. There are songs that will remain in the golden fund of Albanian music, such as “Celu si mimosa”, “Djaloshi dhe shiu”, “I love my country”, “My dream”, “Lemza”, “Albanian mothers”, ” O new sun”, “I turned 20 today”, “I love you happily” and many, many others, which, although they may not have been evaluated with awards, remain among the most representative songs of Albanian light music. Songs performed by Vace Zela

1. Rrjedh ne kenge e ligjerime
2. Ku po shkon o partizan
3. Manushaqja
4. Ti qe ke ne sy lirine
5. Miremengjes
6. Nje zambak i bardhe ne gur
7. Kenge per Selam Salarine
8. Valsi i lumturise
9. Mall per memedhene
10. Kendoj
11. Marshojme fitimtare
12. Nene moj do pres gershetin
13. Trendeline
14. Motive
15. Deshmoret e Pojskes (perp.)
16. Flake e bore
17. Naten vone
18. Doli ylli qe me nate (Perp)
19. Sot kendoj
20. Kenga e krushqve
21. Me lule te bukura
22. Ere pranverore
23. Lulekuqja
24. Jeho
25. Te lumtur te dua
26. Shqiponje e lire
27. Kenge e re
28. Per ty
29. Kur bie fyelli e ciftelia
30. Djaloshi dhe shiu
31. Gjyshes
32. Ylli partizan
33. Lemza
34. Kenge per aviatorin
35. Gonxhe ne pemen e lirise
36. Rrjedh ne kenge e ligjerime
37. Mesuesit Hero
38. Kenge per Misto Mamen
39. Nuk eshte loder dashuria
40. Celu si mimoza
41. Sot jam njezet vjec
42. Fqinja
43. O diell i ri
44. Rrisim jeten tone
45. Ne shtepine tone
46. Lule Shqiperi
47. Per liri s’te fal shqiptari
48. Nuk e fshehim dashurine
49. Qeshu rini
50. Shoket
51. Lumi Ebro
52. Femija e pare
53. Kur jam prane teje
54. Endrra ime
55. Endeses
56. Mes lulesh
57. Nusja e lirise
58. Si agimi i kuq
59. Dita diten me kenge e zgjon
60. Brezi im
61. Kenge per Shkurte Vaten
62. Mesnate
63. Kenget e vendit tim
64. Dashuria
65. Gjurme te arta
66. E dua vendin tim
67. Gezon Malesia
68. Shoqet tona ilegale
69. Pushke e zemer
70. Dritaren kerkoj
71. Jete na dhuruat
72. E bukura More
73. Trendeline
74. Zune fushat te lulezojne
75. Qeshu Myzeqe
76. Blegerin delja

Partisan songs
77. Kenga e Azem Zenelit
78. Shqiponjat partizane
79. Ato maja rripa rripa
80. Marshi partizan
81. Deshmoret e Pojskes
82. Partizani vogel
83. Dalngadale po vjen behari
84. Kenga e Emin Durakut

Foreign Songs
85. Firence stanotte sei bella
86. Chamino
87. Sei stato il primo amore
88. Suona, suona mia chitara
89. Granada
90. Malagenja
91. Antonio Vargas Serena
92. Esperanto
93. O violina cigana
94. Retien la nuit
95. Gjinkalla (ruse)
96. Na u prish karroca (rumune)
97. Gjithe bota je ti (greke).

Decorations and titles
While the titles for the singer were not lacking year after year and decade after decade.
“Merited Artist” in 1973,
“People’s Artist” in 1977,
“Great Craftsman”,
“Honorary Citizen of Lushnja”.

While the former president Alfred Moisiu awarded him the
“Honour of the Nation” order.
Vace Zela has also received other awards outside the territory of Albania. She received the “Arts Disc” from America, for her contribution to society in 1997, she was chosen as the woman of the year 1997-1998 in Cambridge, England, “Arts Microphone”, from the Ministry of Culture of Kosovo, “Career Award” and many others.

Zela, 11 first prizes at the Song Festival
From 1962, until 1980, she won the Song Festival prize at RTSH, 11 times.
It was the song “The first child” with music by Abdullah Grimci and lyrics by Dionis Buban, which would give the first trophy to singer Vaçe Zela, then 23 years old.

But the prices would follow each other.
In the second festival, she would win with the song “Flame and Snow”, in the third Festival “Today I am 20 years old”, in the fifth Festival “Eagle of Freedom”, in the sixth “Song for Shkurte Vata”.

She was also honored, with the first prize in a duet with Ramiz Kovači with the song “Hero Teacher”, to continue with the songs “Midnight”, “Golden Footprints”, “Nënë moj do pres gershetin”, “Gonxhe na pamen e lirise” and “Our Illegal Friends” in 1980.

Published for the first time on the “Albanian Cinematography” Facebook page in April 2013. It was revised on April 7, 2014, 2016, 2020 and February 2021).

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