XX. Kalosia
"Susuri d'amurë" - Alešandru Mireli
Title Translation: Whispers of Love
Language(s): Kalosia
Lyrics: Alešandru Mireli, Domeniku Meraľu
Music: Alešandru Mireli, Bastianu Kruž, Silvestro Taľone, Zefania Korsikanë
Tune: Tango do balčak — Duke Bojadziev
Kalosia's participation in the 45th World Hit Festival in Vodiznad was rather interesting. For the first time, the entry was a song that was shortlisted to compete in Festival dëla Kanžu Kalosianu (FdK), an song contest run annually since 1962. It is Kalosia's biggest domestic musical event of the year (and the biggest overall until the island nation started to host WorldVision and the World Hit Festival). It is often compared to Festival dele Canzone Sanremo in neighbouring Italy, or Festivali i Këngës in rather distant Albania. Somehow, despite years and years of quality music, there had never been an overlap between it and Kalosia's participation in the two international song contests, although all three are managed by the same broadcaster.
However, although this song was initially shortlisted to compete and released as such, it ultimately did not take part in the festival. After the list of competing entries was released along with the previews of the songs, members of the public as well as professional musicians were quick to point out that portions of this song resembled a Kalosian folk tune written in the 1950s. Faced with public criticism, the singer and songwriter Alešandru Mireli withdrew the song from competing, though he was soon invited to enter it in Festival dele Melodie Kalosiane, the Kalosian national final for the World Hit Festival, where there is considerably less scrutiny.
Perhaps because of the difference in the type and quality of songs that compete in FdK and FMK, Mireli easily blew all his competition out of the water and he left the show with a ticket to Vodiznad.
For the special occasion, he wore an all-white outfit (like this but a bit more fancier and less streetwear-like), and was joined by 3 backing dancers — two of them holding percussion instruments and another holding a traditional instrument — as well as a violinist and a female dancer doing ballet-style choreography. Everyone was dressed in white.
As the opening notes of the song played, the stage was rather dark. A spotlight shone on Alešandru as the rest of the stage was dimly lit.
Sto gardandu a l’ošanu
Apre li bikeri di vinu
Sentu il ventu
E ul momentu
Školto ali susuri d’amurë
Now the camera showed the backing singer playing the traditional instrument before panning out back to the singer.
Penšandu di moje ažioni
Perdonandu toji spaľi
Ma ja në pošu lo kontrolarë
Lë pasatu në pošu kañarë
The camera then showed the dancer, occasionally going back to shots of the singer.
Afonda la lunë u lë mar
E swana le stele ale nuve našentë
Es tropu tardi
Ma la navë a lašata
Moje speranze pežate
E la distanzë es nia sëfidë
Now the stage lit up a little. The background showed what appeared to be a perilous stormy sea. Everyone was playing their part.
Afonda la lunë u lë mar
E swana le stele ale nuve našentë
Es tropu tardi
Ma la navë a lašata
Moje speranze pežate
E la distanzë es nia sëfidë
Now the lights started to dim again and the camera showed only Alešandru.
Ma au fedë u l’amurë
Në es la finë
The camera briefly showed the violinist as he started to play, which then went to the dancer, dancing during this instrumental break. The audience cheered. The way the staging had been set up had made it quite an emotional entry so far.
And then the camera went back to Alešandru.
Kez pošu farë per gwarirë
Mia animë e tiu koru?
Në së lašatu una notatë
E sto ki u l’oskurita
It was now a stage wide shot.
Afonda la lunë u lë mar
E swana le stele ale nuve našentë
Es tropu tardi
Back to Alešandru, and back to the stormy sea.
Ma la navë a lašata
Moje speranze pežate
E la distanzë es nia sëfidë
As the singing part had ended, Alešandru went over to the dancer and started dancing with her. The backing singers had similarly left their post and started performing behind Alešandru and the backing singer. With a "uno, dwe, tre, hajde!" the music became upbeat and so did the dancing, and in fact the backing performers had started to groove along to the beat. At the same time, the waves in the background had turned into clouds, which was supposed to symbolize the 'dream' that the singer had expressed of reconciling with a lost love.
Finally, the final three steps of the dance ended in everyone taking the final pose. The song was over. The crowd cheered. "Thank you, gražia!" Alešandru said. The performers soon left the stage only for the audience to cheer louder — it was the host country Izmedu next!
