Rita Ora

Ora in 2014, photo by Prphotos

Birth Name: Rita Sahatçiu Ora

Place of Birth: Pristina, Yugoslavia

Date of Birth: 26 November, 1990

Ethnicity: Albanian

Rita Ora is a British singer, songwriter, and actress. She was born November 26, 1990, in Pristina, Yugoslavia, to a Kosovan Albanian family. Her family moved to the U.K when she was a child, because of the persecution of Albanians in Kosovo. In 2015, she was named an Honorary Ambassador of Kosovo.

Her parents are Vera (Bajraktari) and Besnik Sahatçiu. Her father is a Muslim and her mother is Catholic. When asked about her ethnicity in an interview, Rita stated that she is “100% from Kosovo.” This can be seen, starting at the 2:30 mark, in this clip.

Her surname, Sahatçiu, is derived from the Turkish word saatçi, which means “watchmaker.” Her parents later added Ora, which means “time” in Albanian, so it could be more easily pronounced.

Rita’s paternal grandfather was Besim Sahatçiu, a film and theatre director (the son of Adem Sahatçiu and Besa).

Rita’s maternal grandfather was Osman Bajraktari. Osman was the Albanian consul to Russia, then part of the USSR.

Ora in 2012, image via Featureflash / Shutterstock.com