Video Kejsi Tola - Me Merr Ne Enderr Eurovision 2009

Winner of Festivali i Kenges 47 in Tirana yesterday.

Good luck in Moscow for Eurovision 2009.

It's quite a catchy tune, and I think it has a chance of getting quite a few votes.

Festivali #47 TVSH

The festival is due to take place on 19th, 20th and 21st December.

The presenters this year will be Elsa Lila and a couple of the members from the group "The SHBLSH" - Julian Deda(right in photo above) and Gentian Zenelaj(left in photo above).

I must admit, I am not too keen on seeing Elsa Lila as presenter (again). I did not think she was very good last year, and I don't know why she doesn't just enter a song rather than be presenter.She's a far better singer than presenter.

They should have just left the guys to be presenters...

Anyway, not much information on the go, although we are less than 3 weeks away from the festival.

Of course the winner will go forward to represent Albania in the forthcoming Eurovision Song Contest.

This appears to be the line up...

1. ADELINA THAÇI
2. AGIM POSHKA
3. EMI BOGDO
4. BESA KOKEDHIMA
5. BURN
6. DORINA GARUCI
7. ENDRI & STEFI PRIFTI
8. ERA RUSI
9. ERGA HALILAJ
10.EUGENT BUSHPEPA
11.JULIANA PASHA & LUIZ EJLLI
12.JULIAN LEKOCAJ
13.KEJSI TOLA
14.KUJTIM PRODANI
15.ROVENA DILO
16.SHPAT KASAPI
17.SONI MALAJ
18.VEDAT ADEMI
19.WEST SIDE FAMILY

Again I will go for my pick, before I even hear the songs...and as usual my pick will be nowhere near the final 3.
So my pick is...Adelina Thaçi.
Why?
Because Adrian Hila wrote her song, and his songs usually win.

It will be interesting to see if Soni Malaj wins...especially after she accused Serbia of stealing one of her songs when they won Eurovision in 2007.

Hear, Read, Taste

Just updates the Hear, Read and taste links....

Hear - Texas, "Prayer for you". Just love the acoustic guitar on this song!

Read - A poem from Ndre Mjeda "Kujdesi Hyjnuer"

Taste - another menu from Albtranslators other (excellent) food blog - Groshe. What can be better than a plate of groshe on a cold winter's day! - yes, I know....2 Plates of groshe are better :-)

Just click on the photos to go to the sites.

Olta Boka - Zemren e lame peng (Albania Eurovision 2008)

Eurovision is coming….May 20th-24th.
For those who have not yet heard it, here is the Albanian entry for Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Serbia.
I find that really funny that this years contest is in Serbia.
I wonder how many votes we will get from Serbia?!
I wonder if they will give Kosovo a late entry to participate?! ;-)

Anyway, all the best to Olta.
She is great singer and there is absolutely nothing wrong with this song….except that I think it is not the kind of song that wins the Eurovision Song Contest.

Still she is considered a better chance the the UK and the German entry, so what do I know.

It must be rather disheartening though, to realize that one of the favourites is a singing turkey!!

And they call it a “song” contest!

Rather than waste 3 hours of your life….why not buy “Blood on the Tacks” (click on Listen to samples)by Bob Dylan and give that a listen!

Eurovision 2008 - Albania betting odds.

I found this article on Albania. It is in fact a link for the betting odds for Olta Boka in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008.

Now, I have to agree that i think her chances are slim. This due to the song not being the kind that will gain a lot of votes( this is my opinion). Nothing against her, or her ability. I'm sure she has a bright future ahead, and will do her best and sing well...I just think we could have had a more suitable song for the musical taste of other countries.

I wish her all the best, and I know the article is meant to be humorous, but the reference to suicide is not funny - and in my opinion is in bad taste.

Here's the link, though I am sure you won't want to bother going there!

Eurovision Betting Odds: Olta Boka, Albania

March 25th, 2008 at 10:30 by Stuart Heritage

Eurovision betting odds Albania Olta Boka Zemm Lam Peng You asked for it, and here it is - the start of the fourth annual hecklerspray Eurovision betting odds season.

OK, to be fair none of you actually asked for it, but you're getting it anyway. Every day between now and the Eurovision Song Contest in May, we'll be profiling the songs, singers and betting odds of every last Eurovision 2008 contender. Every day. Until you're sick of them. And then for a couple of months after that, because chances are you'll be a bit sick of them by next Wednesday.

So let's kick things off with the Eurovision betting odds for Albania, with help from Paddy Power…

Albania - (pop. 3,582,205; a Mediterranean country in southeastern Europe): Olta Boka, Zemr‘n Lam‘ Peng

We don't want to say that Eurovision songs are a reflection of the country that produced them, mainly because of the horrific things that says about the UK, but if it's true then Albania must be a truly horrible place to live. Year after year Albania's Eurovision entry is a miserable ballad, and the trend's continuing with Zemr‘n Lam‘ Peng, which means We Gambled The Heart. Hopelessly overwrought and containing lines like "The snow of your voice on my heart fell and covered the last shelter of love," the songs sounds like Celine Dion getting concussed and starting to babble in tongues, and it appears to be Olta Boka's way of telling the male population of the world that if you even so much as fold up her laundry incorrectly then she'll run out into the rain, drop to her knees and start bellowing curses into the sky. And not in a good way, either. If at least one Albanian hasn't committed suicide to Zemr‘n Lam‘ Peng by Christmas, it'll be an enormous surprise. Current Eurovision betting odds - 33/1

RTSH Festival 2007 - winner Olta Boka

The winner of this year's festival was Olta Boka, with a song called "Zemren e lame peng".

She is a 16 year old girl that (if I remember correctly) won a children's music festival for young singers on Klan TV in Tirana.

She will now represent Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Serbia.

My prediction of a Mira Konci/Redon Makashi win did not even come close.
Shpetim Saraçi criticised the jury after the result.
There are already rumours that the whole thing was fixed.

Personally, I thought that Juliana Pasha with "Nje qiell te ri" gave the performance of the night, and was well worthy of her 3rd place.
I'm sorry but I couldn't find a link for last night's performance from her. The one above was from the first night, which was good...but yesterday was outstanding.