Gift from London Town, English born singer Dua Lipa has become an absolute global sensation in recent years. The “Levitating” singer has released her latest album The nostalgia of the future in 2020, marking her second studio album as a musical force in the industry.
Since her first interaction with the music world in 2014, the singer has been open about her Southern European roots. Still, regardless, many might find it surprising to discover that the 27-year-old is actually born to two immigrant parents. Her Kosovar Albanian parents, Anesa and Dukagjin Lipa, are from Pristina, Yugoslavia, or today’s Kosovo, and fled to London once the Bosnian war began in the 1990s. Although Lipa did not grow up in Albania, the singer’s parents always insisted that she stayed in touch with her roots, and as a child, the singer grew up with Albanian as her first language.
Her ancestors were an important part of her childhood as it translates into adulthood. As of November 28, Lipa received Albanian citizenship. Although her connection to her roots is still present in the singer’s life, many fans have wondered how she made this decision. So how exactly did Lipa earn her dual citizenship?
Why was Dua Lipa granted Albanian citizenship?
Ahead of Albania’s Independence Day, which celebrates its 110th anniversary as an independent country separated from the Ottoman Empire, Lipa was officially declared an Albanian citizen on 28 November. The news broke on the singer’s official Twitter account, where she thanked President Bajram Begaj and Mayor Erion Veliaj for the honor. The singer also added the Albanian phrase “Faleminderit, po ndihem shume krenare”, which translates to “Thank you, I feel very proud”.
Lipa earned the right to become an Albanian citizen in recognition of spreading awareness of the country through her music and social activism. In 2016, Lipa co-founded the Sunny Hill Foundation with her father, with the aim of raising funds to help poor people by organizing annual concerts in Kosovo.
Despite not living in Albania, the singer spent some time in the southeastern European country as a teenager. After Kosovo declared independence in 2008, Lipa and her parents moved back to Pristina, where she attended Mileniumi i Tretë school, got in touch with her mother tongue and rekindled her love for music. He returned to London at 15, but kept his ancestors close to his heart into adulthood.
From here on out, the singer will celebrate her dual citizenship between English and Albanian, connecting to her roots and ancestors more than ever.