21 - 57 pts / 10 - 112 pts in semi 2
Karma by Anxhela Peristeri is the winner of the 59th Festivali I Këngës (Fest'59) and is the song for the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest. The song will be performed in Albanian. I don't know if there will be a revamp but the original version is well within Eurovision limits (3 minutes).
The song is written by Kleda Bahiti (music) and Olti Curri (lyrics).
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| gatefold sleeve promo |
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| Karma initial digital release image |
The digital single of the original version was released on January 26. But it was already withdrawn a few day later and replaced with other Anxhela song(s) on that release date.
The new version is revealed on March 1. This was released on March 9 along with the karaoke version. (Universal, digital)
The promo cds includes
1. Karma - "Original Albanian version" = ESC version
2. Karma - Karaoke
3. Karma - Instrumental
4. Karma - Orchestral version = original FiK version
5. Karma - Albanian
remix feat. Hyodyne = Acoustic
Two promos (both cd-r) have been issued, one in a gatefold cover, the other in a CD case. Both have the same tracks but some with different tags/names (tags in track-files only).
Unfortunately the cd-r's made by RTSH are easy to copy and nasty sellers have been selling home made copies on E-Bay.
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| Hard CD case promo |
Anxhela Peristeri (or just Anxhela) already participated once in the Albanian Festivali i Këngës in Albania's pre-Eurovision years. In 2001 she ended 23rd with
Vetem Ty Te Kam, a duet with Alfred Meminaj. She participated in all the major music festivals in Albania since then and won the popular Kënga Magjike in 2017.
Anxhela released her debut album Anxhela Për Ju (Anxhela for you) in 2004. She also recorded songs in Greek, English and Italian.
In 2020 she released the digital singles Dashi and Lujta.
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| The Fest 59 album |
Fest'59For all you Fest lovers, the album with all 25 songs is now available in digital download stores.
It was released on March 12 through Universal.
They have included the new (ESC) version of Karma instead of the original Fest'59 version.
2020 singer
Arilena Ara did not participate in the Fest'59.
Versions
Karma - Eurovision version
- March 1 reveal, - digital release March 9, Rotterdam 2CD, promo
Karma - Original version = Orchestral version on the promos
- temporary digital release , promo
Karma - Eurovision version karaoke
- digital release March 9, also
on the official karaoke album (digital)
Karma - Instrumental
Karma - Remix with Hyodyne = Acoustic version
- All on promos
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| Debut CD Anxhela Për Ju |
Links and sourcesFiK History pages with pictures. Albania's Festival i Kënges was launched in 1962! and now you can see what 11-time winner Vaçe Zela
looks like.
The old Festivali's UpdatedThe Festivali I Këngës (FiK) has been used as the selection for the Eurovision Song Contest ever since Albania entered with Anjeza Shahini's The Image Of You in 2004. But the Festivali i Këngës already started in 1962 and is of course an acclaimed music festival in its own right.
Update: Unfortunately many of the later entries are no longer on Spotify but you can still find the historic stuff in the playlist below.
In 2016 RTSH released most old Festival i Këngës entries through digital shops (Amazon ,iTunes) and Spotify. Unfortunately the winners of 1968, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 aren't available anymore (in any version) on Spotify (at least over here) or any other digital outlet.
I updated the spotify playlist (below) with all the Albanian Festivali I Këngës winners up to 2020 still available (so you don't have to). It starts in 1962. 1964's disqualified winner is also included as well as one of the other two winners. 1970 had two winners as well.
The 1967 winner is missing and several recent Eurovision entries are no longer available.
Some old winners are in versions by the second (non winning) singer. (up to 1984 most songs were performed twice by different singers).
Still, It's a magnificent trip through Albania's amazing and sometimes grim Festival history. (Check your Wiki's). A special thanks to Thomas! ------------
Note: I know Spotify can be a bit crappy. Sometimes it plays the playlist in a mixed order, or mixes it with other songs, don't blame me.
I just think Spotify can be a handy tool to preview some music and do some vault-digging.
And in the end it's buying music that supports your artists (or in this case, RTSH), not streaming.
