“They removed me from the stage, I worked with cement” / Laxarela’s rare, tearful confession: My boyfriend left me out of fear of the regime

Renowned folk singer Laxarela Deti opened up this Saturday on the show “S’e Luan Topi”, sharing deeply emotional memories and the difficult challenges she faced during Albania’s communist regime.

She recalled the persecution she endured due to her family background, her "biography", and the oppressive atmosphere of the time. With tears in her eyes, she spoke of the fear that silenced so many:

“Our parents didn’t tell us much back then. They used to say, ‘even the walls have ears,’ and we didn’t understand. But I could sense something was wrong. I sang at the pioneers’ festival, won prizes, and was applauded… but the other girl was the one filmed, not me.”

Forced off the artistic stage, Laxarela ended up working in construction:

“I went to a construction school, worked with cement. My sister worked in tailoring and used to take me along, saying I’d sing there. My parents suffered a lot, it’s hard to recall those times.”

This climate of fear even affected her relationship with the love of her life, Beni.

“There came a time when our relationship cracked it was 1985. That year, I was removed from the stage. Beni got scared. We didn’t talk for a while, and I realized he was avoiding me. Eventually, we met in Tirana, and he said, ‘I’m not going to get married. Are you?’ ‘No,’ I told him. He didn’t want to hurt me.”

Laxarela’s story is one of resilience, pain, and the silenced voices of a generation that suffered quietly under the weight of repression.

“KORÇA BOOM”