Professor Ramadan Sokoli has been posthumously awarded with the highest decoration in Albania- ‘The Honor of the Nation’ by President Ilir Meta.
Sokoli was born in 1920 and was an ethnomusicologist, musician, composer, and writer. He is widely regarded as one of the most distinguished scholars of Albanian and Balkan music. Born in Shkoder, he graduated from the local highschool before moving to Florence, Italy to study musicology. Following WWII, he founded and headed the department of musical folklore. As a result, he is considered a pioneer of Albanian ethnomusicology.
He passed away in March 2008.
The award was presented with the words; “As a sign of appreciation and gratitude as the founder of Albanian ethnomusicology, musicologist, composer, and lecturer. His study and music work is an inalienable part of the European cultural identity of Albanians.”
Meta expressed his pleasure and privilege at honouring one of the most important personalities of national art and culture.
“Professor Ramadan Sokoli went through many challenges in life and became an inalienable pillar of reference for discovering and revealing the extraordinary cultural values of our nation,” said Meta.
“Professor Sokoli, despite his personal ordeal and persecution as a family, managed to rise above the pressure and difficulties of the time thanks to talent, dignity, cultural formation, passion and spiritual heritage of the family,” he added.
