“Karma”.
Anxhela pronounced like Angela, the English version of her name got her ticket to Eurovision after winning
Festivali i Këngës 59 the annual music festival used to choose Albania’s Eurovision act. She was a favourite with many before the national selection and, now, she’s heading to The Netherlands with the country’s third non-English entry since 2018.
But who is the woman behind the song? We’ve compiled 10 facts you need to know about Anxhela Peristeri. Let’s do this!
Albania at Eurovision 2021: Facts about Anxhela Peristeri
1. She studied violin and opera
Back in her hometown of Korça, Anxhela studied violin in high school. She later moved to the capital Tirana to study in an artistic lyceum for opera. It was here that she began to build up her musical career.
The difficult history of Festivali i Këngës
Almost sixty years ago, a new music festival began in the city of Tirana – Festivali i Këngës. This festival would continue for decades, through communism, dictatorship, prosecutions and censorship, before coming the music show known and loved around Europe today.
It’s through the shows long and difficult history that we can see how the contest grew and developed into the festival that now airs today.
Beginning in the December of 1962, the festival was centred around light music, and was won by Vaçe Zela and her song ‘Fëmija I parë’. The song was about a happy mother who was thrilled to have been blessed with a child in her life.