Albania sounding incredible
14:10 CEST: Rehearsal 5:
Albania - Shkodra Elektronike – Zjerm
Time for Albania’s Shkodra Elektronike to rehearse - they’re made up of songwriter and producer Kolë Laca and singer and songwriter Beatriçe Gjergji – they won
Festival ii Këngës just before Christmas with Zjerm, and there’s been a lot of chat in this sub about what they will be bringing to the Basel stage. We’re about to find out!
So – the lego lights have been lowered, with the ones at the back of the stage lowest and getting progressively higher towards the front of the stage. It creates a more intimate space for Shkroda Elektronika to perform, like they’re underneath a lit staircase. Hard to explain, but it’s really effective.
Very little of the Festival ii Këngës staging has made the trip from Albania, it’s had a complete revamp. There’s still the red and black colour scheme that plays out with geometric shapes on the LED backdrop, the lego lights, the LED floor and the frame. The animation really drives the performance, and provides a striking contrast to their main performance area, which is a structure of black and white light boxes in the centre of the stage, where Kolë stands in this middle with his drum. Beatriçe uses much more of the space for her unique dance routine and armography, which has stayed much the same, and in the final chorus dances down the walkway for the big finale.
Costume-wise, Beatriçe is still in red, but it’s different dress from the one we saw at
Festival ii Këngës – she’s wearing a dress of red crepe satin with sparkle on the bodice and lots of draping – we’re just been introduced to her mum, who made it. One red glove on her right hand, but not on the left – the whole look is VERY glamorous, and that includes Kolë – he’s wearing a double breasted military jacket, like a pea coat. Sorry if pea coats aren’t a universal thing – if you google it you’ll see exactly what it looks like.
There are several songs at Eurovision this year that feature orchestral strings – this one also has a huge drum bassline that reverberates through the floor. It’s a full body experience from start to finish.

PYRO UPDATE: Flame jets during each chorus on the frame stage. It’s getting VERY hot in here.