Ervisa Toci makes a welcome return with a brand new video clip of the classic holidays song Jingle Bells. It is perfect for the festive season with a happy melody and lots of snow in the video.
Ervisa has made some great songs and videos and has appeared in Top Fest in Albania on three of occasions. Her songs include Me ty, Mos me zgjo, Kur ty te kam and Babylove.
Ervisa’s sister, Dorina, was on the stage as part of the team with Kejsi Tola and Carry Me In Your Dreams representing Albania at the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest in Moscow.
Maybe we will see Ervisa represent Albania at a future Eurovision!! In the meantime enjoy the holidays with her version of Jingle Bells!!
The first of two semi-finals of the Festivali i Këngës 56 took place in Tirana tonight. The second semi-final will be tomorrow night and the grand final will be on Saturday to determine who will represent Albania at the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest in Portugal next May.
The qualifiers for the final will be announced after the second semi-final tomorrow.
The acts taking part in the first semi-final showdown were –
Inis Neziri is a very promising young singer from Albania. This week she will participate in the Festivali i Këngës 56 festival and will be hoping to represent her country at the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest in Portugal with her song Piedestal (Pedestal).
Piedestal is a beautiful ballad with strings and a strong melody and it is composed by Gridi Kraja and Florian Zyka. I think a lot of Eurovision fans will like this hypnotic and powerful pop ballad song.
Inis has been singing since she was very young and taking part in competitions and singing on tv and also making cover songs to publish on YouTube. She has a very powerful and clear tone to her vocals.
You can see Inis sing Piedestal below as well as doing a cover of Bang Bang by Jessie J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj below.
Artemisa Mithi will take to the stage this week in the Festivali i Këngës 56 festival with her anthemic song E Dua Botën (I love the world) and is hoping to represent Albania at the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest.
Here Artemisa talks to ESC Covers
1. Hello Artemisa. Congratulations on being selected to take part in the Festivali i Këngës. How does it feel to be taking part in this great event?
Hello. Thank you. I feel blessed, that is the perfect word to describe my feelings at being selected to take part in this wonderful festival.
2. Could you tell us something about your song ‘E Dua Botën’?
The song is saying that you should love the world even though it can be bad sometimes, because if you love it you’ll make it better!!
3. Could you tell us something about your singing career so far? Have you taken part in any festivals or released any previous songs?
In 2016 I was apart of The Voice of Albania 6. This was an amazing experience. I was also in the Gjeniu I Vogel festival in FYR Macedonia and I have participated in many other fests also.
4. Who are your musical influences?
My favourite singer is Sam Smith. I love all of his songs. They are amazing.
5. What are your favourite Eurovision Song Contest songs?
Well from Albania my favourite song is ‘Suus’ by Rona Nishliu from 2012. But I have to say that ‘Rise Like A Phoenix’ by Conchita Wurst (2014 ESC Austria winner) is a masterpiece!!
6. If you could cover a Eurovision song from the past what would it be?
Of course, it would be ‘Rise Like A Phoenix’ because it’s my favourite and fits my voice very nicely!!
7. Do you have a Youtube channel where readers can follow you and listen to your music?
I do not have a channel yet but if they write my name on YouTube they can listen my songs.
Good luck Artemisa. ESC Covers wishes you all the best in the Festivali i Këngës?
Thank you very much and thank you also for the interview.
You can see Artemisa sing E Dua Botën below.
Source: ESC Covers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QvXFTGAkZA
5. From albania my favorite is Suus . But rise like a Phoenix is masterpiece. 6. Of course rise like a Phoenix because its my favorite and fits my voice 7. Not yet but if they write my name on YouTube they can listen my songs.
Lorela Sejdini is a new and promising and talented young singer who will participate in the Festivali i Këngës 56 festival later this month with her song Pritëm edhe pak with the hope that she can represent Albania at the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest.
Lorela has been speaking to ESC Covers –
1. Hello Lorela. Congratulations on being selected to take part in the Festivali i Këngës. How does it feel to be taking part in this great event?
Hello Ian! Thanks a lot for this interview, it is a pleasure!
It is a huge honour and emotion to be part of Festivali I Këngës, as you may know it is a very important national competition in my origin country. I always watched Festivali I Këngës since I was a little girl and so this is to me a childhood dream come true.
2. Could you tell us something about your song ‘Pritëm edhe pak’?
‘Pritëm edhe pak’ is a pop song with soul elements. It talks about love but a sort of love game which is very beautiful to sing about. I interpret it in this way: the girl is the subject and sings to a boy, who is giving her a lot of attention but even if she likes him plays a bit to be sure he is the right one.
I think the song is very catchy and rhythmic and I have lots of fun singing it.
3. What about your singing career so far? Have you taken part in any festivals or released any previous songs?
I started to sing when I was 12 years old and since then I never stopped, I took part in different competitions locally and after that I participated in The Voice Of Albania. It was one of the best experiences of my life, I was very young, just 15 years old and I never really studied canto or any instruments before.
Then I started to study in different musical institutes canto and piano so I could be prepared on more music genres.
Now I am studying jazz-soul in Turin and I am working on my first album.
Festivali i Këngës is the very first festival in which i’m participating and I couldn’t be more happy than that!
4. Who and what are your musical influences?
I love all kinds of music but I have a peculiar taste as well. The genre that I enjoy the most listening to is a mix of pop, alternative, soul and ethnic (all cultures, especially eastern). To me ethnic music combined with other genres is perfection.
An artist that I appreciate in particular is Loreen, I really love her voice and her style, she is unique!
5. What are your favourite Eurovision Song Contest songs?
I love Eurovision, I remember myself watching it since I was a little girl and my favourite entries are ‘Euphoria”’by Loreen (2012 ESC winner – Sweden) and ‘Every Way That I Can’ by Sertab Erener (2003 ESC winner – Turkey).
6. If you could cover a Eurovision song from the past what would it be?
I think ‘Suus’ by amazing Rona Nishliu (2012 ESC Albania).
7. Do you have a Youtube channel where readers can follow you and listen to your music?
Yes, sure. Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9YE1CW-5AWb04dBDS0GWjQ?view_as=subscriber
Good luck Lorela. ESC Covers wishes you all the best in the Festivali i Këngës!
Thank you, ESC Covers
You can see a video preview of Lorela singing Pritëm edhe pak below.
In Tbilisi at the Junior Eurovision song contest a great program book was handed out looking very much like those at ADULT Eurovision. Roy of ESC Covers had each of the 16 acts sign the book and for the next days we will post it. Today we can highlight the forth one – it is Albania who ended with 67 points – such a sweet young singer with a big voice.
