In only a couple of days time, some of Albania’s biggest and most talented performers will be taking to the stage of Festivali i Këngës, where the Albanian public will choose who will carry the Albanian flag to Malmö, Sweden, as their representative at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. 31 participants will be competing for this honour, and one of those is Eldis Arrnjeti who appears at Festivali i Këngës for the second time. Back in December 2021, Eldis went on to place third in the finals and this time he will be going for the win with “Një kujtim”. We had the pleasure of catching up with him ahead of his upcoming performance.

Check out our interview below to find out more!

D: Welcome back to the Festivali i Këngës stage! Two years ago you competed for the first time with “Refuzoj” which went on to finish in third position! Tell us a bit more about that whole experience, how did that feel for you?  

E: Good to see you again. It’s true that with my first participation I ranked third in FIK60 and that was one of the most beautiful moments of my musical career. I still get excited when I remember that night.

D: This time, at Festivali i Këngës 62, you will be performing “Një kujtim” which was self-composed alongside Bujar Daci. How did the song come about and can you give anything away about the song meaning and what his means to you?

E: Yes, the song Nje Kujtim is composed by Bujar Daci and lyrics by me. I am very excited and enthusiastic about this project because it is one of my most emotional songs because it talks about my personal history and this makes it even more touching. I believe and I hope that each of the listeners will find themselves in those lines.

D: Not long to go now before your performance at the first semi final! How are rehearsals going and can you tease anything about what we can expect from your stage performance?

E: Now the intensive rehearsals have started and everything is going in its place. I am at the end of the clothes for the live nights. The only detail I can give you about my appearance and performance is: black and mirrors.

D: The winner of Festivali i Këngës will go on to represent Albania at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, to be hosted in Malmö, Sweden. Are you a fan of the song contest, and if so do you have any favourite songs or past performances?

E: Eurovision has been and remains one of my biggest dreams and I can say that I am a fan of that event. Loreen’s performance last year was wonderful, but our representative Albina also gave a super performance.

D: It is not just Festivali i Këngës that you have performed at in the past, with your brilliant performance of “Lutem” at Kenga Magjike 2022! How did you find Kenga Magjike and are you sad to see that it did not return this year?

E: True, Kenga Magjike festival is also one of the biggest musical events that take place in Albania, in which I have been a part twice. Even the performance of the song Lutem remains special and I remember it often. I was sad when I found out that it was not it would be realized this year, but I really hope that it will return in 2024.

D: You’ve been releasing music this year – firstly the ballad “Kthehu” and then the party dance track “Ma ke bo mire”. Tell us more about your musical style and artistry. Who are your biggest inspirations?

E: This year I have launched two very different projects and I believe that I will continue like this because I want to show the public all the “colors” that I have as an artist, starting from working on different musical genres to different collaborations with authors and singer. I am inspired by the daily life and the actuality in which I live.

D: We’d also love to learn a bit more about you personally – if you weren’t a musical performer what would you want to do?

E: Haha, I know you won’t believe it, but I study and practice a profession completely different from music. This year I graduate as a financial accountant, for which I have been studying for 3 years. I studied music since I was a child, for about 8 years, but the university I chose to start accounting finance because I really like business and my family runs several businesses. I have a very busy life, I can say because of music commitments such as time in the studio, rehearsals, my live concerts in different cities in Albania, as well as on the other hand as a financier in my family’s businesses.

D: What is next for you after Festivali i Këngës? Any plans to release more new music or perhaps some touring ?

E: After the festival, I have a few live concerts for Christmas and the new year, then I will take a few days off to spend with my family and immediately in the studio to work on the material we have created recently, but for now I want to enjoy it to the fullest festival. As for the tour, I think I’m still early.

D: Thank you so much for taking the time to answer the questions above. Finally, do you have a message for our readers and your fans?

E: Thank you very much for the interview, it was a pleasure. I want to thank my fans a lot and especially in this period I want to thank all the fans of Eurovision for all the support and love they have given me and continue to give me. I am very grateful to you. Eldi loves you. XOXO

Thank you to Eldis! You can watch him perform his entry “Një kujtim” for the first time live on Tuesday 19th December during the first semi final of Festivali i Këngës 62. The winner will be decided during the fourth night of the music festival, on Thursday 21st December, and we will find out who will be taking the baton from last years winner, Albina & Familja Kelmendi with “Duje”.