Alban Skënderaj

Alban Skënderaj (Albanian pronunciation: [alban skəndɛɾaj]; born 20 April 1982) is an Albanian singer, songwriter, composer, actor, recording producer and television personality.[2] He was born in Lushnjë and has established himself as a viable alternative and pop rock artist in Albania and the Albanian-speaking world.

Alban Skënderaj
Skënderaj in 2017
Born (1982-04-20) 20 April 1982
Vlorë, Albania[1]
Occupation
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • composer
  • actor
  • producer
  • television personality
Years active2004–present
Notable work
Discography
Spouse(s)
​
(m. 2019)​
Children2
Parent(s)
  • Qerim Skënderaj
AwardsFull list
Musical career
Genres
Instruments

Skënderaj rose to essential prominence following his victory in Top Fest (2005).[3] His success continued with the release of his debut albums Melodi (2008) and Fllad Ne Shkretirë (2009). He and his future wife Miriam Cani participated in Festivali i Këngës in 2010 with the song "Ende Ka Shpresë" whereas they finished second.[4]

In 2011, Skënderaj resumed his music career with the release of his third album Ende Ka Shpresë with whom he began to adopt a more mature image. He participated in Kënga Magjike for the first time in 2012 and won the competition rosing again to great prominence in Albania and the neighbouring countries.[5]

Beyond his music career, Skënderaj has been featured as a judge on the Albanian television talent competition series The X Factor Albania and The Voice of Albania.[6][7]

Life and career

Alban Skënderaj was born on 20 April 1982 into an Albanian family in the city of Lushnjë, then part of the People's Republic of Albania, present Albania. His father Qerim Skënderaj has served in the Albanian Armed Forces while his mother has worked in a laboratory of the town's aqueduct.[8] He and his family left Albania for political reasons due to the Albanian Civil War in 1997 and relocated to Pistoia in Italy.[9][10][11][12] He has three brothers: Martin, Arbër and Taulant.[13]

After relocating to Italy, his brothers encouraged Skënderaj to pursue music whereas he began to compose songs for himself in the English and Italian languages. He additionally started taking music lessons and began to play guitar.[10] The master and composer Sandro Bartolozzi, his music coach, discovered his talent and took him to Florence, to the Artestudio53 of the arranger Franco Poggiali Berlinghieri, to show him his musical work by which he was inspired.[10] However, he continued singing with different bands at pubs, clubs and other venues.[14]

In 2005, Skënderaj competed in a festival called Top Fest Albania (Second edition), he won first place with "Vetem Ty" (Only You). The verses and the lyric of this song was a real attraction for the teens in all the countries around the world. Then he issued an album named «Fresh in the Desert» with the self-authored songs. On August 3 the same year he appeared at Albanian TV with his music video "Thirrje e Dëshperuar"(A desperate call). A year later he again won first place in the same festival, this time performing in a duet with Kosovar band "Kthjellu"; the winning song was titled "Diçka" (Something).[14]

In 2008, Skënderaj was invited to perform in a live concert held in Tirana, Albania together with some other Albanian singers, there, when he met for the first time Miriam Cani (German/Albanian singer) and then fell in love with each other. In 2013 he made her a proposal at Maldive islands singing his song "Nese thua po"(If you say yes) which became a hit. After 7 years together, on "Albanian Independence Day" November 28, 2015 Miriam gave birth to their first child.[14]

He won "Best Overall Singer" in the Videofest festival for the first time in 2007 with "Ky Ritëm" (This Rhythm). In June 2012 he won for second time in the Videofest festival with his clip "Mirësevjen në shpirtin tim" (Welcome to my soul)

He is also part of the jury in the X Factor.[15] In June 2006 he played the role of Romeo in the Albanian version of Gerard Presgurvic's musical Roméo et Juliette, de la Haine à l'Amour.[16] He sought to represent Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in Germany in a duet with Albanian singer and his fiancée Miriam Cani.

In 2018 Alban held a recital concert in Palace of Congresses in Albania. [17]

Discography
Main article: Alban Skënderaj discography
  • Vetëm Ty (2005)
  • Melody (2008)
  • Ende Ka Shpresë (2011)
  • Tingujt E Ditarit Tim (2016)
  • Hapesira E Nje Endrre (2018)

See also

References
  1. "Alban Skënderaj–Bio". topawards.top-channel.tv (in Albanian). Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  2. "Alban Skënderaj–Biografia". teksteshqip.com (in Albanian). Archived from the original on 2018-02-28. Retrieved 2018-01-22.
  3. "Hapen arkivat e Top Fest: Çuditë në performancat e harruara!". anabelmagazine.com (in Albanian). 13 June 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  4. "Aurela Gaçe wins Albanian ticket to Germany". eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  5. "Alban Skënderaj fitues i "Kënga Magjike 2012"". telegrafi.com (in Albanian). 10 November 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  6. "X FACTOR ALBANIA". tvklan.al (in Albanian). TV Klan. Archived from the original on 18 December 2011. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  7. "Alban Skënderaj, trajneri i ri i The Voice of Albania". top-channel.tv (in Albanian). Top Channel. 24 September 2016. Archived from the original on 2 March 2017. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  8. "Njihuni me babain dhe vëllain e Alban Skenderaj". kosovarja-ks.com (in Albanian). 23 December 2018. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  9. "Babai i Alban Skënderajt rrëfen 16 ditët më të vështira të jetës së tij". lajmi.net (in Albanian). 5 February 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  10. "La prima volta di Alban nella sua Pistoia". iltirreno.gelocal.it (in Italian). 28 November 2018. Retrieved 15 December 2019. È arrivato a Pistoia nel '97 per sfuggire ad uno dei periodi più bui nella storia dell'Albania, ed oggi è un cantante internazionale.
  11. "Pistoia në festë, Alban Skënderaj koncert për festat e nëntorit, flet konsulli Gianni Simone Overi". newsbomb.al (in Albanian). 5 November 2016. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  12. "Pistoia: la comunità albanese celebra l'indipendenza con un concerto al Manzoni". reportpistoia.com (in Italian). 4 November 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2019. ... è stato un immigrato nella nostra città.
  13. Online, TemA (2019-01-03). "9 fakte që ndoshta nuk i dini rreth Alban Skënderaj!". Gazeta Tema (in Albanian). Retrieved 2020-03-11.
  14. SKENDERAJ Retrieved on 22 Jan 2018
  15. Alban Skenderaj - About me Archived August 20, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  16. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-06-17. Retrieved 2016-11-29.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Youutbe - Skenderaj
  17. https://musicaest.com/2018/10/alban-skenderaj-grande-successo-in-albania-e-oltre-confine-con-il-concerto-recital-hapesira-e-nje-endrre-lo-spazio-di-un-sogno/
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