Anjeza Shahini

Anjeza Shahini is an Albanian singer who rose to fame as a teenager. She was born on May 4, 1987, in Tirana, Albania. At the age of 16, she won “Ethet e së premtes mbrëma”, the Albanian version of Pop Idol, in 2003. Later that year, she also won Festivali i Këngës 42 with the song “Imazhi Yt”. This victory made her Albania’s first-ever representative at the Eurovision Song Contest.

Eurovision 2004 and Breakthrough Success

In 2004, Anjeza Shahini competed in the Eurovision Song Contest held in Istanbul. She performed the English version of her song “Imazhi Yt” (retitled “The Image of You”) for Albania’s debut entry. Her energetic performance impressed Europe. She finished 7th in the grand final with 106 points. This top-ten result was a remarkable debut for Albania, remaining the country’s best Eurovision placement until 2012. The Eurovision appearance brought Anjeza international recognition and launched her pop career beyond Albania.

Music Career and Albums

After Eurovision, Shahini continued to build her music career. In 2004 she collaborated with the Kosovo-Albanian band Marigona on the song “Në mes nesh”. She spent two years in Vienna from 2005, working with Austrian producer Harald Hanisch and honing her craft. In 2005 she entered Albania’s national song contest again, but another singer won that year. Shahini remained active: in 2006 she performed as a guest at the Euro Video Grand Prix in Tirana, singing “Welcome to Europe”. In 2007 she returned to Albania and signed with the Eurostar label. That year, she participated in Kënga Magjike 2007 with “Nxënësja më e mirë”, placing 4th and winning the Critics’ Prize.

In August 2008, Anjeza released her debut album “Erdhi Momenti”, featuring all-new Albanian songs. She worked with notable composers like Pirro Çako and Alfred Kaçinari, and even her sister Bela contributed lyrics. The album produced popular singles such as the title track and “Lotë Pendimi”. Shahini continued competing in festivals; she was runner-up at Festivali i Këngës 48 (2010) with the ballad “Në pasqyrë”. Around the same time, she completed a degree in International Relations at the European University of Tirana.

In 2011, she won the Best Interpretation award at Top Fest with the duet “Ti dhe Unë”. She released the ballad “Të Desha Shumë” in 2012. The following year, Anjeza nearly won Festivali i Këngës again, finishing second in 2013 with the song “Love”. She also collaborated with German artist Martin Kilger on the song “Kastanien Lied” in 2013. In 2014, Shahini experimented with new sounds, releasing the trip-hop influenced “Ujë në Shkretëtirë” and the electronic pop single “Magnet”. Later that year, she released “Energji”, a drum & bass track that earned the “Best New Trend” award at Kënga Magjike 2014.

Later Projects and Personal Life

In 2015, Anjeza Shahini took a break from music to focus on her personal life. She married Paul Edward Conolly, an English diplomat, and moved to the United Kingdom to start a new chapter. That same year, she also completed a postgraduate degree in Events Management and Communication in London. Though away from the Albanian stage, she made occasional appearances – for example, performing on an Albanian TV show in 2015 to discuss her new life. In 2017, Shahini returned briefly to the Eurovision scene as a guest, appearing on the BBC’s Eurovision semi-final show and singing at the EuroStarz event in London.

Anjeza became a mother in March 2019, when she gave birth to a daughter, Victoria Kelis Conolly. After her daughter’s birth, she stepped back from television but continued to write music. Teaming up with drummer Chris Turton, she formed an indie band called CommonCranes in England. The group (also introduced as Ani & The Cranes) released several singles such as “State of Mind” and “Make More Music” during 2022–2024. Shahini even put out a new Albanian single, “Më të Mirë Më Bëre Ti”, in 2023 as an independent release, showing that she still connects with her Albanian audience. In October 2023, she expanded her TV presence by co-hosting the inaugural edition of a music festival in Kosovo (a local version of Festivali i Këngës) alongside Adi Krasta.