Albania – This is the second of our articles presenting this year’s participants. Today’s featured artist is Albania’s Hersiana Matmuja who will represent her country with the song ‘Zemërimi i një nate’. Find out more about Hersi and why the Italians may vote for her…
Born on February 1st, 1990 in Kukës, Northern Albania, twenty-three year old Hersiana Matmuja is known also as Hersi Matmuja or simply as Hersi.
Her family moved to Tirana when she was young. She has been singing since she was 8 years old. here’s cute screencap from one of her early performances which she recently posted on her Facebook page.
Aged 9 years she took part in The Golden Key Festival. In 2006, she won the youth category of Albania’s Festivali 45 with ‘Ah jete oh jete‘ (Ah life, oh life) and won the right to compete in the main event.
She studies at the “Santa Cecilia” conservatory in Rome. She has been studying there for four years and takes part in international concerts, including performing opera. Hersi can speak Albanian, Italian, English and Spanish, and plays the piano.
In December 2011, she again entered Festival i Këngës but finished last with ‘nil points’ singing Aty ku më le (There where you left me). In December 2012 she finished 3rd with 48pts with Kush ta dha këtë emër? (Who gave you this name?) and is now finally the winner for the 52nd Festival i Këngës with the song Zemërimi i një nate (One night’s anger).
This is her winning reprise of Zemërimi i një nate:
You can find out more about Hersi on her Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/hersi.matmuja
Zemërimi i një nate lyrics:
I do, s’i do
fjalën e fundit mos e mendo
dysho, beso
mikun e ngushtë ti mos e lendo
se ja vjen një ditë,
dite e re që do ta kërkosh
qetësohu një natë,
mendoje pak gjatë
Ti largo zemërimin nga mendja jote
që çdo mëngjes është më i zgjuar se çdo mbrëmje
mos lejo çmendurinë e një zemre
mendohu dhe pak,
harroje ket natë
Kujto, harro,
fjalën e fundit mos e lësho
mos u nxitio
miqësinë ti mos e lëndo
se ja vjen një ditë që miqësinë ti do ta kërkosh
mos mbaj kaq inat,
mos mbaj zemra plagë
Ti largo zemërimin nga mendja jote
që cdo mëngjes është më i zgjuar se çdo mbrëmje
mos lejo çmendurinë e një zemre
mendohu dhe pak, harroje kët natë
(ti prit dhe pak, po nxitohesh)
më ler ta them një fjalë
(ti prit dhe pak se ke frikë mos lëndohesh)
le të dal ku të dal
(ti ke frikë që të rrish të takohesh)
më mirë harroje, e di ku do dalë
Ti largo zemërimin nga mendja jote
që çdo mëngjes është më i zgjuar se çdo mbrëmje
mos lejo çmendurinë e një zemre
mendohu dhe pak, mendoje pak gjatë,
harroje kët natë
mendoje pak gjatë, harroje kët natë
mendoje pak gjatë, harroje kët natë
mendoje pak gjatë, harroje kët natë
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- Albania: Herciana Matmuja to Copenhagen! (eurovisiontimes.wordpress.com)
The Eurovision Times 
I’ve just been making Arroz Doce (Sweett Rice) for New Year’s Eve. During the tiresome process, you must keep stirring the rice constantly, I read this article and ESC Today’s interview again. Her explanation of the song is accurate and intelligent:
‘Music is fused with lyrics: the intro is very strong, furious, just like Anger, and then everything calms down, turning into a ballad. The music gives message of the verses: calm down, anger destroys everything, think this night, wait for the morning because every morning is smarter than every evening!’
Hersi has earned her win. Congratulations. :)
*Sweet
Great girl. She surely knows that music is something more than just singing a tune on stage. Great explanation of the song too. But isn’t three minutes a bit too short for a song that should profile the sentiment of a whole night? Perhaps a little symphony would have been better.
P.S. Arroz doce is one of the Mediterranean dishes I will never get. I’m much more into sardinhas assadas and juicy steaks. :)
I don’t really like any sweets.
You do not know what you’re missing. Portugal has a huge array of desserts.
I love chocolate and most of the chocolate desserts coming from Austria. But I’ll never understand these rice desserts. Maybe because I’m not even a big rice fan to begin with. Or pasta. I belong to the Northern European group and thus it makes sense that I prefer potato. ;)
I do eat pasta and rice sometimes, and potatos at others. Depending on the context.
As for deserts, my favourite is a cake with blueberries and marzipan – and a jelly with sherry. Delicious.
I love pasta … but then I have already stated on several occasions that Ba-Wü isn’t Northern Europe. We are pasta and cheese country here. But I love rice and potatos too, it always depends on what it is supposed to go with.
Good night! :)
This song wasn’t made to be just consumed and then forgotten like junk food. Quite the contrary, this song forces the audience to actively work on getting it … or in other words, this is more art than entertainment. I hope that the lyrics are as interesting as the composition. Thank you Hersiana and good luck!
I do wonder how they’re going to revamp it. I’ve been listening to it and the song’s strong personality becomes more evident with each listen. It is not going to be an easy task.
P.S. – Arroz Doce has been around since forever. It’s a very simple and unpretentious dessert that can be made by rich and poor alike. It is a popular (!!!LOL) dessert.
Best of luck, Hersiana!
And as we reach the end of 2013 (God, its’ last day is already here), and there is still no news on the last country to announce any info on its’ participation, Greece, I’d like to say that I want sth purely rock this time from my country for a change or sth like a great hasapiko/syrtaki or traditional http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9Y7lQ7buXk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77xHLq8B_EU
Good night, everyone :)
Good night, oxi. :)
I think we’ll know soon enough…Goodnight.
I just want Greece to send good song, properly sung live.
Good night. :)
As I listen to her songs again , I can sadly say that her last year’s entry is SO much better…
I still like “Zemërimi i një nate” but how great is “Who gave you this name?” !!!
This is true.Her 2013 song was better.It’s like an unwritten eurovision law;promising artists finally winning the esc ticket with their least exciting song.
I think that the song is exciting, just not instant or catchy. It is a rollercoaster of feelings (I guess that we all know nights like that …) that makes it quite difficult to emotionally adjust to the song because as soon as we have come up with an emotional reaction it doesn’t fit anymore for the next bit of the song. In contrast to what Hersiana has said in the ESCToday interview (that she was close to tears when she heard the song for the first time), this is a song for the brain imo.
I have to feel the song first and then recognise its qualities.I’m not saying it’s not an interesting song but i hope the revamped version will flow better.
Clearly the best song so far. If it qualifies (I really hope it will), then maybe we’ll see som Balkan countries back in 2015.
Completely off-topic. Tomorrow it’s New Year’s Eve. Here’s a song about it from a great Danish rock band called Kashmir – released in 1999.
Good Luck to wonderful entry from Albania.
I’m actually starting to really love the song. With a decent revamp, it may be a top 5 candidate for me. Doesn’t mean I forgot about the Starlet though. I have been discovering more and more of her songs. Even had the honor of purchasing one.
This one needs the Albanian treatment, stat. Mostly the score needs work, because the lyrics and vocalist are stellar and apt but the music is not focused enough, imo. The opening chords, with the guitar and strings, make this seem like an intense, gritty entry dripping with wrath but then the piano comes in and things take a softer turn, more in sync with the lyrics. Keeping that more approachable and kind sound as the base for a new score that’s infused with some intense flair is probably the best way forward for Albania 2014. They just need to keep “focused” in mind, and it’ll all work out. I don’t love it yet but it’s close. Best of luck to Hersi and her team! :)
The NF performance is about 3:30. 30 seconds need to be clipped. The Metallica opening should go, that’s about 20 second. The rest is easy.
I hope someone influential is reading this because it’s a smart first step. Then it’s just refinement and we’ll be good to go.
If they are they should just remember your word: focused.
The has the potential to be special.
Oh jesus, those lyrics.
I was right when I guess they’d be difficult to translate.
I finally got around to listening to the Albanian entry and wow, what a daring choice.
I totally agree with what Togravus wrote about about this being a song for the brain, as whilst I can easily appreciate this song for its thoughtful composition and musical-lyrical interplay, I think it will take a little (or maybe even a lot) longer for me to really enjoy it. Hersi’s vocals really are stellar though, her styling is much better than last year, and the lyrics certainly sound interesting. Hopefully with a typical Albanian revamp and some minor adjustments (the first 20 seconds are a bit too much and could be toned down a little, without removing the ‘anger’) this will be another strong Albanian entry, after their rather limp folk-rock excursion last year.
8/12 and 1st place on my list!
1. Albania
2. Ukraine
Is it Belarus next? I’d better set my hopes low then, LOL.
Unless Armenia’s rep reveals their song on the same day they’re revealed or we get a surprise from one of the other internal countries, that’s where we’re going (begrudgingly). Then Macedonia reveals “Pobeda” on the 15th and the dry spell hits.
I am loving it more and more…Can’t wait to hear the studio version
Oh..and I hope they keep it in Albanian :)
At least we know who ISN’T going to win. It’s looking more and more like a Western win.
With a song like this she’ll probably have more luck singing in English. Otherwise it is just a weird and boring song that doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be.
loving this song – strong female singers seem to work for Albania :) I have no idea what she is singing but I am sure it will lose something if its translated to english so I hope it is not.