Nexhmije Pagarusha Baresha | Composer

Nexhmije Pagarusha, Rexho Mulliqi, Baresha , Albanian folk music, Kosovo music history. Suggested citation: (2024). “The Enigma of Baresha : Nexhmije Pagarusha, Folk Modernism, and the Question of Authorship.” Journal of Balkan Music Studies , 8(1), 45–47.

Mulliqi deliberately composed Baresha as a stylized urban folk song , drawing on the melodic modes of the Albanian çifteli and shargia instruments but arranging it with Western harmonic sensibility. The lyrics are drawn from traditional pastoral poetry, sometimes attributed to the folk poet Qamil Batalli, though they follow an oral form. nexhmije pagarusha baresha composer

Nexhmije Pagarusha, known as the “Nightingale of Kosovo,” possessed a soprano voice that bridged traditional Albanian folk music and light classical orchestration. Her signature piece, Baresha , recorded in the 1960s, epitomizes this fusion. However, a recurring point of confusion among audiences and online sources is the identity of its composer. Nexhmije Pagarusha, Rexho Mulliqi, Baresha , Albanian folk

Abstract: Baresha (The Shepherdess) is one of the most iconic songs in Albanian popular music, indelibly associated with the legendary singer Nexhmije Pagarusha (1933–2020). Despite its status as a national classic, the song’s compositional origins remain ambiguous, often misattributed or debated. This paper examines the recorded authorship of Baresha , Pagarusha’s interpretative role, and the broader context of folk-inspired composition in 20th-century Kosovo. Mulliqi deliberately composed Baresha as a stylized urban