Faith
“Titan”, 2024 in Malmö (2nd semi-final)
As of: May 9, 2024 11:59 p.m
With the power ballad “Zemrën n’dorë” (“Heart in Hand”), Besa Kokëdhima won the audience vote of the Albanian “Festivali i Këngës”, but she was denied a place in the final of the ESC 2024 in Malmö.
Her original song had undergone a thorough reworking. Besa no longer sang in Albanian but in English. Their title for Malmö was called “Titan”. Nevertheless, it wasn’t enough to reach the final in Malmö.
VIDEO: Albania: Besa – “Titan” | Second ESC semi-final 2024 (3 min)
The 37-year-old Besa Kokëdhima, who made singing her profession in 2003, is a fixture in the Albanian music scene under her first name Besa. She not only worked as a coach on “The Voice of Albania”, but also once – in 2009 – took part in a national ESC preliminary decision, albeit in Romania. Besa wrote her contribution together with Kledi Bahiti, who already composed “Karma” by Anxhela Peristeri, and Rozana Radi.
“Festivali i Këngës” indulges in rejuvenation
The show now has an audience vote and a jury vote. But the only thing that matters for the ESC is what the audience chooses. With a whopping 31 contributions, there were more candidates in the race for the ticket to Malmö than at any time since 2010. In addition, the now 62nd Festivali i Këngës seemed like a rejuvenation treatment – the songs in the two semi-final shows were so diverse and varied. This was perhaps because, for the first time, the selection committee was not informed about who sang the titles submitted. In the newcomer category, an eleven-person jury then voted out the songs that were all too atypical. Participants with ESC experience were searched in vain after Kejsi Tola’s early withdrawal from the starting field.
Jury surprise winner in a floor-length skirt
Song contest veterans such as Eugent Bushpepa (2018), Aurela Gaçe (2011), Ronela Hajati (2022), Jonida Maliqi (2019) and Eneda Tarifa (2016) limited themselves to enriching the third evening as guest stars This time not only past successes of the Festivali i Kënges were sung, but also one or two ESC hits from “Voilà” to “Satellite”. Surprising many in the room, the Kosovar newcomer Mal Retkoceri was able to claim the actual festival victory with the self-written title “Çmendur” (“Crazy”) in a floor-length, purple fringed skirt. Besa Kokëdhima, however, was not allowed to sing her contribution again after her participation in the ESC was announced.
Further information
For decades, the small Balkan state was almost completely isolated from the rest of Europe. The country has been taking part in the ESC since 2004, and many different styles can be found in Albania’s music. more
3 Min
Besa is competing for Albania at the ESC with “Titan”. Here is the official music video for the song. 3 mins
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ONE | Eurovision Song Contest | May 9, 2024 | 9:00 p.m