Spiridon Ilo

Spiridon Ilo
Born	(1876-09-30)30 September 1876 Korçë,Manastir Vilayet,Ottoman Empire
Died	November 7, 1950(1950-11-07)(aged 74) Korçë,Albania
Other names	Spiridhon Ilo, Spiro Ilo
Known for	Albanian Declaration of Independence Albanian National Anthemfirst recording Albanian Colony of Romania

Spiridon Ilo(30 September 1876 – 7 November 1950) was one of thefounding fathersofAlbaniaas a signatory of theAlbanian Declaration of Independence.

Ilo was born inKorçë,in theManastir Vilayetof theOttoman Empire(present-dayAlbania) in 1876.
He worked as a teacher in the girls' school of his home town founded by theKyrias family.He later emigrated toBucharestwhere he was part and active member of the Albanian colony. In December 1909, he participate in the theatrical play"Besa"(English:Faith) together withDhimitër Beratti. Ilo is said to have brought the Albanian flag to Albania in the Declaration of Independence in 1912, one of the versions of the non well-clarified origin of the Albanian flag of the 28 November 1912. The mostly accepted version so far is that the flag wasembroideredby his relativeMarigo Posio.
In 1913, he returned to Romania and in 1916 emigrated to New York where he continued his patriotic work.

In 1923 he founded the first Albanian recording company,Albanian Phonograf Records,and recorded theAlbanian national anthemwritten byAsdreniand music fromPorumbescu.In 1946, he donated to his native city the technology and equipment of the recording studio, which unfortunately was destroyed later for reusing some parts for building the antenna ofRadio Korça.In 1926, he returned to Korçë where he lived the rest of his life. During these years, he published and sold patriotic postcards. He also published the comedy "Vërtet ëndërr" (Really a dream) and also a song collection "Dëshirat e zemrës" (Desires of the heart). He died in Korçë in 1950.

References

"History of Albanian People" Albanian Academy of Science.ISBN99927-1-623-1