The first Albanian representative at the Eurovision Song Contest 2004, Anjeza Shahini is taking part at Top Fest, one of the main music festivals in Albania. In an recent interview with local newspaper Panorama, Anjeza talked about her successful year and the reason why she did not take part at the last edition of FiK 49.

For the first time, Anjeza Shahini is competing at the festival Top Fest with the song Ti dhe unë. She is collaborating this time with the Zig Zag orchestra, a band from Kosovo.

Top Fest is one of the main music events in Albania organized by the Top-channel TV. Compared to its main competitors, Top Fest is considered to feature alternative and pop – rock music, while not being dominated by power-ballads and strong-themed songs like the ones appearing in Festivali i Këngës.

In an interview with the newspaper Panorama, Anjeza was asked why she didn’t take part at the last edition of Festivali i Këngës in 2010: 2010 has been a very intense year for me. I finished my studies International Relations at univeristy. Besides that, I had many concerts with my band in the country and abroad.

The reason I didn’t take part at Festivali I Këngës and Kënga Magjike, is because I wanted to focus this year at Top Fest. In fact I was planning to take part in the last edition of Top Fest but I didn’t find the right song, stated Anjeza

Anjeza represented her country in the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest in Istanbul, in Albania’s debut in the competition. Her charming performance of the song The image of you led her to a 7th place, the best Albanian result ever.

Watch below the performance of Anjeza at Top Fest, during the first round.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vllfC3Z-xGM

The winner of Top Fest 2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3VBFzju0lg