Albania: Jonida Maliqi wins Festivali i Këngës 57 with “Ktheju tokës”
The 57th edition of Festivali i Këngës was completed this evening and Jonida Maliqi was crowned winner, confirming the predictions as fans’ favorite.
Jonida Maliqi won Festivali i Këngës with the song Ktheju tokës and earned the right to represent Albania at the forthcoming 64th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv next May. Albania is the third country so far to decide its Eurovision epresentative after Armenia with Srbuk and Cyprus with Τamta. The song is an emotional Balkan ballad with lost of ethinc elements while the person behind the music composition is Eriona Rushiti We’ll have to wait and see if Jonida will make any changes tot the song or we will see it in Tel Aviv in the same form we listened to it tonignt
THE 57th EDITION OF Festivali i Kenges
Festivali i Kenges this year unfolded in a three day program which included two semi final shows with 11 acts each and a grand final. During the first night of the festival (December 20), the acts performed their entries live with the Albanian National Symphonic Orchestra . During the 2nd night’s show the 22 contestants performed their entries with the music playback and a staging pretty much as we will see it on Eurovision Stage. The comepting act gave empahsis to their staging and choreography, inviting in some cases other artists-suprise to strengthen their staging.
In this year’s edition of Festivali i Këngës a total of 22 entries are competing to win the golden ticket that leads to Tel Aviv next May. From those after the two semi final nights only 14 competed grand final. A jury panel of experts and a jury formed by 15 best students from Tirana’s schools determined the final winner. Here are the overall results:
- Jonida Maliqi – “Ktheju tokës” – 228 points
- Lidia Lufi – “Rrëfehem” – 219 points
- Eranda Libohova – “100 pyetje” – 181 points
- Dilan Reka – “Karma” – 169 points
- Soni Malaj – “Më e fortë” – 166 points
- Klinti Çollaku – “Me jetë” – 163 points
- Elton Deda – “Qetësisht” – 156 points
- Marko Strazimiri & Imbro – “Leyla” – 142 points
- Bojken Lako – “Jeto jetën” – 138 points
- Gjergj Leka – “Një ditë tjetër” – 131 points
- Eliza Hoxha – “Peng” – 127 points
- Alar Band – “Dashuria nuk mjafton” – 124 points
- Orgesa Zaimi – “Hije” – 121 points
- Artemisa Mithi & Febi Shkurti – “Dua ta besoj” – 113 points
A FEW WORD ABOUT JONIDA
Jonida Maliqi was born in 1982. Apart from singing she is a television host too. Jonida began her singing career at Festivali i Këngës when she was 13 years old with the song “Planeti i fëmijëve”, in a duet with Aleksandër Rrapi. In 1997 she returns to the Festivali with another duet, this time with Kastriot Tusha, a song dedicated to Mother Teresa. Her solo career began in 1999, with her song “Do jetoj pa ty” winning the second place in the festival. Maliqi is also known for portraying Juliet in the Albanian musical version of Romeo and Juliet, alongside Alban Skënderaj. She hosted the fourth season of Dancing with the Stars Albania, and she also served as a judge on the fifth season of The Voice of Albania in 2016.
Lets take one more look at this year’s Festivali i Këngës winning performance :
ALBANIA IN EUROVISION
Η Jonida Maliqi will be the 16th Albanian representative Eurovision. In 2004 Albania debuted in the contest with Anjeza Shahini. The country hasn’t scored a victory yet. Its best result was achieved in 2012 with Rona Nishliu and her 5th placing in Baku.In 2018 Eugent Bushpepa won the Festival i Këngës with his entry Mall and represented the country in Lisbon, where he finished in the 11th place in the Grand Final.
Do you think Jonida’s song can accomplish a good result for Albania in the forthcoming Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv?
