According to publicly available reports, Mr. Kasapi suffered an unexpected cardiac arrest on Wednesday while in Monza, Italy. He had traveled to Italy with his spouse, Ms. Selvije Jao, for the purpose of obtaining medical consultation for their minor child, Roel.
Ms. Jao subsequently issued a public statement through her social-media account acknowledging her husband’s passing. In her message, she recounted that Mr. Kasapi died while in her physical proximity and expressed profound personal grief regarding the circumstances. She further reflected on the couple’s longstanding commitment to maintaining their privacy and referenced their marital vows, noting the emotional impact of his sudden death.
American singer Bebe Rexha, who is of Albanian heritage, also issued a tribute. She shared a video of Mr. Kasapi performing, accompanied by symbolic imagery, in acknowledgment of his influence within the Albanian music community.
Mr. Kasapi and Ms. Jao married in 2021 and resided primarily in Tirana, Albania. The couple first met during the production of one of Mr. Kasapi’s music videos and later welcomed their son, Roel.
Mr. Kasapi was widely regarded as a significant figure within the Albanian and Kosovan music industry. Rising to prominence in the early 2000s, he recorded several commercially successful songs, including Ajo Me Mungon, Valle Kosovare, Dashni Pa Limit, and Aroma e Saj. His most recent single, N’dahëm Sot, has accumulated nearly one million views on YouTube, and he maintained approximately 340,000 monthly listeners on Spotify at the time of his passing.
In 2009, Mr. Kasapi participated in Albania’s national selection process for the Eurovision Song Contest. He was not selected, losing to entrant Kejsi Tola, who ultimately performed Carry Me in Your Dreams at the competition.
No prior medical conditions have been publicly attributed to Mr. Kasapi, and his death has been described as unexpected by those familiar with him.#newsafro_
