Zjarr e ftohtë

"Zjarr e Ftohtë" (Albanian: [ˈzjar e ˈftohtə]) is a song performed by Albanian singer Luiz Ejlli. The Albanian-language song was composed by Klodian Qafoku and written by Florian Kondi.[1] It represented Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 in Athens, Greece, after winning the pre-selection competition Festivali i Këngës.[2] The country failed to qualify for the grand final in fourteenth place marking the country's first non-qualification in the contest. During his minimalistic show, Ejlli was accompanied by three backing vocalists and two traditional Albanian instrumentalists.

"Zjarr e ftohtë"
Single by Luiz Ejlli
Released2006 (2006)
FormatCD
Length3:00
LabelRTSH
Composer(s)Klodian Qafoku
Lyricist(s)Floran Kondi
Eurovision Song Contest 2006 entry
Country
Artist(s)
Language
Composer(s)
Klodian Qafoku
Lyricist(s)
Finals performance
Semi-final result
14th
Semi-final points
58
Appearance chronology
◄ "Tomorrow I Go" (2005)   
"Hear My Plea" (2007) ►

Background and composition

The song is sung from the perspective of a man who can't forget his former lover. He likens his predicament to feeling "fire and cold", "fire but still cold" is an alternative translation, while begging her to "open your heart". Despite the strength of the lyrics, the song was performed in a subdued fashion. Ejlli and three backing singers who barely moved from their positions, while two Albanian folk musicians provided accompaniment. Many commentators had difficulty pronouncing the song title or the performer's name. The BBC commentator, Paddy O'Connell, for example, rendered the song as "Zlar E Flot".

At Eurovision

Festivali i Këngës
Main article: Festivali i Këngës 44

The national broadcaster of Albania, Radio Televizioni Shqiptar (RTSH), organised the 44th edition of Festivali i Këngës to determine the country's participant for the Eurovision Song Contest 2006. The former consisted of two semi-finals on 16 and 17 December, and the grand final on 18 December 2005, which included Ejlli being chosen to represent the country in the contest.[3][4]

Athens
Main article: Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006

The 51st edition of the Eurovision Song Contest took place in Athens, Greece, and consisted of a semi-final on 18 May and the grand final two days later on 20 May 2006.[5] According to the Eurovision rules at the time, selected participating countries, apart from the host country and the "Big 4", consisting of France, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom, were required to qualify from the semi-final to compete for the grand final. However, the top ten countries from the semi-final progressed to the grand final. Albania performed sixth in the semi-final, following Belarus and preceding Belgium, and failed to qualify for the grand final in the 14th place with 58 points.[6][7] During his minimalistic show of the song, Ejlli was accompanied on stage by three backing vocalists and two traditional Albanian instrumentalists.

Track listing
  • Digital download[8]
  1. "Zjarr e ftohtë (Festivali i Këngës)" – 3:37

Release history
Region Date Format Label Ref.
Various 14 February 2018 Digital download
  • Broken AL
  • RTSH
 [8]

References
  1. "Athens 2006 Participants Luiz Ejlli". eurovision.tv. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  2. "Albanien: Luiz Ejlli". eurovision.de (in German). Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  3. "Festivali 44 i Këngës në Radio" (in Albanian). RTSH. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  4. Bakker, Sietse (19 December 2005). "Luiz Ejlli represents Albania in Athens". ESCToday. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  5. "Eurovision Song Contest–Athens 2006". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 1 May 2020. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  6. "Athens 2006: Semi-Final". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 21 April 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  7. "Athens 2006: Semi-Final Scoreboard". European Broadcasting Union. 18 May 2006. Archived from the original on 30 April 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  8. "Zjarr e ftohtë – Single by Luiz Ejlli" (in German). Amazon.de. 14 February 2018. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
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