Marie Logoreci

In 1947 she was a leading singer with the National Chorus giving tour concerts in Albania and abroad. After this confirmation of hers as a talented singer she was offered the chance to act in the National Theatre. Marie faced some initial difficulties with this new performance.

Marie's artistic life began as a singer in Tirana National Radio Broadcast in 1945 where she sang solo. She sang folk songs of Shkoder and of Middle Albania, partisan tunes as well. Meanwhile she attended a one year study of canto at Tirana artistic lice under the guidance of Mrs. Jorgjie Truja (recipient of People's Artist Order). Marie also made her appearance in various concerts in Tirana.

Marie Logoreci was born in Shkoder on September 23, 1920. Her father Palok Curcija was a craftsman and her mother, Roza, was a housewife. Marie was very early introduced to home financial difficulties and to social dramas of the time also reflected in her family as well. Since her childhood Marie was called with the nickname Tush. She was a good child, chubby and very friendly with her peers. Tush was growing up and soon was enrolled at Stigmatine Sisters, a girls school where religious classes were part of the school program. Later on Tush joined the gymnasium. She was good at drawing; she sang and later started accompanying herself with a mandolin or a guitar. Song and drawing were her passion of that age. Lucky enough almost 20 drawings have survived; they give witness of a mild and delicate spirit, they show a fine capture of the object; the sense of love in those drawings, the sharp and observant eye, the harmony in colors and precision revolves one's thought of her as quite talented. There was singing everywhere Tush was: in her house, at the neighbors, on feast days among relatives. She was doing well at school also. Within a short time she learned Italian and Montenegrin. But what traced her soul deeply were the popular narration and costumes and legends and epic songs of the Northern Albania which she heard from various people visiting her father. Her knowledge which she broadened later in life: the Albanian folklore and ethnography was soon to be her new passion. When Maria was 17 she moved permanently in Tirana because of her passion, and married Kol Logoreci, a laureate in economic studies who then just came back from Vienna. There he also had attended, for almost five years with the Friends of Music, lessons on violin. Kol was a very smart economist and for years he made a career as the Chief of State Budget Department. He was e recipient of the high title of Knight of Scanderbeg Order. Kol was the son of Mati Logoreci himself a very distinguished teacher and linguist, a man of social reputation at his time. He was a descendant of Logoreci family, whose name dates from the years 1300 with the name Logoreseos.