Another powerful vocal, another fashionista...
Besa Kokëdhima is the Albanian choice for Sweden in May!
Festivali i Këngës 62 was the highlight of the week before Christmas 2023, as it always is for lovers of Albanian music plus of course us Eurovision fans. It seems that the 'powers that be' in Albania were happy with the outcome of last year's results (Jury picks the winners of Contest and awards, public choose the Eurovision entry) to give it another go and Besa was the chosen one for Malmö. To be fair, she gave the public everything they wanted - a confident singer, a powerful voice, a song that had interest and change of pace, plus of course 'the look'. Golden and Open in the Final, a literal Breastplate in the SF:
Now Albania have a tendancy to revamp any song that wins FiK for Eurovision - "Zemrën n'dôre" will be no different, as there is one swear word in there, but Besa has already admitted that she has recorded her song in English and also 50/50 ENG/ALB. Which version will we get in April/May? For completeness, here are the current lyrics (plus the English 'Heart In Hand')...
Ti me thua jam e çmendur
Detin merre e ma sill një ditë
Nese do t’ma mbysësh shpirtin
Mos më prit ti, jo më mos më prit
Eja bëje ti, eja bëje ti
Rrugën time e më thuaj ti,
Kur të vrasin ty pas shpine..
Si sheqer ne gjak
Në vena me helmove
Pak nga pak si një litar
Në zemër më shtrëngove
Un’ ndërtova urë
Ti e gjun’ me gurë
Mos kërko me ngjit ti gotën
Që ke thy’ dikur
A ke ti shpirt
A ke ti forcë
A ke dashni për me ma dhon’
Nëse në rrezik je
Nuk të lë te biesh
A ke ti shpirt
A ke ti forcë
A ke ti zemrën, zemrën n’dorë
Fale fale veten
Mu’ më le të tretem
Mu’, mu’, mu’
Në rrezik je pa mu’, mu’, mu’
Copat e zemrës du’ m’i kap njo e ‘ka njo
Sa herë i mbyll sytë veç p’e shoh atë
Copat e zemrës du’ m’i kap njo e ‘ka njo
Sa herë i mbyll sytë veç p’e shoh atë
Jemi a nuk jemi, jemi a nuk jemi
Du’ me ta fal, s’po di as më ku jemi
Stop te ky stacion se po zbret dashnia jon’
Kalon, kalon, kalon!
Nuk o’ e shkrume
Se s’o’ e shkrume
Do mbetet vetëm, vetëm e kalume
Nuk o’ e shkrume
Se s’o’ e shkrume
Se un’ një bastard e dashuroj
A ke ti shpirt
A ke ti forcë
A ke dashni për me ma dhon’
Nëse në rrezik je
Nuk të lë të biesh
A ke ti shpirt
A ke ti forcë
A ke ti zemrën, zemrën n’dorë
Fale fale veten
mu’ më le të tretem
A ke ti
Zemrën, zemrën n’dorë
Zemrën, zemrën n’dorë
Zemrën, zemrën n’dorë
(Fale, fale veten)
Në rrezik je pa mu’, mu’, mu’
Zemrën, zemrën n’dorë
You tell me I'm crazy
One day, take the sea and bring it to me
If you're going to drown my soul
Don't wait for me, no, don't wait for me
Come on, do it, come on do it
You show my path to me
When they kill you behind your back
Just like sugar in the bloodstream
You poisoned me in my veins
Little by little, just like a rope
You strangled my heart
I built a bridge
Against which you threw stones
Don't ask me to glue the same glass
You once shattered
Do you have a soul?
Do you have enough strength?
Do you have enough love to give me?
If you're in danger
I won't let you fall
Do you have a soul?
Do you have enough strength?
Do you have your heart, your heart in your hand?
Just forgive, forgive yourself
You let me dissolve
Me, me, me
You're in danger without me, me, me
I want to grab the pieces of my heart, one by one
Everytime I close my eyes I can only see this
I want to grab the pieces of my heart, one by one
Everytime I close my eyes I can only see this
Are we something or are we nothing, are we something or are we nothing?
I want to forgive you, but I don't even know where we are
Stop at this station, 'cuz our love is getting off
It passes, it passes, it passes
It is not written
‘Cuz it’s not written
It'll just remain a thing of the past
It is not written
It is not written
'Cuz I'm in love with a bastard
Do you have a soul?
Do you have enough strength?
Do you have enough love to give me?
If you're in danger
I won't let you fall
Do you have a soul?
Do you have enough strength?
Do you have your heart, your heart in your hand?
Just forgive, forgive yourself
You let me dissolve
Do you have
Your heart, your heart in your hand?
Your heart, your heart in your hand?
Your heart, your heart in your hand?
(Just forgive, forgive yourself)
You're in danger without me, me, me
Heart, heart in hand
It is always so early in the season when we get the Albanian entry (pre-revamp), so it is always difficult to judge where it might end up. Besa provides us with what has become the standard Albanian artist at the Contest - stunning to look at, a superb live vocal, dressed to impress and also bags of stage charisma. Personally, I could see this making the Final already but given that she has already said that the entry will be changed, I will make my final decision nearer the time. "Zemrën n'dôre" kicked off this week's show:
And the playlist...
Besa Kokëdhima - "Zemrën n'dorë"
Anna Sahlene - "These Tears"
ANKA - "Палала"
Karyotype - "Sadness"
PARFENIUK - "Серед вітрів"
KRYLATA - "Queen"
Carpetman - "Endless Fight"
Staysa - "Rika"
SWOIIA - "Little Angels"
Remo Forrer - "Watergun"
Luca Hänni - "She Got Me"
Gustaph - "Because Of You" (Karaoke)
CLARA - "BOULEVARD"
SANTI FRANCESI - "occhi tristi"
bnkr44 - "EFFETTI SPECIALI"
Konstrakta - "In Corpore Sano"
Melissa & Ranya - "Un mondo giusto"
Wolf Kati Band - "Végtelen tánc"
Johnny Manuel - "Blue"
Timebelle - "Settle Up"
Michael Schulte & Montez - "HEY"
Raphael Gualazzi - "You Are My Africa"
Elina Born - "Oodata"
Sinplus - "Don't Come Any Closer"
The Shadows - "Let Me Be The One"
The other items of interest to me that I shared on the show and also now included the excellent Eurovision documentary "United By Music", worth 24 minutes of anyone's time:
I also completed the line-up of the Vidbir 2024 Wildcards on the show - ANKA was the clear winner in the end and joins the ten direct finalists in the New Year to see who represents Ukraine in May. As promised, here is my preferences from the Wildcard choices:
You heard Clara, SANTI FRANCESCI and bnkr44 on the show - they are the three acts who qualified for 'Big Sanremo' from Giovani, with Clara being the artists' choice of winner. Her reprise is here:
They will be added to the 27 acts chosen by Amadeus for Sanremo in February - lots of big names for his last show and something even I might watch each night!
Listen in to Tuesday's "LET ME BE THE ONE" to find out!