News - Albania: Festivali I Kenges result under investigation | Eurovision Song Contest News - 2008 Belgrade, Serbia 

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Written by

Barry Viniker

Published

19/Dec 2007 at 14:05

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RTSH, esctoday.com

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Kenges Festival logo 2008 - © RTSH
© RTSH

Jury result to be examined

Albania: Festivali I Kenges result under investigation

The result of the first Eurovision Song Contest national final of 2008, the Festivali I Kenges in Albania is to be investigated by the national broadcaster, RTSH. The investigation follows unusual voting by two jury members, that changed the result of the competition. Olta Boka won the competition with 67 points, beating F. Kralani & D. Disha into second place with 57 points. Juliana Pasha finished in third place with Nje qiell te ri on 54 points.

RTSH are investigating the disparity in jury voting between three of the jury members and the last two. Their voting changed the result of the competition. The song writing teams behind the top two songs have so far between them won every Festivali I Kenges competition since Albania began particiapating at the Eurovision Song Contest with the winning song from the festival becoming the country's entry.

In a press statement, RTSH praised the production of the show and the professionalism of the hosts, Elsa Lila and Pirro Cako and director, Pali Kuke. They have also announced  have announced:
"The board of the festival expresses concern over the song evaluation by the Jury of the Festival, focusing mainly on the huge difference in points between 5 of the jury members, 3 of which were very famous composers, and the votes of the last 2 jury members. These last two votes overturned the results up to that point, and caused a huge reaction by the public and the media. The jury's evaluation has also been contested in the official page www.rtsh.al / festivali under the section "Diskutime". The Festival Management expresses it's concern and will ask for explanations in the methods used by the jury to evaluate and judge each song. These concerns will be brought up in the near meeting of the Management Council of RTSH".

Olta Boka's song was composed by Adrian Hila with the lyrics written by Pandi Laco, the team behind Ledina Celo's entry in 2005, Tomorrow I go and Frederik Ndoci's Hear my plea. The jury voting meant a third win in four years for the duo.

F. Kralani  & D. Disha's entry, Jeta kerkon dashuri (Life seeks love) was composed by the same team as Anjeza Shahini's Eurovision Song Contest entry in 2004 which was Albania's debut at the event.

esctoday.com has contacted the broadcaster to clarrify whether the result could be reversed and whether Olta Boka may be replaced as Albania's representative at the Eurovision Song Contest in Belgrade. Stay tuned to esctoday.com for full coverage of this story as it develops.


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Andrew Spiro [43978]
Wed 26 Dec 2007 13:40:04

This is VERY STUPID... this Zhulali is turning out to be a real moron, and that doesn't surprise me. How can u investigate an out in the open voting process, when Zhulali and Skenderaj openly admitted that they didn't agree with the previous judges and they had voted differently. What's the freaking problem here? Zhulali should be updated with the last 17 years changes and know that it's freaking democracy and if two judges do not like his song then he should deal with the problem in private like all civilized people and not in front of everyone. And it is not true that the public reacted to that. I saw the event live and no one said anything about the winning song... On the contrary a lot of people where not happy of the fact that the Artistic Director of the festival was also competing in it. aka. Edmond Zhulali. Good for him.


Pau PV [37672]
Sun 23 Dec 2007 01:50:19

So what has happened in the end?


George Bushati [44344]
Sat 22 Dec 2007 17:22:22

Oh and I almost forgot! In previous years all the rage with the jury vote was over the jury members being some old farts who gave their votes to outdated songs with outdated composers/writters. This year the 3 jury members who were under 40 years old (Magjistari, XHuvani, and Skenderaj) gave their highest vote to Olta. And what everybody does? They keep winning.


George Bushati [44344]
Sat 22 Dec 2007 17:17:06

The persecutors' office? This is ridiculous! As if the persecutor general isn't busy enough conducting allegations on her predecesor. :) If there was a flaw with the voting. It should have been done with closed envelopes. And I don't get the whole idea about the jury being in the same room discussing who to vote. This isn't a courtroom where you have to interpret the same law. Everybody has their own tastes in music and there isn't much to be discussed, or come to unanimous decisions. And as for the Edmond Zhulali fighting to get into the jury room that is so funny. In my opinion next year he should just pass the stuffed envelopes to the jury members during bathroom break. :)


Black Magic [34397]
Sat 22 Dec 2007 16:41:57

Nothing, the council did not agree to dq of those 2 votes or the jury.

However the case was sent to the state prosecutor and the claims are being analyzed to decide if there's a case and how to deal with it...


Night Elf [43921]
Sat 22 Dec 2007 16:31:05

What did they decided ????


Arben Balkavage [32757]
Sat 22 Dec 2007 15:16:30

[b]ANY NEW NEWS?!~?!??![/b]


Mongol Boy [25146]
Sat 22 Dec 2007 14:15:39

@ albanian

Ledina Celo, Edona Llalloshi, Rovena Dilo..... and some other artists (but I forgot their names) :D


just... albanian! [30568]
Sat 22 Dec 2007 14:07:55

@ mongol boy: for example?


Mongol Boy [25146]
Sat 22 Dec 2007 13:52:00

@ just albanian

i just love albanian music :D


just... albanian! [30568]
Sat 22 Dec 2007 13:38:35

@ mongol boy:
I just read your profile. Hey , you’re welcome here in albania! We have a lot to offer to you! Tirana (the beauty and the caos!) souhtern riviera(the last secret of europe), albanian alps(OMG!) and ancient illyrian centers ….. and a lot and a lot of other things!
I just just wondering, how did you get this big love for albania? Please tell me!


just... albanian! [30568]
Sat 22 Dec 2007 13:22:28

Agim doci , the author of the lyrics of the song “jeta kerkon dashuri”, in an interview at the the “SOT” newspaper here in tirana, has said that he’s gonna send his song , one way or an another, to belgrade. He is very convinced that the head prosecutor of albania (ina rama) will find the truth and set the justice. He is convinced so , becouse he say that ina rama is the doughter of a famous artist, so she know to apprisciate the real music!


Mongol Boy [25146]
Sat 22 Dec 2007 13:06:26

Hmm....go Doruntina & Flaka!!!


Rini Useini [23325]
Sat 22 Dec 2007 12:44:14

argesa shemshedini 23325t he song si the best that can be this year from albania i see olta boka in final in belgrade ln top5


Rini Useini [23325]
Sat 22 Dec 2007 12:43:21

argesa shemshedini t he song si the best that can be this year from albania i see olta boka in final in belgrade ln top5


Rini Useini [23325]
Sat 22 Dec 2007 12:38:09

t he song si the best that can be this year from albania i see olta boka in final in belgrade ln top5


Rini Useini [23325]
Sat 22 Dec 2007 12:24:17

the song is the best that can be this year from albania
i see Olta Boka in Final in belgrade In top5


Black Magic [34397]
Sat 22 Dec 2007 12:18:59

Who cares what the RTSH council has to say, I'm waiting for the prosecutor's office to have it's say.

And with the chief prosecutor being the daughter of a famous lyricist that is good friends with Agim Doci, I'm pretty happy right now.


totti alba [27099]
Sat 22 Dec 2007 10:57:02

What I could read today in the newspapers… It doesn’t look now very promising for Zhulali..


Black Magic [34397]
Sat 22 Dec 2007 05:30:58

The proper translation is "We Put Our Hearts On Hold"


L M1 [30481]
Sat 22 Dec 2007 01:07:22

the translation isnt "we gambled the heart", there isnt even the word gamble in there :| its something more like "we let our hearts stumble" but i definately dont think gamble...

when will we hear the news of this "council meeting" i really wanna know what went on and who is representing us once and for all


Prof Listener [44299]
Sat 22 Dec 2007 00:07:01

Thanx George. Very sweet lyrics. Congratulations Albania.


George Bushati [44344]
Fri 21 Dec 2007 22:30:45

Hey guys while everybody here keeps arguing about the voting procedures, I wanted to share my English translation of Olta's song. Please enjoy!

Zemren e Lame Peng ----- We gambled our heart
(We left our heart behind)

Ora si zemer troket ----- The clock beats like a heart
Ora e cmendur rend ----- The clock runs insane
Akrepa nuk ka ----- The time it won't show
Kohen vodhe ti ----- You stole it
Nga jeta ime ----- From my life

Bora e zerit tend ----- The snow (coldness) of your voice
Mbi zemren time ra ----- Fell over my heart
Mbuloi ----- It covered
Strehen e fundit ----- The last shelter
Te dashurise ----- of love

Dhe ndalen akrepat atje ----- And the clock stops beating there

Dite pas dite ne ----- Day after day... we
Rrahje pas rrahje ----- Heartbeat after heartbeat
Me kot kerkuam ----- Desperately we sought
Or' e perkryer ----- Those sweet moments
Nje zemer jo kurre s'mund te jete ----- This heart won't beat the same again.

Nate pas nate ne ----- Night after night... we
Rrahje pas rrahje ----- Heartbeat after heartbeat
Ne te larguar ----- We grew apart
Por jo nuk mundem ----- But no I cannot accept it
Se zemren te dy e lame peng ----- Cause the heart we left behind


Prof Listener [44299]
Fri 21 Dec 2007 16:15:26

To Danniela. Ok, whatever. You are right. The rest of the world is wrong. Now go and have a big party.


Keith P [44308]
Fri 21 Dec 2007 14:30:55

I think albania's song for eurovision 2008 is quite good. But it lacks a certain something special, and i think that part of the song should be in english becuase most of europe doesn't understand albanian. I doubt it will pass to the final!Anyway good Luck to Albania, and thanks for the point to Malta in 2006. Will keep it in mind :P lol


Black Magic [34397]
Fri 21 Dec 2007 12:26:42

Does this website have a mod to take care of the coo-coos?

Like some kind of psych ward or something...obviously there's mental retardation flowing around, certain people seem too challenged to understand the purpose of this comment section.


fratko ceri [44314]
Fri 21 Dec 2007 10:22:43

Mr. Edmond Zhulali should take care of his kingdom, not to allow a rebel like Xhuvani to do as he likes.
I am from Kosova, I think comments should de-politicised here, this is music, not politics. Doze of politics please, otherwise i dont feel the smell of music, just the bad smoke of politics.
thanks all for supporting flaka and doruntina, their song is the best, for sure teens of Europe would vote it most, i strongly believe in that....good luck to all participants...


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