Albanian-Italian wins Sanremo festival, to represent Italy in Eurovision Song Contest
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TIRANA, Feb. 12 - Ermal Meta, who made history last year as the first Albanian-born artist to finish third in Italy’s prestigious Sanremo music festival, won this year the festival’s grand prize with Fabrizio Moro and will be representing Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest in Lisbon next May.
Meta, who is a 36-year-old singer and songwriter, left Fier when he was 13 years old, to pursue his creative dream. Describing the Sanremo victory as an incredible emotional experience, he thanked his record company, for believing in him when no one else did.
The artists’ triumph was highlighted after a temporary suspension over suspicions of copyright infringement and disregard of the festival’s regulation. Upon investigation, Rai - the festival’s TV channel host - allowed Meta and Moro to compete and eventually win the contest.
“Music can reach where words fail,” Meta and Moro said concerning their song, which carried the message of countering terrorism.
“I write what I feel like writing. It is an inward instinct and it is important to do things with transparency,” Meta added.
The artist is familiar to producing songs with powerful messages. Last year’s song, which gave him third place at Sanremo, was titled Forbidden to Die - a pop ballad as an appeal to say no to domestic violence.
“I dedicate this song to my mother who taught me to disobey to every kind of violence. The song is a hymn to life. One should confront life face-to-face. We are the result of proven experience, but we also possess the strength to become what we want to. It is important to speak out and share to get out of loneliness,” Meta told Italy’s Ansa news agency last year.
Meta first migrated to Bari, in the South of Italy, where he lived for 20 years and kick-started his career, to later move to Milano.
Despite his long stay abroad, Meta has continuously talked about his background, saying Albania is the place he was born and where he’d like to spend his later years. Albanian influences can be spotted throughout his song repertoire; in Forbidden to Die, for example, he also mentions his childhood teacher, Margarita Feka.
Meta’s career began as the lead guitarist of group Ameba 4 and songwriter for some of the most well-known Italian artists, such as Marco Mengoni, Emma, Chiara, Annalisa, Giusy Ferreri, etc. His first major breakthrough was back in 2016, when he came first in Sanremo’s Newcomers section.
Meta’s Sanremo win was also widely commented in the country. Head of opposition and Democratic Party Lulzim Basha shared a Facebook post saying that Meta’s triumph is a reminder talented Albanians exist and that the future belongs to those Albanians who are driven by hard work and determination.
This year, three Albanian origin artists will be competing in the Eurovision song contest - Bushpepa, representing Albania, Meta, representing Italy, and Albanian-born Eleni Foureira, whose origin is also Fier and will be representing Cyprus with the song Fuego.
