Festivali i Këngës 2018

Festivali i Këngës 2018
Preliminary decision data
country	Albania
Broadcasting station
Producing broadcaster
place	Pallati i Kongreseve , Tirana
date	22nd December 2018
Time	8:45 p.m. ( CET )
Number of participants	22nd
Number of contributions	22nd
Preliminary rounds	2
Preliminary round dates	Semi-finals: December 20, 2018 December 21, 2018
poll	100% jury voting
Pause filler	Semi-finals: Ermal Meta : Piccola Anima (Music / Text: Ermal Meta) ; Non mi avete fatto niente (Music / Text: M / T: Ermal Meta, Fabrizio Moro , Andrea Febo)
Moderation
Ana Golja, Viktor Zhusti

The 57th Festivali i Këngës took place from December 20-22, 2018 and was the Albanian preliminary decision for the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 in Tel Aviv ( Israel ). The winner was Jonida Maliqi with the song Ktheju tokës.

concept

format

For 2018, the concept was changed compared to previous years. There were again two semi-finals and a final, but with a different function. In the first semi-final, all 22 participants presented their songs with the Radio Televizioni Shqiptar symphony orchestra . There was no vote, because in the second semi-final all 22 participants presented their songs again. This time, however, they presented their songs in a "Eurovision version", a version that should also be presented at the ESC. 14 participants qualified for the final.

Moderation

On December 11, 2018, RTSH announced that Ana Golja and Viktor Zhusti would host the festival.

Attendees

On October 17, 2018, RTSH announced the participants of the Festivali i Këngës 2018. A total of 22 performers will take part, including former participants of the Festivali i Këngës.

Interpreter	Song Music (M) and Text (T)	language	Translation (unofficial)
Alar band	Dashuria nuk mjafton M: Elgit Doda; T: Klea Huta	Albanian	Love is not enough
Artemisa Mithi & Febi Shkurti	Dua ta besoj M / T: Febi Shkurti		I want to believe
Aurel Thëllimi	Të dua ty M: Ardita Bufaj, Aurel Thëllimi; T: Ardita Bufaj		I love you
Boyken Lako	Jeto jetën M: Bojken Lako; T: Xhevdet Bajraj		Live the life
Bruno Pollogati	Nuk ka stop M: Bruno Pollogati; T: Endrit Mumajesi		There is no stopping it
Dilan Reka	Karma M: Gridi Kraja; T: Florian Zykaj		karma
Eliza Hoxha	Peng M / T: Eliza Hoxha		The promise
Elona Islamaj	Në këtë botë kalimtarë M / T: Elona Islamaj		In this transitory world
Elton Deda	Qetësisht M / T: Elton Deda		Calmly
Eranda Libohova	100 pyetje M: Ghent Myftaraj; T: Pandi Laço		100 questions
Gjergj Leka	Besoj M / T: Gjergj Leka		I think
Jonida Maliqi	Ktheju tokës M / T: Eriona Rushiti		Getting the earth back
Kelly	A më ndjen M / T: Kelly		Do you feel me
Klint Çollaku	Me jetë M: Endrit Shani; T: Pandi Laço		With life
Klodiana Vata	Mbrëmje e pafund M: Edmond Zhulali; T: Jorgo Papingji		Endless evening
Kujtim Prodani	Babela M / T: Kujtim Prodani		-
Lidia Lufi	Rrëfehem M: Enis Mullaj; T: Lidia Lufi		Confess
Lorela Sejdini	Vetmi M / T: Lorela Sejdini		lonliness
Marko Strazimiri & Imbro	Lejla M / T: Adrian Hila		-
Mirud	Nënë M: Elhaida Dani ; T: Durim Morina		mother
Orgesa Zaimi	Hije M / T: Genti Lako		shadow
Soni Malaj	Do vij M: Irkenc Hyka; T: Lindon Berisha		Come
Vikena Kamenica 1	Natën e mirë M / T: Vikena Kamenica		Good night

¹Vikena Kamenica withdrew her participation on December 3, 2018. The Dou Artemisa Mithi & Febi Shkurti is supposed to replace them.

Semifinals

In contrast to previous years, the participants will no longer be split between two semi-finals. On the first evening, December 20, 2018, the performers will present their song with the RTSH symphony orchestra before presenting the final version of their song the following day.

A draw resulted in the following starting orders:

First evening - December 20, 2018
Start number	Interpreter	song
01	Boyken Lako	Jeto jetën
02	Alar band	Dashuria nuk mjafton
03	Lidia Lufi	Rrëfehem
04th	Kujtim Prodani	Babela
05	Gjergj Leka	Besoj
06th	Dilan Reka	karma
07th	Mirud	Nënë
08th	Soni Malaj	Më e fortë
09	Jonida Maliqi	Ktheju tokës
10	Elton Deda	Qetësisht
11	Elona Islamaj	Në këtë botë kalimtare
12	Klodiana Vata	Mbrëmje e pafund
13	Klint Çollaku	Me jetë
14th	Artemisa Mithi & Febi Shkurti	Dua ta besoj
15th	Kelly	A më ndjen
16	Bruno Pollogati	Nuk ka stop
17th	Marko Strazimiri & Imbro	Leyla
18th	Lorela Sejdini	Vetmi
19th	Eliza Hoxha	Bang
20th	Eranda Libohova	100 pyetje
21st	Aurel Thëllimi	Të dua ty
22nd	Orgesa Zaimi	Hije

Second evening - December 21, 2018
Start number	Interpreter	song
01	Jonida Maliqi	Ktheju tokës
02	Artemisa Mithi & Febi Shkurti	Dua ta besoj
03	Mirud	Nënë
04th	Klodiana Vata	Mbrëmje e pafund
05	Lidia Lufi	Rrëfehem
06th	Marko Strazimiri & Imbro	Leyla
07th	Orgesa Zaimi	Hije
08th	Elona Islamaj	Në këtë botë kalimtarë
09	Boyken Lako	Jeto jetën
10	Elton Deda	Qetësisht
11	Eliza Hoxha	Bang
12	Gjergj Leka	Një ditë tjetër
13	Kujtim Prodani	Babela
14th	Aurel Thëllimi	Të dua ty
15th	Soni Malaj	Më e fortë
16	Lorela Sejdini	Vetmi
17th	Klinti Çollaku	Me jetë
18th	Alar band	Dashuria nuk mjafton
19th	Kelly	A më ndjen
20th	Dilan Reka	karma
21st	Eranda Libohova	100 pyetje
22nd	Bruno Pollogati	Nuk ka stop

 Candidate has qualified for the final.

final

The final took place on December 22, 2018, 8:45 p.m. (CET). A nine-member jury awarded ten to 30 points. The singer Jonida Maliqi prevailed with nine points.

space	Start number	Interpreter	song	Jury voting
				Hajg Zaharjan	Arta Marku	Rona Nishliu	Agim Krajka	Pali Kuke	Olsa Toqi	Rovena Dilo	Shpëtim Kushta	Dorian Çene	total
01.	05	Jonida Maliqi	Ktheju tokës	19th	30th	30th	18th	30th	19th	30th	30th	22nd	228
02.	13	Lidia Lufi	Rrëfehem	30th	20th	15th	30th	22nd	30th	20th	22nd	30th	219
03.	04 1	Eranda Libohova	100 pyetje	22nd	22nd	22nd	25th	19th	17th	18th	11	25th	181
04th	11	Dilan Reka	karma	16	25th	14th	14th	25th	22nd	22nd	17th	14th	169
05.	09	Soni Malaj	Më e fortë	17th	19th	18th	17th	20th	18th	15th	25th	17th	166
06th	14th	Klinti Çollaku	Me jetë	25th	10	13	22nd	17th	25th	12	20th	19th	163
07th	03	Elton Deda	Qetësisht	18th	17th	17th	19th	14th	15th	17th	19th	20th	156
08th.	01 1	Marko Strazimiri & Imbro	Leyla	14th	18th	19th	15th	18th	10	25th	12	11	142
09.	08th	Boyken Lako	Jeto jetën	12	15th	25th	10	16	16	16	13	15th	138
10.	02	Gjergj Leka	Një ditë tjetër	20th	12	10	20th	11	14th	11	15th	18th	131
11.	06th	Eliza Hoxha	Bang	11	16	20th	12	15th	13	14th	10	16	127
12.	12	Alar band	Dashuria nuk mjafton	15th	11	11	16	12	20th	10	16	13	124
13.	07th	Orgesa Zaimi	Hije	10	14th	16	13	13	12	13	18th	12	121
14th	10	Artemisa Mithi & Febi Shkurti	Dua ta besoj	13	13	12	11	10	11	19th	14th	10	113

¹ Due to technical problems, the duo Marko Strazimiri & Imbro and Eranda Libohova presented their songs again after all the performers had performed.

compilation

Feast 57
Compilation album by various artists
Publication (s)	19th April 2019
Label (s)	Universal Music GmbH Austria
Format (s)	Music download
Title (number)	22nd
running time	75 min 39 s

On April 19, 2019, a compilation with all competition titles was published for download.

Feast 57
No.	title	length
1.	Më e fortë	3:12
2.	Leyla	2:47
3.	100 pyetje	3:12
4th	Të dua ty	3:06
5.	karma	5:58
6th	Me jetë	3:26
7th	Vetmi	2:59
8th.	Në këtë botë kalimtarë	3:43
9.	A më ndjen	3:18
10.	Dua ta besoj	3:26
11.	Dashuria nuk mjafton	3:12
12.	Bang	3:27
13.	Një ditë tjetër	4:06
14th	Mbrëmje e pafund	3:29
15th	Rrëfehem	3:43
16.	Nënë	3:06
17th	Hije	3:13
18th	Nuk ka stop	2:52
19th	Jeto jetën	3:10
20th	Babela	3:41
21st	Qetësisht	3:19
22nd	Ktheju tokës	3:14
Overall length:		75:39

Web links

• Festivali i Këngës website (Albanian)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} Stratos Agadellis: Albania: RTSH releases full versions of Festivali i Këngës 57 songs and confirms hosts. In: esctoday.com. December 11, 2018, accessed December 11, 2018 . 
2. ↑ Shpallet lista me këngët konkuruese në Festivalin e 57-të të Këngës në RTSH. In: rtsh.al. October 17, 2017, accessed November 16, 2017 (Albanian). 
3. ^ William Lee Adams: Albania: Festivali i Këngës 57 reveals 22 acts and song titles ahead of December 22 final. In: wiwibloggs.com. October 17, 2017, accessed November 16, 2017 . 
4. ↑ Ja renditja e këngëve në natën e parë të Fest '57 . December 5, 2018, accessed on December 10, 2018 (Albanian). 
5. ^ Fest 57 by Various artists. In: Amazon . Retrieved May 22, 2019 . Compilation on iTunes. In: iTunes . Retrieved May 22, 2019 .