The National Museum “House with leaves” today commemorated the singer, artist, diplomat Sherif Merdani (May 14, 1940-August 29, 2021).

Merdani was born in Korça and grew up with a passion for music since childhood. He came from a family that at the time was considered to have a “bad biography”.

Sherif Merdani graduated from the Pedagogical High School and was appointed a teacher in the village of Backa in Skrapar. Thanks to the support of the composer Agim Krajka, Sherif Merdan was given the opportunity to perform at the Korça Variety Show.

During the time he settled in Tirana for studies, thanks to his talent, he was supported by Vaçe Zela to become known as a singer.

He first participated in the 8th Song Festival, and subsequently in subsequent festivals.

He would reach his peak as an artist at the Festival, the 11th. It would be this festival that would serve as the starting point of the attack on culture, art and foreign performances, an attack that was officially deepened through the IV Plenum of the CQ of the ALP in June 1973. Among many fellow artists, Sherit Merdani was arrested in Librazhd where at that time he worked at the House of Culture.

The District Court of Librazhd sentenced him to 10 years of imprisonment on the charge of “agitation and propaganda”. While he was serving his sentence in Spaç, he was re-sentenced with another 10 years. He would be released in 1989, after 16 years of imprisonment in Spaç, Burrel and Qafë Bari.

With the advent of democracy, Sherif Merdani was assigned as a diplomat in the Albanian Embassy in Rome and later in Bucharest. He also worked as the Director of Culture at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He passed away in Tirana in 2021.

/k.s/
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