Star Sparkle Blog

Today's video is GADJE by German born, Kosovar-Albanian singer Dhurata Dora and Albanian singer Elvana Gjata . They teamed up for the single back in 2022. The two singers also worked together again for the song LUJ, last year.  Dhurata released her debut studio album DHURATA in March 2023. Her most recent singles are PALMA featuring Austrian rapper and singer RAF Camora , which came out last July and LEJ with Kosovo-Albanian rapper Don Xhoni , released in December. Elvana's most recent releases are the 2021 EP Çelu and the single Pak, released in July 2023. She also just brought out the song HANA from the new Albanian film 2 Gisht Mjaltë 2 (sequel l to 2019's 2 Gisht Mjaltë ).  GADJE is an Albanian language pop song (with the English line) with dance vibes. It was released in June 2022 but I only came across it recently.    Dhurata and/or Elvana fan? Check out these links: LUJ, their most recent song together, which features on Dhurata's album:  https://www.yo...

This week's video is Lonely by German born Kosovar/Kosovo Albanian singer Butrint Imeri and Kosovar singer Era Istrefi . I believe this is the first time the two artists have worked together. Lonely is a pop/R'n'B song  with dance elements, sung in Albanian with the odd English word (such as the title!). It was released in November.   Also check out the video for Butrint's latest single Gaboi, with Stealth and Vinz (released last month: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyozESjhh8E And here is Era's previous release Ta Du (from last June):  https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2023/07/weekly-music-video_19.html   Want more Kosovar/Albanian music? Check out these posts:   Albanian music feature:  https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2016/09/albanian-music.html Era and Buta- 5AM (2022: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2022/11/weekly-music-video_30.html Dafina Zeqiri feat. MUMA- DASHNI (2022):  https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2023/08/weekly-music-video.html N...

Today's music video is DASHNI by Dafina Zeqiri and featuring MUMA. Dafina is a Swedish born Kosovar (Kosovo Albanian) singer. She grew up in Sweden and moved to Kosovo aged 19.  Dafina comes from a musical background, since her mum Melihate was an Albanian folk/pop singer. Dafina herself started out in music by entering competitions and released her first album Knock Down in 2008.  Her music is mainly R'n'B and soul, with a mixture of other genres including trap and urban Albanian pop. She sings in both English and Albanian.  To date Dafina has brought out two more albums- Just Me (2011) and Dafine moj (2017) and the EP King (2017). Her singles include Adios, Knockdown featuring Hekuran Krasniqi , Dua qe ta di, Amazing Girl, Nje here ne jete with producer Cricket , Mos Shloe featuring Yll Limani  and DASHNI. Her latest single is DASMA. MUMA (real name Endrit Mumajesi) is an Albanian singer.  DASHNI was released in March last year. It's an Albanian language song....

Today's video is Ta Du by Kosovar (Kosovo Albanian) singer Era Istrefi . It's her latest single and came out last month.  Ta Du is an Albanian language song and the title translates as "I want" in English. It's more poppy than some of Era's previous releases.  Visit this link to to see an English translation of the lyrics:  https://lyricstranslate.com/en/ta-du-i-want-it.html Era fan? Check out this   post to   see the video for her last single Idiot (plus links   to more   videos) : https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2023/01/weekly-music-video_25.html

The Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest  is tonight, so here is the second of my annual posts! I also wrote two "mini countdown" posts this year. Here is the first post, another round-up of my Eurovision posts  (I did the first one back in 2017): Eurovision Round-up 2:  https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2023/05/eurovision-round-up-2.html   I watched some of the 1st semi-final on Tuesday but not all of it, because I find that if it's more interesting if I haven't seen all the acts first. So I tend to watch the semi-final that the UK can vote in and then I catch up on the acts that didn't get through online later. This year it was the 2nd one on Thursday that we could vote in, so I watched all of that. Here are my favourites from this year's contest. :) Brunette - Future Lover (Armenia) I voted for Armenia in the 2nd semi-final. Their entry is Future Lover by Brunette .  She got through and will be competing in the final.  Brunette's real name is El...

Today's video is Idiot by Kosovar (Kosovan Albanian singer Era Istrefi . It's her latest single and is an Albanian language song (with the odd English line). The video premiered on 29th December. Era fan? Check out these posts: Includes her hit single Bonbon, plus more Albanian music: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2016/09/albanian-music.html The music video for  TKRKT, released in spring 2022: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2022/08/weekly-music-video_17.html 5AM with Buta, released in Nov: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2022/11/weekly-music-video_30.html  

This week's video is 5AM by Kosovar (Kosovo Albanian) singer Era Istrefi and rapper Buta (real name Betim Januzaj, who is also from Kosovo. Buta is a well-known rapper who started releasing music in 2017 and has collaborated with several other rappers. He is known as the King of Albanian Trap . To date has released 5 EPs including Z. Ndjenja (2016), Dr Zhivago (2016) and his latest, Babayega' (2021), and two albums Pranvere/ Vere '17 (2017) which translates as "Spring/Summer" in English and Vjeshte/Dimer '18 (2018). Era (younger sister of Nora Istrefi ) is a popular singer whose career took off with the release of her 2015 single Bonbon. 5AM is the latest single for both Era and Buta, and was released on 10th November. It's an Albanian language song with the occasional English line.   For more music by Era visit these posts: Includes her hit single Bonbon: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2016/09/albanian-music.html The music video for last single TKRKT...

Today's video is TKRKT, the latest single by Kosovar singer Era Istrefi . It's an Albanian and English language song and a mixture of  musical styles including EDM , pop and reggaeton . It's all about a young woman going out to party and have fun with her friends. TKRKT was released in May.  Also, here is BEBE which was released in March: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC8hOBTIOqE   Want more Albanian/Kosovan music? Check out these posts: Albanian Music feature (includes music by Era and her older sister Nora who is also a popular singer): https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2016/09/albanian-music.html   Era and Nora Istrefi- Nuk E Di video (2019): https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2019/05/weekly-music-video.html Nora Istrefi feat. NRG Band- Ki me lyp me m'pa:  https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2022/06/weekly-music-video.html KIDA and Butrint Imeri- AM/PM:  https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2022/07/weekly-music-video_20.html

This week's video is AM/PM by Kosovar singer KIDA and German born Albanian singer Butrint Imeri . KIDA's real name is Orhidea Latifi and she made her debut with the single Murder back in 2014. Her most successful singles to date include Ti,  Paranoia (featuring rapper Mozzik ), Pishmon (also featuring Mozzik) and Lila. KIDA released her debut album Orchide last December. She and Butrint have previously worked together on the 2021 single Dale, along with Ledri Vula . For more on Butrint, click on his name above or see the post linked below. AM and PM are two singles (Albanian language) and the video combines them both. It premiered on 2nd July.  Which is your favourite? For me it's PM. :)   For more on Kida visit these links:  Official YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAHVxL9FG3Sp8ltQtLEy_oA Official Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/kida/   And visit this post to watch the music video for Butrint's single M'ke rrejit  and read mor...

This week's video is Ki me lyp me m'pa by Kosovar singer Nora Istrefi and featuring NRG Band . It's an Albanian language song (I think Gheg Albanian ). Unfortunately, I can't find an English translation for the title online, so please let me know if you speak Albanian! :)  The single was released on 30th April.     Visit these posts for more music by Nora (and her younger sister Era): Music video for Ska Inat by Nora and her now ex-husband Robert Berisha : https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2017/08/weekly-music-video_2.html Era and Nora Istrefi- Nuk E Di video: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2019/05/weekly-music-video.html Dy Zemra with Butrint Imeri: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2021/01/weekly-music-video.html   And follow NRG here:  https://www.facebook.com/NRGbandfanclub   Want more Albanian music? Check out these posts:  Albanian Music (includes songs by Nora and her sister Era): https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2016/09/albanian-music.ht...

Today's video is Mi Amor by German born, Kosovo-Albanian singer Dhurata Dora and featuring Albanian rapper and singer Noizy . While the title is Spanish ("My Love" in English), it is an Albanian language song.  Mi Amor was released in July.     You can find an English translation of the lyrics here:  https://letras-lyrics.com.br/2021SS/08/S21/Mi-Amor-Dhurata-Dora-Noizy-Lyrics-English-Translation-en-US.html   For more music by Dhurata Dora visit these posts: Music video for Jake Jake : https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2019/08/weekly-music-video_21.html Also here is a direct link to the Jake Jake video, since the original was removed from YouTube: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6n8msw Harrom video: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2021/01/weekly-music-video_27.html     Find more Albanian music at the links below: Albanian Music feature: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2016/09/albanian-music.html Dy Zemra by Butrint Imeri and Nora Istrefi, p...

The Eurovision Song Contest is tonight, so here is the 2nd of my annual posts! You can read the 1st one here: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2021/05/countdown-to-eurovision-2021.html I usually watch the semi-final that the UK can vote in because it can be boring if you've seen all the acts before the night of the final. And then I'll watch the acts from the other semi-final that didn't get through online later. This year I watched the second Semi-Final, although I did see a little bit of the first one.  So here are my favourites! :)    Hurricane- Loco Loco (Serbia) Loco Loco by girl group Hurricane was my favourite entry and the one I voted for. It got through to the Grand Final so you will be seeing it tonight!   Hurricane (also known as Hurricane Girls) were formed in 2017 when members Sanja Vučić, Ivana Nikolić and Ksenija Knežević met on the Caribbean island of Saint Martin. They have also had individual success with Sanja having represented Serbia in 20...

This week's video is Deli Gibi by Romanian singer Otilia. There isn't much info about her online, but her other songs include Bilionera, Prisionera and Peaches and Cream with Dony and Erika Isac. Deli Gibi is actually a Turkish language song and translates as "Like Mad" or "Like Crazy" in English. It's from the EP Ask Yolu. Deli Gibi was released last August. For more on Otilia visit these links: JHaps Records' YouTube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_rHP8CNWk5Ou3yyxR99LSw Official FB: https://www.facebook.com/Otilia.official/ Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/otilia.official/

This week's music video is Harrom by German born, Kosovo-Albanian singer Dhurata Dora . It came out last month. Harrom is an Albanian language song. I think the title translates as "Forget me" in English. You can find an English translation of the lyrics here: https://lyricstranslate.com/en/harrom-forget-me.html-4     For more Dhurata visit this post featuring her Jake Jake music video: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2019/08/weekly-music-video_21.html Also here is a direct link to the Jake Jake video, since the original was removed from YouTube: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6n8msw   Find more Albanian music at the links below: Albanian Music feature: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2016/09/albanian-music.html Dy Zemra by Butrint Imeri and Nora Istrefi, plus links to more songs:  https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2021/01/weekly-music-video.html

Today's music video is Dy Zemra by German born Albanian singer Butrint Imeri and featuring Kosovar singer Nora Istrefi . It was released last September.  It's an Albanian language song, and I think it translates as "Two hearts" in English. (At least according to Google Translate!).   For more music by Butrint, visit these links:  M'kke rejit music video: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2020/01/weekly-music-video_22.html Features  Për një dashuri with Ermal Fejzullahu: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2020/02/new-music-for-2020-part-3.html His latest single Phantom https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfbNwtOauCU    And for more Albanian music check out these posts: Albanian Music feature: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2016/09/albanian-music.html Era and Nora Istrefi- Nuk E Di video: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2019/05/weekly-music-video.html Melinda- Karma: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2020/04/weekly-music-video_8.html Elvana Gjata- Me tana:...

I've been listening to some Albanian music lately, so thought I'd do a post on it. :) While I like some Eastern European/Southern European artists such as Elena Risteska (Macedonian) and Zulya (Tatar/Russian) and I'd hadn't heard much Albanian music before. Here are 4 Albanian/Kosovan artists I've been listening to. Era Istrefi Era Istrefi (also known as ERA) is a Kosovar (Kosovan Albanian) singer from Pristina in Kosovo . Her mother Suzana Tahirsylaj was a famous singer in the 80s and 90s and her older sister Nora (see below), is also a singer and started her career in the mid 2000s. Era herself debuted on the music scene in 2013 with the single Mani për money (which according to Wikipedia translates as "Money mania"). Her other singles include A po don? (Do you want to?), Njo si ti (Someone like you) and Shumë pis (Very Naughty) featuring rapper Ledri Vula . She is most well known for her single Bonbon which was released at the end of last year....