December 22, 2019

Tonight, Festival i Këngës 2019 was won by Arilena Ara with the song “Shaj”. Second prize was for top favourite Elvana Gjata, while Sara Bajraktari became 3rd. Arilena won season 2 of the Albanian version of the X-Factor in 2013. In 2014 she had her first hit “Aeroplan”. She also topped the Romanian charts, so internationally she is not completely unknown. It is not known whether “Shaj” will be sung in Albanian or in English. Many Albanian contestants make the choice to sing in English. Jonida Maliqi however, chose to sing in Albanian last year.

Tonight at 20:30 CET (scheduled, but at the nights of the semifinals we experienced a delay) the first national final of Eurovision 2020 starts: Festival i Këngës, the Albanian preselection. Twelve songs and artists will compete to win the 58th Festival i Këngës. One of the songs will represent Albania at the Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam. The competing songs are:  Malaseen, by Bojken Lako Më ngjyros, by Kamela Islami Ajër, by Sara Bajraktari Me tana, by Elvana Gjata Ku ta gjej dikë ta dua, by Albërie Hadergjonaj Ajo nuk është unë, by Robert Berisha Me gotën bosh, by Tiri Gjoci Eja merre, by Era Rusi Botë për dy, by Olta Boka Kutia e Pandorës, by Valon Shehu Shaj, by Arilena Ara Shqiponja e lirë, by Gena For Eurovision addicts, one familiar face will show up: Olta Boka. She represented Albania in the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest with “Zemrën e lamë peng”. Composer Adrian Hila and lyricist Pandi Laço wrote the songs for Albania in 2006, 2007 and 2008. This year, Adrian is responsible for “Ajër” and “Ku ta gjej dikë ta dua” while Pandi wrote the lyrics for “Me gotën bosh”. Former participant Eugent Bushpepa composed “Kutia e Pandorës”. You can watch the final live if you like: RTSH and RTK have livestreams, but you can also watch the contest on facebook and youtube.