| Background: | solo_singer |
| Leonora Jakupi | |
| Birth Name: | Leonora Jakupi |
| Birth Date: | 3 March 1979 |
| Birth Place: | Skenderaj, SFR Yugoslavia (now Kosovo) |
| Origin: | Skenderaj, Kosovo |
| Genre: | Balkan pop |
| Occupation: | Singer, songwriter |
| Years Active: | 1997–present |
Leonora Jakupi (in Albanian pronounced as /lɛɔˈnɔɾa jaˈkupi/; born 3 March 1979) is a Kosovo-Albanian singer and songwriter.
Leonora Jakupi is originally from Kosovo. She lost her father during the Kosovo War (1998–1999) – he was killed due to his involvement in the Kosovo Liberation Army. Her repertoire includes old-style Albanian folk and modern popular music.[1]
The song that rose her to prominence was "A vritet pafajsia?" (Can innocence be killed?), released in 1998 while she was a war refugee in Albania. She dedicated the song to her father and other Albanians that were killed during the Kosovo War.
Although Jakupi began her music career with ethno and folk-influenced songs, she has recently been working with modern pop. In 2009 she released "Ky është fundi" (This is the end), which became a hit on the radio and the Internet. She is popular in the Albanian-speaking territories of Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Montenegro, and in countries such as Germany, Switzerland and, recently, Bulgaria.[2]
Jakupi has been featured in gossip magazines and tabloids regarding her personal life. There have been rumors over whether or not she is single, but she has often declined to speak about this.[3]