Festivali i Këngës

Festivali i Këngës
Festival in 1972
Genre	Pop music, folk music, classical music, etc.
Location(s)	Albania
Years active	1962–present
Founded by	Radio Televizioni Shqiptar (RTSH)
Website
Official Festivali i Këngës

Festivali i Këngës is an Albanian song contest, organised by the Albanian national broadcaster Radio Televizioni Shqiptar (RTSH). Various singing presentations have been used throughout its history, beginning with radio-only performances in the first few years, live interpretation, playback, remakes and even duets featuring other singers. The winners have traditionally been selected by a jury; however, other voting methods have also been applied, such as televoting or regional juries. At times, the head juror has carried twice the voting power of other jurors. Since 2003 it has been used to select Albania's entry for the international Eurovision Song Contest.

The contest has developed over time, from its humble beginnings of neutral themes in its entries to a tool for the governing Communist Party of Albania in promoting its ideals. The 1972 contest became a turning point for the contest, in which dictator Enver Hoxha prosecuted the organisers of Festivali i Këngës 11 after they were declared "enemies of the public" for accusations of endangering the country with "immoral aspects" in the songs and their performances. Afterwards the ruling Communist Party imposed many sanctions on the contest's creativity, with a strict censorship on anything deemed inappropriate by the government.

After the fall of communism in Albania in 1991 the contest was again allowed to diversify the themes of its entries, with many competing and winning songs featuring current developments, such as immigration/travel and religion (both illegal under the communist regime). One of the most distinguished trademarks of the entries competing in Festivali I Kenges remains the strength in lyrics.

Until 1999 Festivali i Këngës was the biggest music event in Albania. However, its popularity began to waver after the introduction of other competitions such as Top Fest and Kënga Magjike, which began to produce higher ratings. With Albania's introduction in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2004, Festivali i Këngës once again became the center of attention after Anjeza Shahini, winner of Albanian Idol, won the contest in 2003.

The incentive of winning a chance to compete at the Eurovision Song Contest was followed by great controversies such as a lack of transparency between 2003 and 2006 to allegations of jury bias, fraud and even racism, as was the case in 2007. The contest has however gradually started to regain its reputation of excellence after a series of positive changes made in recent years, including improvements in technology and presentation, more carefully chosen and diverse jurors, especially international jurors related to Eurovision, an increased role and quality of the RTSH Orchestra with the contribution of expert composers, as well as generally accepted and uncontested final results. A combination of jury and televote is still widely requested by fans of the show noting that an increased chance of winning the public vote will compel more commercial artists to participate, further increasing the potential for an optimal entry and result at ESC.

Theme

Many themes have been used for the opening and closing of Festivali i Këngës. These are the lyrics of the current theme of the festival:

• Vitet shkojnë, rrjedhin një nga një, lind një fjalë, bëhet melodi, në çdo zemër kur ti ndalon, një mik të ri takon, mirësevjen ti festa jonë

eng. The years pass, they flow one by one, a word is born, it becomes a melody, in each heart when you stop, you meet a new friend, we welcome you, our celebration

• Në çdo dhjetor troket, ti këngës i jep jetë, me ritmin tënd jetojmë, mik i shtrenjtë

eng. You knock every December, giving life to the song, we live with your rhythm, dear friend

• Tek çdo njeri jeton, motivi jot gjithmonë, ti këngën mos e ndal, të dua (të dua)

eng. In every person lives, eternally your theme, don't ever stop the music, I love you (I love you)

• Vitet shkojnë, rrjedhin një nga një, lind një fjalë, bëhet melodi, në çdo zemër kur ti ndalon, një mik të ri takon, mirësevjen ti festa jonë

eng. The years pass, they flow one by one, a word is born, it becomes a melody, in each heart when you stop, you meet a new friend, we welcome you, our celebration

• Vitet shkojnë, rrjedhin një nga një, lind një fjalë, bëhet melodi, në çdo zemër kur ti ndalon, një mik të ri takon, mirësevjen ti festa jonë

eng. The years pass, they flow one by one, a word is born, it becomes a melody, in each heart when you stop, you meet a new friend, we welcome you, our celebration

• Në çdo zemër kur ti ndalon, një mik të ri takon. Mirësevjen, festa jonë!

eng. In each heart when you stop, you meet a new friend. Welcome, our celebration!

History

Impressive record

Festivali i Këngës, began on December 21, 1962 in the ILA Venue in Tirana, Albania. 20 songs competed in its semifinal round, but only 12 made it through to the final. The first winner of Festivali i Këngës was the legendary Vaçe Zela with her famous song "Fëmija i parë" (The first child). Vaçe Zela is the singer with the most victories in FIK history to date, an impressive 11 times.

Singers with consecutive wins include:

• 1. Vaçe Zela (1966 - 1968; 1976 & 1977)
• 2. Alida Hisku (1974 & 1975)
• 3. Manjola Nallbani (1992 trio & 1993 solo)
• 4. Elsa Lila (1996 & 1997)

Harsh censorship

Before 1972, the songs had a neutral nature, covering many topics of life. However, after Festivali i Këngës 11, dictator Enver Hoxha intervened by imprisoning the main organisers of the show and unjustly accused them of consipiring against the country and corrupting its youth.^[1][2] The contest dwelled in a period of extreme pressure and censorship. The songs were highly monitored and the topics were generally related to the country's development and even the government. This oppression continued all the way until 1984 when the dictator died. The following year, the change in lyrics was very abrupt, and censorship was not as strict.

Change

With the fall of dictatorship during the 1990s, Festivali i Këngës had a temporary boost in both quality and diversity. The winning songs reflected the status of the country at the time. For instance, the 1991 winner, Ardit Gjebrea - "Jon" (Jon), and the 1992 winner, Osman Mula's entry sung by Aleksandër Gjoka, Manjola Nallbani & Viktor Tahiraj titled "Pesha e fatit" (The weight of fate) had an "immigration/freedom" theme, which was the reality at the time in Albania as well. During this period, the contest was also introduced to the word God for the first time. Prior to that, religion was illegal in Albania and the word God was not allowed to be pronounced in public. The participation of Albanian singers from outside the borders was also an addition to the history of the festival in this decade. Before that, the country was in a period of isolation.

Troubled times

In 1996, the stage of Festivali i Këngës welcomed newcomer Elsa Lila in a performance that deeply touched the hearts of the public with the clarity of her voice. She won the contest with "Pyes lotin" (I ask the tear) in 1996 and pulled off another victory the following year with "Larg urrejtjes" (Away from the hatred) in 1997. These songs were also a mirror to the country's difficult reality in those years after the collapse of the pyramid schemes, an event which wreaked havoc all throughout Albania. Despite the difficult times, Festivali i Këngës never stopped its broadcast and went ahead as scheduled in the final weeks of December every year since its start.

In 1998, Albërie Hadërgjonaj became the first Kosovar-Albanian singer to win the contest with the ballad "Mirësia dhe e vërteta" (Goodness and truth). The song had a humanitarian anti-war message and is often referred to as a song for Kosovo, relating to the 1998–1999 war.

Cool off

By the year 2000, Festivali i Këngës had lost many of its admirers to the competition of Kënga Magjike, a similar song contest taking place in the Fall, as well as Top Fest, which started a few years later as a reality series on Top Channel leading to a big Spring finale. However, another talented newcomer touched the stage of FIK in 2003, idol winner Anjeza Shahini. She had recently won the "Ethet e së Premtes Mbrëma" (Albanian Idol) talent show a few months prior to competing in FIK and the public was highly impressed with her voice and her charming stage presence.

Eurovision era

Anjeza Shahini won the 42nd edition of Festivali i Këngës as expected, placing hopeful professional singer Mariza Ikonomi in second place. Mariza boycotted the stage when the results were announced in sign of disappointment. Much was at stake in this edition since the winner would be the first ever representative of Albania in Eurovision. Anjeza went on to sing at the Eurovision Song Contest 2004, landing herself in a respectable 7th place with the song "The Image Of You".

Albania continued its Eurovision journey with memorable entries and performances by both established and recently discovered musicians, sometimes succeeding to qualify for the finals. Its best result to date has been by Kosovar-Albanian singer Rona Nishliu with the highly appraised performance of her vocally intensive song "Suus", ranking 2nd in the semi-finals and 5th in the finals of the Eurovision Song Contest.

Hosts

Year	Edition	Hosts	Venue	Director
1962	Festivali i Këngës 01	Margarita Xhepa & Luigj Gurakuqi Jr.	ILA Venue	Luigj Gurakuqi Jr.
1963	Festivali i Këngës 02	Vera Zheji & Skifter Këlliçi	ILA Venue	Luigj Gurakuqi Jr.
1964	Festivali i Këngës 03	Drita Bardhi & Vangjel Heba	ILA Venue	Luigj Gurakuqi Jr.
1965	Festivali i Këngës 04	Drita Bardhi & Bujar Kapexhiu	ILA Venue	Luigj Gurakuqi Jr.
1966	Festivali i Këngës 05	Drita Bardhi & Bujar Kapexhiu	ILA Venue	?
1967	Festivali i Këngës 06	Albert Minga & Drita Bardhi	ILA Venue	?
1968	Festivali i Këngës 07	Drita Bardhi & Roland Trebicka	ILA Venue	?
1969	Festivali i Këngës 08	Elisabeta Vasili & Kiço Fotiadhi	National Theatre of Opera and Ballet of Albania	Albert Minga
1970	Festivali i Këngës 09	Adriana Fishta & Mevlan Shanaj	National Theatre of Opera and Ballet of Albania	Albert Minga
1971	Festivali i Këngës 10	Edi Luarasi & Viktor Zhusti	National Theatre of Opera and Ballet of Albania	Mihallaq Luarasi
1972	Festivali i Këngës 11	Edi Luarasi & Bujar Kapexhiu	National Theatre of Opera and Ballet of Albania	Mihallaq Luarasi
1973	Festivali i Këngës 12	Flutura Çangu & Pandi Siku	National Theatre of Opera and Ballet of Albania	Albert Minga
1974	Festivali i Këngës 13	Arta Dade & Esat Teliti	National Theatre of Opera and Ballet of Albania	Albert Minga
1975	Festivali i Këngës 14	Rezarta Malaj & Kastriot Caushi	National Theatre of Opera and Ballet of Albania	Mevlan Shanaj
1976	Festivali i Këngës 15	Rezana Celiku & Ilir Bibolli	National Theatre of Opera and Ballet of Albania	Albert Minga & Osman Mula
1977	Festivali i Këngës 16	Zerina Kuke & Ilir Bibolli	National Theatre of Opera and Ballet of Albania	Osman Mula
1978	Festivali i Këngës 17	Zerina Kuke & Ndriçim Xhepa	National Theatre of Opera and Ballet of Albania	Osman Mula
1979	Festivali i Këngës 18	Mimoza Tafaj & Pirro Kita	National Theatre of Opera and Ballet of Albania	Osman Mula
1980	Festivali i Këngës 19	Silvana Braçe & Dhimitër Gjoka	National Theatre of Opera and Ballet of Albania	Osman Mula
1981	Festivali i Këngës 20	Ndriçim Xhepa & Anisa Markajan	National Theatre of Opera and Ballet of Albania	Osman Mula
1982	Festivali i Këngës 21	Dhimiter Gjoka & Dhurata Kasmi	National Theatre of Opera and Ballet of Albania	Osman Mula
1983	Festivali i Këngës 22	Ndriçim Xhepa & Matilda Makoçi	National Theatre of Opera and Ballet of Albania	Osman Mula
1984	Festivali i Këngës 23	Elvira Diamanti & Artan Imami	National Theatre of Opera and Ballet of Albania	Albert Minga
1985	Festivali i Këngës 24	Yllka Mujo	National Theatre of Opera and Ballet of Albania	Vera Grabocka
1986	Festivali i Këngës 25	Ema Ndoja	National Theatre of Opera and Ballet of Albania	Vera Grabocka
1987	Festivali i Këngës 26	Silvana Braçe	National Theatre of Opera and Ballet of Albania	Vera Grabocka
1988	Festivali i Këngës 27	Ina Gjika	National Theatre of Opera and Ballet of Albania	Vera Grabocka
1989	Festivali i Këngës 28	Luiza Xhuvani	Palace of Congresses	Vera Grabocka
1990	Festivali i Këngës 29	Leon Menkshi & Kristi Rrapo	Palace of Congresses	Osman Mula
1991	Festivali i Këngës 30	Leon Menkshi, Ema Andrea & Rudina Magjistari	Palace of Congresses	Vera Grabocka
1992	Festivali i Këngës 31	Dritan Boriçi, Fjoralba Shehu, Sokol Balza & Rudina Magjistari	Palace of Congresses	Leonard Gjata
1993	Festivali i Këngës 32	Silvana Braçe, Ndriçim Xhepa & Juela Meçani	Palace of Congresses	Leonard Gjata & Mishel Koçiu
1994	Festivali i Këngës 33	Reiz Çiço & Doris Petrela	Palace of Congresses	Vera Grabocka & Mishel Koçiu
1995	Festivali i Këngës 34	Reiz Çiço & Doris Petrela	Palace of Congresses	Osman Mula
1996	Festivali i Këngës 35	Ardit Gjebrea, Valbona Çoba & Rudina Magjistari	Palace of Congresses	Osman Mula
1997	Festivali i Këngës 36	Adi Krasta, Vilma Papajani, Hygerta Sako & Monika Zguro	Palace of Congresses	Leonard Gjata
1998	Festivali i Këngës 37	Gazmend Gjoka, Inis Gjoni, Hygerta Sako & Luigj Gurakuqi Jr.	Palace of Congresses	Petrit Bozo
1999	Festivali i Këngës 38	Adi Krasta, Inis Gjoni, Hygerta Sako & Klodiana Maliqi	Palace of Congresses	Petrit Bozo
2000	Festivali i Këngës 39	Erion Mustafaraj & Ornela Bregu	Palace of Congresses	Leonard Gjata
2001	Festivali i Këngës 40	Alban Dudushi & Ornela Bregu	Palace of Congresses	Leonard Gjata
2002	Festivali i Këngës 41	Adi Krasta & Ann Francis Vata	Palace of Congresses	Pali Kuke
2003	Festivali i Këngës 42	Adi Krasta & Ledina Çelo	Palace of Congresses	Pali Kuke
2004	Festivali i Këngës 43	Leon Menkshi & Hueyda El Saied	Palace of Congresses	Pali Kuke
2005	Festivali i Këngës 44	Soni Malaj & Drini Zeqo	Palace of Congresses	Leonard Gjata
2006	Festivali i Këngës 45	Adi Krasta, Vesa Luma & Ermela Teli	Palace of Congresses	Pali Kuke
2007	Festivali i Këngës 46	Elsa Lila & Pirro Çako	Palace of Congresses	Pali Kuke
2008	Festivali i Këngës 47	Elsa Lila, Julian Deda & Gentian Zenelaj	Palace of Congresses	Pali Kuke
2009	Festivali i Këngës 48	Alban Skënderaj & Miriam Cani	Palace of Congresses	Osman Mula
2010	Festivali i Këngës 49	Jonida Maliqi, Josif Gjipali & Mirela Naska	Palace of Congresses	Bojken Lako
2011	Festivali i Këngës 50	Hygerta Sako, Enkeleida Zeko & Nik Xhelilaj	Palace of Congresses	Martin Leka
2012	Festivali i Këngës 51	Enkel Demi & Floriana Garo	Palace of Congresses	Petrit Beçi
2013	Festivali i Këngës 52	Enkel Demi, Xhesika Berberi, Marinela Meta & Klea Huta	Palace of Congresses	Petrit Bozo
2014	Festivali i Këngës 53	Turjan Hyska, Floriana Garo & Liberta Spahiu	Palace of Congresses	Bledi Laço
2015	Festivali i Këngës 54	Pandi Laço & Blerta Tafani	Palace of Congresses	Bledi Laço

Winners

Year	Edition	Artists, (w) = Winning Version	Song	English Translation	Music (m) / Lyrics (l)
1962	FIK 01	Vaçe Zela (w), Qemal Kërtusha	"Fëmija i parë"	The first child	Abdulla Grimci (m) / Dionis Bubani (l)
1963	FIK 02	Nikoleta Shoshi (w), Rita Vako	"Flakë e borë"	Flames and snow	Tish Daija (m) / Llazar Siliqi (l)
1964	FIK 03	Vaçe Zela (w), Nikolin Gjergji	"Sot jam 20 vjeç" ^1	Today I turned 20 years old	Llazar Morcka (m) / Dionis Bubani (l)
		Vaçe Zela (w), Klotilda Shantoja	"Dritaren kërkoj"	I look for the window	Tonin Harapi (m) / Llazar Siliqi (l)
1965	FIK 04	Tonin Tërshana (w), Rita Vako	"Të dua o det"	I love you oh sea	Tonin Harapi (m) / Mark Gurakuqi (l)
1966	FIK 05	Vaçe Zela (w), Ramiz Kovaçi	"Shqiponja e lirë"	The free eagle	Pjetër Gaci (m) / Ismail Kadare (l)
1967	FIK 06	Vaçe Zela (w), Gaqo Çako	"Këngë për Shkurte Vatën"	A song for Shkurte Vata	Ferdinand Deda (m) / Ruzhdi Pulaha (l)
1968	FIK 07	Vaçe Zela (w), Ramiz Kovaçi	"Mësuesit hero"	The teachers, heroes	Limoz Dizdari (m) / Dritero Agolli (l)
1969	FIK 08	David Tukiçi (w), Rozeta Doraci	"Dhuratë për ditëlindje"	Birthday present	Nikolla Zoraqi (m) / Fatos Arapi (l)
1970	FIK 09	Vaçe Zela (w), Liljana Kondakçi	"Mesnatë"	Midnight	Shpëtim Kushta (m) / Fatos Arapi (l)
		Gaqo Çako (w), Ema Qazimi	"Shtëpia ku lindi partia" ^2	The house where the party was born	Nikolla Zoraqi (m) / Agim Shehu (l)
1971	FIK 10	Sherif Merdani (w), Tonin Tërshana	"Kënga e nënës"	The mother's song	Agim Prodani (m) / Agim Shehu (l)
1972	FIK 11	Tonin Tërshana	"Erdhi pranvera"	Spring has come	Pjetër Gaci (m) / Fatos Arapi (l)
1973	FIK 12	Vaçe Zela (w), Ema Qazimi	"Gjurmët e arta"	The golden footprints	Kujtim Laro (m) / Lirim Deda (l)
1974	FIK 13	Alida Hisku (w), Petrit Dobjani, Valentina Gjoni	"Vajzat e fshatit tim"	The girls of my village	Enver Shëngjergji (m) / Zhuliana Jorganxhi (l)
1975	FIK 14	Alida Hisku (w), Ema Qazimi	"Buka e duarve tona"	The bread of our hands	Kujtim Laro (m) / Xhevahir Spahiu (l)
1976	FIK 15	Vaçe Zela (w), Avni Mula	"Nënë moj do pres gërshetin"	Hey mother I'll cut my ponytail	Avni Mula (m) / Hysni Milloshi (l)
1977	FIK 16	Vaçe Zela (w), Shpresa Spaho	"Gonxhe në pemën e lirisë"	A bud in the tree of freedom	Limoz Dizdari (m) / Robert Shvarc & Zhuliana Jorganxhi (l)
1978	FIK 17	Gaqo Çako (w), Ema Qazimi & Liljana Kondakçi	"Këputa një gjethe dafine"	I cut a bay leaf	Limoz Dizdari (m) / Xhevahir Spahiu (l)
1979	FIK 18	Zeliha Sina & Liljana Kondakçi (w), Afërdita (Laçi) Zonja	"Festë ka sot Shqipëria"	Albania has a celebration today	Agim Prodani (m) / Zhuliana Jorganxhi (l)
1980	FIK 19	Vaçe Zela (w), Myfarete Laze	"Shoqet tona ilegale"	Our illegal friends	Agim Prodani (m) / Zhuliana Jorganxhi (l)
1981	FIK 20	Ema Qazimi (w), Liljana Kondakçi	"Krenari e brezave"	Pride of the generations	Feim Ibrahimi (m) / Gjoke Beci (l)
1982	FIK 21	Marina Grabovari (w), Luan Zhegu	"Një djep në barrikadë"	A cradle in a barricade	Avni Mula (m) / Hysni Milloshi (l)
1983	FIK 22	Tonin Tërshana (w), Liljana Kondakçi	"Vajzë moj, lule moj"	Hey girl, hey flower	Luan Zhegu (m) / Adelina Balashi (l)
1984	FIK 23	Gëzim Çela & Nertila Koka (w), Bashkim Alibali	"Çel si gonxhe dashuria"	Love sprouts like a bud	Vladimir Kotani (m) / Arben Duka (l)
1985	FIK 24	Parashqevi Simaku	"Në moshën e rinisë"	In the age of youth	Vladimir Kotani (m) / Arben Duka (l)
1986	FIK 25	Nertila Koka	"Dy gëzime në një ditë"	Two joys in one day	David Tukiçi (m) / Gjoke Beci (l)
1987	FIK 26	Irma Libohova & Eranda Libohova	"Nuk e harroj"	I won't forget him	Agim Krajka (m) / Arben Duka (l)
1988	FIK 27	Parashqevi Simaku	"E duam lumturinë"	We want happiness	Pirro Çako (m) / Agim Doçi (l)
1989	FIK 28	Frederik Ndoci, Manjola Nallbani & Julia Ndoci	"Toka e diellit"	The land of the sun	Aleksander Peçi (m) / Xhevahir Spahiu (l)
1990	FIK 29	Anita Bitri	"Askush s'do ta besojë"	Nobody will believe it	Flamur Shehu (m) / Jorgo Papingji (l)
1991	FIK 30	Ardit Gjebrea	"Jon"	Jon	Ardit Gjebrea (m) / Xhankarlo Milone & Zhuliana Jorganxhi (l)
1992	FIK 31	Aleksandër Gjoka, Manjola Nallbani & Viktor Tahiraj	"Pesha e fatit"	The weight of fate	Osman Mula (m) / Alqi Boshnjaku (l)
1993	FIK 32	Manjola Nallbani	"Kur e humba një dashuri"	When I lost a love	Vladimir Kotani (m) / Jorgo Papingji (l)
1994	FIK 33	Mira Konçi	"Të sotmen jeto"	Live for today	Shpëtim Saraçi (m) / Alqi Boshnjaku (l)
1995	FIK 34	Ardit Gjebrea	"Eja"	Come	Ardit Gjebrea (m) / Xhevahir Spahiu (l)
1996	FIK 35	Elsa Lila	"Pyes lotin"	I ask the tear	Valentin Veizi (m) / Enrjeta Sina (l)
1997	FIK 36	Elsa Lila	"Larg urrejtjes"	Away from the hatred	Valentin Veizi (m) / Alqi Boshnjaku (l)
1998	FIK 37	Albërie Hadërgjonaj	"Mirësia dhe e vërteta"	Goodness and truth	Luan Zhegu (m) / Arben Duka (l)
1999	FIK 38	Aurela Gaçe	"S'jam tribu"	I'm not a tribute	Adrian Hila (m) / Jorgo Papingji (l)
2000	FIK 39	Rovena Dilo	"Ante i tokës sime"	Anthem of my land	Ardit Gjebrea (m) / Rovena Dilo (l)
2001	FIK 40	Aurela Gaçe	"Jetoj"	I live	Adrian Hila (m) / Jorgo Papingji (l)
2002	FIK 41	Mira Konçi	"Brënda vetes më merr"	Take me inside of yourself	Shpëtim Saraçi (m) / Pandi Laço (l)
2003	FIK 42	Anjeza Shahini	"Imazhi yt"	The image of you	Edmond Zhulali (m) / Agim Doçi (l)
2004	FIK 43	Ledina Çelo	"Nesër shkoj"	Tomorrow I go	Adrian Hila (m) / Pandi Laço (l)
2005	FIK 44	Luiz Ejlli	"Zjarr e ftohtë"	Fire and cold	Klodian Qafoku (m) / Dr. Flori (l)
2006	FIK 45	Frederik & Aida Ndoci	"Balada e gurit"	The ballad of the stone	Adrian Hila (m) / Pandi Laço (l)
2007	FIK 46	Olta Boka	"Zemrën e lamë peng"	We pledged our hearts	Adrian Hila (m) / Pandi Laço (l)
2008	FIK 47	Kejsi Tola	"Më merr në ëndërr"	Carry me in your dreams	Edmond Zhulali (m) / Agim Doçi (l)
2009	FIK 48	Juliana Pasha	"Nuk mundem pa ty"	I can't without you	Ardit Gjebrea (m) / Pirro Çako (l)
2010	FIK 49	Aurela Gaçe	"Kënga ime"	My song	Shpëtim Saraçi (m) / Sokol Marsi (l)
2011	FIK 50	Rona Nishliu	"Suus"	Personal	Florent Boshnjaku (m) / Rona Nishliu (l)
2012	FIK 51	Adrian Lulgjuraj & Bledar Sejko	"Identitet"	Identity	Bledar Sejko (m) / Eda Sejko (l)
2013	FIK 52	Herciana Matmuja	"Zemërimi i një nate"	One night's anger	Genti Lako (m) / Jorgo Papingji (l)
2014	FIK 53	Elhaida Dani	"Diell"	Sun	Aldo Shllaku (m) / Viola Trebicka & Sokol Marsi (l)
2015	FIK 54	Eneda Tarifa	"Përrallë"	Fairytale	Olsa Toqi (m&l)

¹ In 1964, the official winner was the song "Margjelo" (Margjelo) by Klotilda Shantoja (winning version) and Nikolin Gjergji, however this entry was disqualified after it was discovered that it had been heard by the public prior to the official dates of the festival. The default winner then became the second ranked entry "Dritaren kërkoj" (I look for the window) performed by Vaçe Zela, but RTSH also awarded a symbolic first prize to Vaçe Zela's "Sot jam 20 vjeç" (Today I turned 20 years old) at a later time.
² In 1970, two songs were awarded the first place; "Mesnatë" (Midnight) by Vaçe Zela and "Shtëpia ku lindi partia" (The house where the party was born) by Gaqo Çako.

Recurring winners

• Some artists have won Festivali i Këngës more than once:

Artist	Victories	Years
Vaçe Zela	11	1962, 1964^(x2), 1966, 1967, 1968 1970, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1980
Tonin Tërshana	4	1965, 1971, 1972, 1983
Manjola Nallbani	3	1989, 1992, 1993
Aurela Gaçe	3	1999, 2001, 2011
Gaqo Çako	2	1970, 1978
Alida Hisku	2	1974, 1975
Nertila Koka	2	1984, 1986
Parashqevi Simaku	2	1985, 1988
Frederik Ndoci	2	1989, 2006
Ardit Gjebrea	2	1991, 1995
Mira Konçi	2	1994, 2002
Elsa Lila	2	1996, 1997

Eurovision results

ESC	FIK	Artist	Song	Language	Semi Final	Final
2004	42	Anjeza Shahini	"The Image of You"	English	4 / 22	7 / 24
2005	43	Ledina Çelo	"Tomorrow I Go"	English	—	16 / 24
2006	44	Luiz Ejlli	"Zjarr e ftohtë"	Albanian	14 / 23	DNQ
2007	45	Frederik Ndoci	"Hear My Plea"	Albanian & English	17 / 28	DNQ
2008	46	Olta Boka	"Zemrën e lamë peng"	Albanian	9 / 19	17 / 25
2009	47	Kejsi Tola	"Carry Me in Your Dreams"	English	7 / 19	17 / 25
2010	48	Juliana Pasha	"It's All About You"	English	6 / 17	16 / 25
2011	49	Aurela Gaçe	"Feel the Passion"	English & Albanian	14 / 19	DNQ
2012	50	Rona Nishliu	"Suus"	Albanian	2 / 18	5 / 26
2013	51	Adrian Lulgjuraj & Bledar Sejko	"Identitet"	Albanian	15 / 17	DNQ
2014	52	Hersi	"One Night's Anger"	English	15 / 16	DNQ
2015	53	Elhaida Dani	"I'm Alive"^[a]	English	10 / 16	17 / 27
2016	54	Eneda Tarifa	"Fairytale"	English	-------	--------

Trivia

• In the early editions of Festivali i Këngës, each song would be interpreted two or three times by different singers. However, only one of the versions sung would be declared the winner.
• In 1980, it has been rumoured that the government intervened in the selection of the winner, giving the victory to "Shoqet tona ilegale" (Our illegal friends) by Vaçe Zela instead of "Njerëzit e agimeve" (People of the mornings) by Alida Hisku. While the first is a song honoring undercover friendships among partisans during the time of the national liberation of Albania from Nazi forces, the latter makes strong references to intellectual awakening and enlightenment ideas, as evidenced by its lyrics: "The generations have long dreamed of an awakening like this, with the sun in their hearts, with the light in their eyes, among mornings of fire, new generations grow, they plant like the wheat, new days to come"; concepts deemed strongly in contrast with the philosophy of Enver Hoxha's dictatorship.
• In 1987, it was said that Kozma Dushi with the song "Lot me ty o djalë" (Hey boy we cry with you) was set to be declared the winner, however minutes before the jury made their decision, the wife of the country's ruler, Nexhmije Hoxha, declared that she did not want that song to win, so another song was chosen to win.
• In 1994, Mariza Ikonomi became the youngest singer to compete in the festival at the age of 12, in a duet with Françesk Radi and their song "Telefonatë zemrash" (Phone call of hearts).
• In 1995, the song "E Doni Dashurinë" (Do you want love) by Luan Zhegu & Ledina Çelo was reported to be the most applauded song in Festivali i Këngës history to date, a total applause time of 7 minutes and 11 seconds.
• In 1997, Alma Bektashi had a wardrobe malfunction on stage when her dress fell off, revealing her breast. The cameras managed to avoid the incident, however the audience received a full view of the incident.
• In 1998 the first Kosovar-Albanian singer, Albërie Hadërgjonaj with the song "Mirësia dhe e vërteta" (Goodness and truth), was declared the winner.
• In 1999, the song "Apokalipsi" (The Apocalypse) by Irma & Eranda Libohova was initially declared the winner instead of Aurela Gaçe's "S'jam tribu" (I'm not a tribute) due to a miscalculation in jury votes.
• In 2004, Ledina Çelo became the center of attention when it was rumored that she had not done any stage praeparantion before her performance at the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 in Kiev, Ukraine.

Scandals

• In 1963, Besnik Taraveshi was the first singer to be prosecuted by the Communist Dictatorship, ahead of many to come throughout the history of the festival. This was due to his interpretation and mispronunciation of a word in the song "Djaloshi dhe shiu" (The boy and the rain).
• In 1964, head of the jury Llazar Siliqi decided that no first place will be awarded, due to the low quality of the songs. Instead, "Dritaren kërkoj" by Vaçe Zela was awarded second place, and two other songs awarded third place.
• In 1972, paranoid Albanian dictator Enver Hoxha deemed the organisers of Festivali i Këngës 11 to be "Enemies of The People", a name given to all the subjects who he considered a danger to the country. Unluckily, many of them were prosecuted after being accused of endangering the country's mentality by introducing an immoral aspect to the show, and plotting against the government by influencing the Albanian youth at the time. RTSH general director at the time Todi Lubonja, together with the festival's director Mihal Luarasi and singer Sherif Merdani were sentenced and would remain imprisoned for sixteen years until 1989, while many of the others involved were banned from working in television and/or were deported to remote Albanian cities.^[1][2] The claims were out of context and these punishments were used as an example and a statement for future organisers. There is a whole book dedicated to this event: Festivali i Njëmbëdhjetë (The 11th Festival), written by Skifter Këlliçi.
• In 1999, Irma & Eranda Libohova left the Palace of Congresses early, thinking that their song "Apokalipsi" (The Apocalypse) would not win. The song was initially declared as the winner, although a miscalculation in the jury votes announced the following day by head juror Vaçe Zela, revealed that Aurela Gaçe's "S'jam tribu" (I'm not a tribute) had won instead.
• In 2003, singer Mariza Ikonomi, who was eager to represent Albania for the first time in the Eurovision Song Contest, left the venue in sign of protest when it was announced that her entry "Mbi urë" (Over a bridge) had ranked 2nd. She lost to Anjeza Shahini's "Imazhi Yt" (The Image of You).
• In 2004, the producers of the song "Nesër shkoj" filed a lawsuit against Ledina Çelo because she had signed contracts with a phone company without previously consulting them. She was also accused of not attending the conferences set up the producers and that she had not rehearsed the song enough. The suit was dropped within the week that it was filed.
• In 2006, Greta Koçi was so disappointed from her 5th placing with the song "Eja zemër" that she burst out in tears, while her mother faced off the festival's 7 member jury with allegations of corruption and incompetence.
• In 2007, Blero dropped out of the competition, claiming that he was asked for a large amount of money in exchange of a victory by an anonymous caller. He also claimed that the first three positions were already decided by the organizers prior to the event. The jury and the festival administration replied in a press statement that it was Blero who had asked for the first prize by sending an SMS which stated that he would withdraw if his victory was not guaranteed.
• Also in 2007, Manjola Nallbani accused the festival authorities that they had sabotaged her song. Her voice was not heard at all in the hall, instead the public only heard the orchestra and the playback. This was confirmed by the general director of the festival Zamira Koleci. Nallbani declared that she would no longer participate in this event and called certain organizers mafiosos.
• The 2007 edition also provoked a huge public reaction and massive press attention after the song "Jeta kërkon dashuri" (Life needs love) by Flaka Krelani and Doruntina Disha placed second, prompting corruption accusations about the jury, namely Gjergj Xhuvani and Alban Skënderaj. These two judges did not give any points to this song, while four judges awarded it maximum points and Rudina Magjistari awarded it the second highest points. General Director Zamira Koleci in a press interview called the two judges "gangsters and racists" after their boycott of the song from the Kosovo Albanian singers. Edmond Zhulali, composer of the song and artistic director of FIK, submitted a request to the RTSH council for the jury's votes to be disqualified. The council however turned down this request after 2 hours of debate.
• In 2013, an alleged change in the contractual agreement between the festival and Kosovo model Diellza Kolgeci, the previously assigned female host for FIK 52, led to Diellza withdrawing from her hosting duties just days before the live show. She stated that the original terms of her contract included the costs of lodging and other amenities for her personal assistant, however the modified version did not include such expenses, citing a suspicious lack of funds in the festival's budget following a change of directors. The festival responded to the controversy by airing a satirical ad featuring male host Enkel Demi appearing upset at the news of Diellza's withdrawal, and three replacement female hosts, model Marinela Meta, Miss Albania 2011 Xhesika Berberi, and actress Klea Huta. The girls cheer him up by saying that they would be more than willing to co-host the show with him and that they can't wait for the rehearsals to begin. In response, Diellza utilized some prominent newspapers in Albania to state that it would be impossible to replace her, as well as to clarify that she would not be willing to compromise her values over one show. She said that if enough notice had been given to her about the changes in the contract, she could easily book 10,000 hotel rooms for her assistant through her large base of connections. She expressed respect for the festival's history however, despite her disagreements with the current staff. Meanwhile, Enkel appeared to have a humorous take on Diellza's high standards, saying that his diet had been affected by her presence, referring to her demands for lean meats covered in lemon juice.
• In 2014, the festival's organizers ran into some high-profile problems when it came to successfully booking their guest singer for their interval act. After Conchita Wurst's refusal earlier in December due to a busy schedule, Alexander Rybak, who initially accepted FIK's offer to perform, also pulled out at the last minute after his composed entry in the Belarusian national final failed to secure a victory. He stated that the combination of this disappointment, along with some misunderstandings with FIK's authorities, forced him to make this unusual cancellation. Reaction by fans was mixed, as some decried unprofessionalism, while others appeared more empathetic. FIK organizers ultimately relied on jury members Genc Dashi and Rona Nishliu to fill in for Rybak, as Dashi improvised on the guitar, while Nishliu paid tribute to Vaçe Zela, who had died earlier in February. It was also rumored that the opening act of the grand final, consisting of a well-liked violin reprise of past FIK entries, was the organizers' ironic response to Rybak's last-minute cancellation.
• In 2015, Edea Demaliaj's song "Era" (The wind), composed by Adrian Hila and written by Pandi Laço, was disqualified by the festival's directors, despite being included in the initial list of competing entries. Hila expressed his discontent when interviewed on the TV show Oktapod, contesting the board's decision to disqualify his song simply because its lyrics were written by the host of FIK 54 Pandi Laço. Meanwhile, singer Edea Demaliaj dropped out of the competition after finding herself without a song. Her replacement was Orgesa Zaimi, whose entry had not qualified during the internal pre-selection stage.
• Also in 2015, Eneda Tarifa's victory reignited allegations of bias and corruption by the jury and the festival's organizers, as media and critics attributed Tarifa's win to her close friendship and joint business venture with FIK's current artistic director Elton Deda, rather than on her merit versus the competition. The jury's integrity had previously been questioned when 22 entries, rather than the planned 18, were qualified for the grand final, raising suspicions that certain singers had passed on to the final based on name recognition rather than song quality. Adding more to the scrutiny was the fact that, instead of revealing the full set of votes from every juror, the festival regressed to its old practice of mentioning only the top ranked songs in the final, circumventing any individual responsibility for potentially compromised jurors in the process. The controversial victory of Eneda Tarifa brought to the forefront an old spat that the singer had once had with Albanian LGBT rights defender Kristi Pinderi, when he had publicly challenged Tarifa's moral standards after she had lashed out against Conchita Wurst's triumph in Eurovision 2014. At the time, Tarifa had initially complained that music itself had been eclipsed by Conchita's win, but in a subsequent statement she elaborated that the Eurovision Song Contest was not spreading the correct set of values to its European audience, and that certain LGBT groups were lobbying for attention and exposure in this contest. Her fragmented reaction, along with her concerns on how to explain “Conchita” to her family, were dismissed by Pinderi as embellished homophobia on her part. In a heated media exchange, he challenged Tarifa's intellect along with her diploma in Social Works, while recalling an old interview as a journalist for his previous employer where he was left with the impression that “she was either not very smart, or she did not know how to properly articulate smart things”.

Twin contests

• Kënga Magjike
• Sanremo Music Festival
• Eurovision Song Contest

See also

• Radio Televizioni Shqiptar
• List of historic rock festivals

Notes and references

Notes

1. ^{^} Dani won Festivali i Këngës 53 with the song "Diell" and was planning on performing an English-language version of the song at the Eurovision Song Contest 2015. However, in February 2015 it was announced that the song's songwriters decided to withdraw the song, and Dani would perform a different song titled "I'm Alive" in the contest.

References

1. "Të gjithë të ndëshkuarit e Festivalit të 11-të.(All the prosecuted after the 11th festival)". Transcribed article by Skifter Këlliçi (in Albanian). Retrieved 1 July 2011.
2. "Ja "kokat e prera" në art e kulturë, pas Festivalit të 11-të". Transcribed article by Skifter Këlliçi (in Albanian). Retrieved 1 July 2011.

External links

• Official Festivali i Këngës Website RTSH
• Official OGAE Eurovision Albania Club Website