Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015
Albania participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 in Vienna, Austria, with the song "I'm Alive" performed by Elhaida Dani. Its selected entry was chosen through the national selection competition Festivali i Këngës organised by Radio Televizioni Shqiptar (RTSH) in December 2014. Dani emerged as the winner of contest with the song "Diell", which was withdrawn as the Albanian entry at the request of one of the song's songwriters. To this point, the nation had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest eleven times since its first entry in 2004. Prior to the contest, the song was promoted by a music video and live performances in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Albania was drawn to compete in the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest, which took place on 19 May 2015. Performing as number 14, the nation was announced among the top 10 entries of the first semi-final and therefore qualified to compete in the final. In the grand final on 23 May, it performed as number 26 and placed 17th out of the 27 participating countries.
| Eurovision Song Contest 2015 | |
|---|---|
| Country | Albania |
| National selection | |
| Selection process | Artist: Festivali i Këngës 53 Song: Internal selection |
| Selection date(s) | Artist: 28 December 2014 Song: 15 March 2015 |
| Selected entrant | Elhaida Dani |
| Selected song | "I'm Alive" |
| Selected songwriter(s) | Sokol Marsi |
| Finals performance | |
| Semi-final result | Qualified (10th, 62 points) |
| Final result | 17th, 34 points |
| Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest | |
Background edit
Prior to the 2015 contest, Albania had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest eleven times since its first entry in 2004.[1] The country's highest placing in the contest, to this point, had been the fifth place, which it achieved in 2012 with the song "Suus" performed by Rona Nishliu.[1] The first entry was performed by Anjeza Shahini with the song "The Image of You" and finished in the seventh place, the nation's second-highest placing to date.[1] During its tenure in the contest, Albania failed to qualify for the final four times, with the 2014 entry being the most recent non-qualifier.[1] The Albanian broadcaster for the 2015 Contest, who broadcast the event in Albania and organised the selection process for its entry, was Radio Televizioni Shqiptar (RTSH).[2] The Albanian contest Festivali i Këngës has been organised every year since 1964 and has been used as the country's selection method since its debut in 2004.[2]
Before Eurovision edit
Festivali i Këngës edit
The national broadcaster of Albania, Radio Televizioni Shqiptar (RTSH), organised the 53rd edition of Festivali i Këngës with the objective to determine the country's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2015.[3] The competition consisted of two semi-finals on 26 and 27 December, respectively, and the grand final on 28 December 2014.[3] The three live shows were held at the Palace of Congresses in Tirana and hosted by Floriana Garo, Turjan Hyska and Liberta Spahiu.[3][4] Shpetim Saraçi assumed the position of artistic director, while Bledar Laço directed the contest.[5] Mira Tuci was responsible for the screenplay and the music production was led by Alfred Kaçinari and Edmond Zhulali.[5]
Contestants edit
Key: Withdrawn
| Artist | Song | Songwriter(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Agim Poshka | "Në rrugën tonë" |
|
| Altin Goci | "Rock për gjithë jetën" |
|
| Ana Gramo | "Në koma" |
|
| Andos Sinani | "Më shiko drejt në sy" | Andos Sinani |
| Grupi Aurora | "Maria" | Grupi Aurora |
| Besa Krasniqi | "Koha kalon" | Besa Krasniqi |
| Besiana Mehmeti and Shkodran Tolaj | "Kështjella" |
|
| Bojken Lako Band | "Të ndjej" | Bojken Lako Band |
| Elhaida Dani | "Diell" |
|
| Emi Bogdo | "Një femër" |
|
| Enver Petrovci | "Të vranë bukuri" | Enver Petrovci |
| Enxhi and Xhejn Kumrija | "Njeri" |
|
| Erga Halilaj | "Ti s'më njeh" |
|
| Estela Brahimllari | "Kjo natë" | Edmond Veizaj |
| Florent Abrashi and Sigi Bastri | "Eklips mbi oqean" |
|
| Gjergj Leka | "Himn" |
|
| Jozefina Simoni | "Mendje trazi" |
|
| Julian Gjojdeshi | "Himn jetës" |
|
| Kelly | "Nëse ti do" | Kelly |
| Klajdi Musabelliu | "Vetëm te ti besoj" |
|
| Kozma Dushi | "Kënga jeta jonë" |
|
| Lindita Halimi | "S'të fal" |
|
| Marsela Çibukaj | "S'muj" | Olsa Toqi |
| Mjellma Berisha | "Sot jetoj" | Enis Mullaj |
| Grupi Offchestra | "Bajram" |
|
| Revolt Klan | "Më mungon" |
|
| Rezarta Smaja | "Më rrëmbe" |
|
| Saimir Braho | "Kristal" | Saimir Braho |
| Venera Lumani | "Dua të jetoj" |
|
Semi-finals edit
The two semi-finals of Festivali i Këngës took place on 26 December and 27 December 2014 and were broadcast at 20:45 (CET) on the respective dates.[7][8] In each semi-final, a total of 13 songs competed of which nine entries in each semi-final, selected by a jury, advanced to the final.[9][10][11]
Key: Qualifier
|
|
|
Final edit
The final of Festivali i Këngës took place on 28 December 2014 and was broadcast at 20:45 (CET).[13] The jury, consisting of Fatos Baxhaku, Genc Dashi, Agim Doçi, Alida Hisku, Rona Nishliu, Evi Reçi and David Tukiçi, determined Elhaida Dani as the winner of the contest with the song "Diell".[14][15]
Key: Winner Second place Third place
| Draw | Artist(s) | Song | Results | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points | Place | ||||
1 | Besiana Mehmeti and Shkodran Tolaj | "Kështjella" | 31 | 4 | |
2 | Bojken Lako Band | "Të ndjej" | 62 | 2 | |
3 | Emi Bogdo | "Një femër" | 18 | 10 | |
4 | Lindita Halimi | "S'të fal" | 45 | 3 | |
5 | Mjellma Berisha | "Sot jetoj" | 22 | 8 | |
6 | Enver Petrovci | "Të vranë bukuri" | 12 | 12 | |
7 | Erga Halilaj | "Ti s'më njeh" | 15 | 11 | |
8 | Rezarta Smaja | "Më rrëmbe" | 23 | 7 | |
9 | Jozefina Simoni | "Mendje trazi" | 12 | 12 | |
10 | Venera Lumani | "Dua të jetoj" | 20 | 9 | |
11 | Altin Goci | "Rock për gjithë jetën" | 9 | 14 | |
12 | Gjergj Leka | "Himn" | 24 | 6 | |
13 | Klajdi Musabelliu | "Vetëm te ti besoj" | 0 | 16 | |
14 | Saimir Braho | "Kristal" | 3 | 15 | |
15 | Estela Brahimllari | "Kjo natë" | 0 | 16 | |
16 | Marsela Çibukaj | "S'muj" | 28 | 5 | |
17 | Agim Poshka | "Në rrugën tonë" | 0 | 16 | |
18 | Elhaida Dani | "Diell" | 82 | 1 | |
Song alternation edit
On 23 February 2015, Dani announced the withdrawal of "Diell" in a social media statement, attributing the decision to one of its authors, Aldo Shllaku, who revoked permission for its usage.[16] Martin Leka, the director of RTSH, elucidated that Shllaku declined the transfer of rights to the broadcaster, citing his exclusion from subsequent involvement despite the song's success at Festivali i Këngës.[17][18] Shllaku disclaimed professional responsibility, prompting Dani to confirm her agreement with the broadcaster to represent the country at the Eurovision Song Contest with a different song.[18] Subsequently, on 24 February, it was revealed that Dani would perform "I'm Alive" composed in collaboration with Sokol Marsi and Albanian producers Zzap & Chriss, at the contest.[19]
Promotion edit
A music video for "I'm Alive" debuted on the official YouTube channel of the Eurovision Song Contest on 15 March 2015 at 20:30 (CET).[20] As part of promotional efforts, both an Albanian-language rendition and an acoustic version were released on the same platform in May 2015.[21][22] Preceding the scheduled live shows, Dani engaged in a tour between March and April among others in Amsterdam and London.[23][24]
At Eurovision edit
The Eurovision Song Contest 2015 took place at Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria, and consisted of two semi-finals held on 19 and 21 May, respectively, and the final on 23 May 2015.[25] According to the Eurovision rules, all participating countries, apart from the host nation and the "Big Five", consisting of France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom, were required to qualify from one of the two semi-finals to compete for the final, although the top 10 countries from the respective semi-final progress to the final.[26][27] In the 2015 contest, Australia also competed directly in the final as an invited guest nation.[28] The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) split up the competing countries into five different pots based on voting patterns from previous 10 years.[29] On 26 January 2015, an allocation draw was held that placed each nation into one of the two semi-finals and determined which half of the show they would perform in.[30] Therein, it was announced that Albania was scheduled to perform in the second half of the first semi-final of the contest.[30] Once all the competing songs for the 2015 contest had been released, the running order for the semi-finals was decided by the shows' producers rather than through another draw, so that similar songs were not placed next to each other.[31] Albania was set to perform at position 14, succeeding Denmark and preceding Romania.[31]
Preceding the semi-final, Dani participated in technical rehearsals held on 12 and 15 May, followed by dress rehearsals on 18 and 19 May.[32][33] These also encompassed the jury final, during which professional juries from each country, responsible for 50 percent of their respective votes, observed and evaluated the entries.[34] Albania's advancement to the grand final was announced after the semi-final show, with the country securing a place in the top ten.[35] Immediately after the semi-final, a winner's press conference convened for the ten countries that qualified, allowing their artists to participate in a draw determining their performance segment in the final.[36] Albania was designated to compete in the second half.[37] Following this draw, the show's producers akin to their role in the semi-finals arranged the running order for the final, positioning Albania to perform in position 26, succeeding Russia and preceding Italy.[38]
Voting edit
Voting during the three live shows of the Eurovision Song Contest consisted of 50 percent public televoting and 50 percent from a jury deliberation.[39] The jury consisted of five music industry professionals who were citizens of the country they represent, with their names published before the contest to ensure transparency.[39] This jury was asked to judge each contestant based on vocal capacity, the stage performance, the song's composition and originality and the overall impression by the act.[39] In addition, no member of a national jury could be related in any way to any of the competing acts in such a way that they cannot vote impartially and independently.[39] After the grand final, the individual rankings of each jury member were released.[40] During the first semi-final, Albania achieved the eighth place in the televote with 66 points and secured ninth place in the jury vote with 61 points.[41] However, in the final, Albania held ninth place in the televote with 93 points and landed 26th in the jury vote with four points.[42]
Below is a breakdown of points awarded to Albania and awarded by Albania in the first semi-final and grand final of the contest, and the breakdown of the jury voting and televoting conducted during the two shows:
Points awarded to Albania edit
|
Points awarded by Albania edit
Detailed voting results edit
The following members comprised the Albanian jury:[40]
- Bojken Lako (jury chairperson)
- Klodian Qafoku
- Olsa Toqi
- Arta Marku
- Zhani Ciko
| Draw | Country | B. Lako | K. Qafoku | O. Toqi | A. Marku | Z. Ciko | Jury Rank | Televote Rank | Combined Rank | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Moldova | 6 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 13 | 9 | 2 |
| 02 | Armenia | 7 | 15 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 5 |
| 03 | Belgium | 10 | 11 | 3 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| 04 | Netherlands | 9 | 7 | 13 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 1 |
| 05 | Finland | 11 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 9 | 14 | |
| 06 | Greece | 4 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 12 |
| 07 | Estonia | 14 | 10 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 5 | 12 | |
| 08 | Macedonia | 3 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 10 |
| 09 | Serbia | 5 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 15 | 11 | |
| 10 | Hungary | 1 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 11 | 8 | 3 |
| 11 | Belarus | 15 | 12 | 6 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 15 | |
| 12 | Russia | 8 | 14 | 1 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 7 |
| 13 | Denmark | 12 | 8 | 11 | 4 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 13 | |
| 14 | Albania | |||||||||
| 15 | Romania | 2 | 5 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 8 |
| 16 | Georgia | 13 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Draw | Country | B. Lako | K. Qafoku | O. Toqi | A. Marku | Z. Ciko | Jury Rank | Televote Rank | Combined Rank | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Slovenia | 12 | 15 | 8 | 16 | 25 | 14 | 24 | 20 | |
| 02 | France | 17 | 22 | 16 | 10 | 11 | 15 | 19 | 17 | |
| 03 | Israel | 18 | 10 | 12 | 20 | 9 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 5 |
| 04 | Estonia | 11 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 21 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 4 |
| 05 | United Kingdom | 22 | 23 | 20 | 25 | 20 | 26 | 17 | 21 | |
| 06 | Armenia | 24 | 16 | 26 | 15 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 23 | |
| 07 | Lithuania | 23 | 17 | 25 | 17 | 17 | 23 | 23 | 24 | |
| 08 | Serbia | 7 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 14 | 9 | 2 |
| 09 | Norway | 13 | 24 | 14 | 18 | 14 | 17 | 21 | 19 | |
| 10 | Sweden | 5 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 7 |
| 11 | Cyprus | 25 | 25 | 24 | 21 | 12 | 25 | 22 | 25 | |
| 12 | Australia | 10 | 6 | 11 | 9 | 16 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 3 |
| 13 | Belgium | 19 | 14 | 9 | 13 | 18 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 1 |
| 14 | Austria | 14 | 26 | 13 | 24 | 22 | 22 | 15 | 18 | |
| 15 | Greece | 6 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| 16 | Montenegro | 4 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 13 | 5 | 6 |
| 17 | Germany | 8 | 9 | 15 | 26 | 24 | 16 | 7 | 12 | |
| 18 | Poland | 26 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 24 | 20 | 22 | |
| 19 | Latvia | 2 | 18 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 7 | 16 | 13 | |
| 20 | Romania | 16 | 13 | 22 | 14 | 8 | 13 | 12 | 14 | |
| 21 | Spain | 20 | 7 | 17 | 22 | 23 | 19 | 11 | 16 | |
| 22 | Hungary | 15 | 11 | 18 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 18 | 15 | |
| 23 | Georgia | 9 | 20 | 21 | 11 | 26 | 18 | 4 | 11 | |
| 24 | Azerbaijan | 21 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 10 | 21 | 26 | 26 | |
| 25 | Russia | 3 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
| 26 | Albania | |||||||||
| 27 | Italy | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12 |
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