Festivali i Këngës

Eneda Tarifa

© EBU/Thomas Hanses About Quick Facts NameEneda Tarifa Born30 March 1982 Nationality🇦🇱 Albanian National SelectionFestivali i Këngës 2016Festivali i Këngës 2008Festivali i Këngës 2004 In Eurovision2016 Stockholm SongFairytale (2016) Biography Eneda Tarifa was born in Tirana, Albania, on March 30, 1982. Her career began in 2001 when she participated in Kënga Magjike with the song “Ika larg” (I’m leaving). In 2003, she took part in Festivali i Këngës 42 with the song “Qëndroj” (I Stay), and successfully qualified for the final. In 2006, Tarifa participated in Kënga Magjike again, this time with the song “Rreth zjarrit tënd” (Around Your Fire), and achieved a respectable 4th place with 154 points. She also received the Çesk Zadeja Prize. The following year, she competed in Festivali i Këngës 46 with the song “E para letër” (The First Letter) and finished tenth out of seventeen, earning 11 points. In 2008, she returned to Kënga Magjike with the song “Zëri im” (My Voice). In 2010, Tarifa participated in Top Fest 2010 with the song “Me veten” (With Myself), winning the competition. Subsequently, she worked as a host on the television program “Portokalli” on Top Channel for several years. After a break, Tarifa made a comeback in Festivali i Këngës 53 with the song “Përrallë” (Fairytale) and emerged as the winner. This led to her representing Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 in Stockholm, Sweden. The song was sung in English as “Fairytale”. However she did not qualify for the final. In 2018, Tarifa served as a judge on The Voice Kids Albania. In 2019 and 2020 she hosted the show Top Talent on Top Channel.In 2019, she won Kënga Magjike with her song “Ma zgjat doren”. In January 2021, she released a single called “Dashuri siberiani. The follow up of this song, “Për ty” reached the no. 1 spot in the Albanian charts. In that year, she also took part in Kënga Magijike again. This time it was in duet with Walter Ricci. Their song “Udhëkryq” reached the 4th place in the contest. In June 2022 she released a new single, “Cep më cep”, featured by Renis Gjoka. A month later, the song “Kjani trima” came out. Entries Fairytale Country🇦🇱 Albania Year2016 LanguageEnglish LyricsOlsa Toqi MusicOlsa Toqi BackingsXhoni JesquBesa KrasniqiVenera Lumani Results Semi Points: 45Position: 16Running order: 17 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/jdT5EGcTjYw

Aurela Gaçe

About Quick Facts NameAurela Gaçe Born16 October 1974 Nationality🇦🇱 Albanian National SelectionFestivali i Këngës 2011 In Eurovision2011 Düsseldorf SongFeel The Passion (2011) Biography Albanian vocalist Aurela Gaçe, born in the seaside city of Vlorë on October 16, 1974, first showcased her musical talent at the tender age of four and a half. Her debut performance at Vlorë’s Children’s Festival marked the beginning of a journey filled with numerous accolades. While Aurela viewed school primarily as a place for academic learning, her passion for singing often took center stage. Known for her spirited and rebellious demeanor, she was singularly focused on her musical aspirations. By 19, she had already made her mark at the national Radio Television Song Festival in Tirana with her stirring rendition of “Pegaso”, and shortly after, clinched a victory at the Spring Festival in 1994. Her ascent to stardom was catalyzed by her hit “Nata” at the RTSH Festivali i Këngës in 1995. In the ensuing years, Aurela bagged top prizes at the 1999 and 2001 Festivali i Këng:es with “S’jam tribu” and “Jetoj”, respectively. Her performance of “Fati ynë shpresë e marrëzi” also earned her second place in the 1998 festival. Not limited to musical prowess, Aurela’s early foray into acting brought her three special awards for her compelling interpretations of her songs, alongside a special accolade from Top Albania Radio. To further her musical career, she held two solo live concerts at the Palace of Congresses in Tirana in 1998 and 2000. Aurela’s educational journey culminated in 2000 when she graduated from the Academy of Arts in Drama, complementing her artistic portfolio which included two album releases in both 1998 and 2000. Her musical style, a fusion of pop and folk, has been a hallmark of her versatile career. In a bold move in 2002, Aurela relocated to America, seeking new challenges and adventures. Her exceptional vocal talent and electrifying stage presence quickly won her acclaim within the Albanian community in the US, spanning performances from local clubs to major concerts and private events. A highlight of her career was performing both the Albanian and American national anthems at an event attended by President Bill Clinton in 2004. She also starred in a special concert in 2007, organized by the famed photographer Fadil Berisha, paying tribute to legendary Albanian singers Vaçe Zela and Nexhmie Pagarusha. Aurela represented Albania in the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest with “Feel The Passion” and performed at the Fortuna Düsseldorf Arena in Germany. Marking a triumphant return to music in 2020, her single “Lento” quickly amassed over 1.2 million views on YouTube within a week, signaling a strong resurgence in her musical journey. Entries Feel The Passion Country🇦🇱 Albania Year2011 LanguageEnglish LyricsSokol Marsi MusicShpëtim Saraçi BackingsBledar SejkoEmiljano DhimoLamont Van HookMonetBeverly Results Semi Points: 47Position: 14Running order: 13 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/Mq0H6gY2jq4?si=BrMjGJ7hXUAY5E7r

Lindita

© EBU/Thomas Hanses About Quick Facts NameLinda Halimi Born24 March 1989 Nationality🇦🇱 Albanian National SelectionFestivali i Këngës 2017Festivali i Këngës 2015Festivali i Këngës 2010 In Eurovision2017 Kyiv SongWorld (2017) Biography Lindita was born as Linda in 1989 in Pozharan, former Yugoslavia. Pozharan is currently part of Kosovo.monly known as simply Lindita, is a Kosovo-Albanian singer and songwriter. Lindita’s first succes came after winning the sixth edition of Top Fest with the song “Ëndërroja” in 2009. She has released several singles, mostly ballads. In the same year, together with Erti Hizmo, she participated in Festivali i Këngës for the first time. In 2013 Lindita moved to the United States. She has had collaborations with Stevie Wonder and Valerie Simpson. She has also opened for the Backstreet Boys. In December 2014 she took part in the 53rd edition of Festivali i Këngës, where she finished third. In 2016, she participated in American Idol. In the same year, she won Festivali i Këngës with the song “Botë”. Sherepresented Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest with the English version of the song, “World”. The follow up of that song was “Rock whine”. In 2018, she released the singles “Murday” and “Holiday”, followed in 2019 by “I betcha” and “Want my love”. In 2020, Lindita released four singles. A year later, she participated in Kënga Magjike with the song “Pa t’pa”, with which she reached a 7th place. In 2022 she released the singles “#GMFU”, “Love me like” and “Jealous”. Entries World Country🇦🇱 Albania Year2017 LanguageEnglish LyricsLindita HalimiBig Basta MusicKlodian Qafoku BackingsGjergj KaçinariDenisa XhemnicaAnxhelo MihoGreta Radovani Results Semi Points: 76Position: 14Running order: 4 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/NyKOBMAXFFA

Elhaida Dani

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameElhaida Dani Born17 February 1993 Nationality🇦🇱 Albanian National SelectionFestivali i Kënges 2015Festivali i Kënges 2012 In Eurovision2015 Vienna SongI’m Alive (2015) Biography Elhaida Dani is an Albanian singer, songwriter and actress. Born and raised in Shkodër, Albania, Dani displayed her musical talents from a young age. Born into an Albanian Muslim family in Shkodër, she started singing at the age of four and received piano lessons. She later pursued musicology at the University of Arts in Tirana. Dani’s initial ventures into the music industry began in 2009, where she won several music festivals, including Star Academy, Sunčane Skale, Festivalul George Grigoriu, and Nova Musica. Despite an unsuccessful attempt to represent Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012, she achieved success in the ninth edition of Top Fest with the song “S’je më” in June 2012. From 2013 to 2015, Dani gained further recognition by auditioning for the first season of The Voice of Italy, impressing the judges and eventually winning the competition. This led to a record contract with the Italian subsidiary label of Universal Music. In 2014, she won Festivali i Këngës and became Albania’s representative for the Eurovision Song Contest 2015, performing the song “I’m Alive” after a change from the originally selected “Diell.” Albania qualified for the grand final and secured the 17th place. Since 2016, Dani has been involved in the musical Notre-Dame de Paris, playing the role of Esmeralda and touring worldwide. She also participated in Kënga Magjike, finishing second in December 2017. After a three-year hiatus, Dani released her second extended play, “Zanin”, in September 2021, collaborating with renowned Albanian songwriters and producers. Furthermore, she showcased her dancing skills on the eighth season of Dancing with the Stars Albania, consistently earning high scores from the jury during the live shows since October 2022. Entries Song Title Country🇦🇱 Albania Year2015 LanguageEnglish LyricsSokol Marsi MusicArber ElshaniKristijan Lekaj BackingsGerona HyskaOlsa PapandiliErga Halilaj Results Semi Points: 62Position: 10Running order: 14 Results Finals Points: 34Position: 17Running order: 26 https://youtu.be/fsH9iVaZSaA