“Albania is lucky to have such an ambassador, who is envied by every powerful and more reputable country,” said Prime Minister Edi Rama.
TIRANA, April 9 – Internationally renowned Albania soprano Ermonela Jaho has been honored with the highest medal by the Prime Minister as an ambassador of Albanian art and culture.
The honour to the great Albanian soprano came after her two performances in the title role of Cio-Cio San in Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” in a return after a seven-year absence on the Albanian Opera House.
“In my effort to do what we can do and to express my pleasure, pride and respect, I didn’t find a greater thing than the exclusive medal that the Prime Minister awards only to heads of states and the prime ministers of other countries,” said Rama.
“Albania is lucky to have such an ambassador, who is envied by every powerful and more reputable country. She is an ambassador that makes us proud and gives us faith and courage to make the impossible so that Albania’s voice sounds beautifully one day in the European stage, in the modest role of a small country such as ours, but nevertheless respected for its voice,” said Rama.
Thanking the Prime Minister, Jaho described appreciation for one-another as the key to success.
“We Albanians find it hard to cooperate with one-another, but at the time we find the spirit of cooperation we can work miracles,” said Jaho, unveiling her wonderful experience with Madame Butterfly.
International renowned Albanian soprano Ermonela Jaho performed on April 3 and 5 at the Opera House in Tirana making her comeback in a much awaited concert after a seven-year absence. Jaho performed in a sold-out concert one of her favourite pieces, the title role of Cio-Cio San in Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly.” She returned to the National Theatre of Opera and Ballet in Tirana after shining in the lead roles of Manon Lesacat at the Royal Opera House in London and as Mathilde in Rossini’s “Guillame Tell” in Brussels in early 2014.
“I have always considered the role of Madama Butterfly connected to Albanian women in general because to me, the role of Cio-Cio San, is the embodiment of a woman’s spirit because of loving like a teenage, hoping like a child and self-sacrificing like a prophet. And I can tell you these are extraordinary great virtues which I strongly feel or everyone of us feels in Albanian women, and our mothers for the sacrifices they have made,” said Jaho.
Born in Albania, soprano Ermonela Jaho was hailed as a “revelation” by the French musical press after her debut as Violetta in La Traviata at L’Opera de Marseille in December of 2005 and has since gone on to debut at major theaters internationally.
