The beloved singer of the Albanian public, Anjeza Shahini, has come to an exclusive interview for the journalist of Radio Tirana, Andri Xhahu.

For several years, the artist lives with her husband and daughter in Great Britain, where she continues her musical engagement. “Because I have not been able to be on the Albanian stage, I am often criticized and told with great love to return to the stage. The scenes in Albania are thought to be the festivals. I am sorry for this because the artist and musician does not always need to be at festivals to be called that he/she is on stage. The creator and performer must make songs and present them to the public and have the opportunity to do their own concerts.” – Anjeza tells “Radio Tirana”

During the time she was away from the Albanian music scene, she created music, gave concerts and taught her students. “Working with the young people I train has made me very proud. It has made me develop more in this field, understand more. By teaching, I, myself have also learned a lot .”

Shahini says that she loves this profession and it gives her a lot of satisfaction. It seems that the artist Anjeza Shahini has given way to another artistic personality. “Ani and The Cranes” is her newest project.

“I started a group some time ago and now I wanted to make it public. I am ready to donate those songs that I have created. The songs will be in English. I didn’t want to connect it with Anjeza Shahi and what I did in Albania. Anjeza will remain there, I appreciate her very much and I didn’t want to touch her. It’s like a crystal that I want to keep. The group “Ani and The Cranes” is a project of development and self-recreation.”

“Everyone has started from scratch, no one is born  with innate knowledge or in love”, is a line from one of the most beautiful songs of Anjeza Shahini. Asked about the message of this song, she answers: “It is a very beautiful song with an equally beautiful philosophy. Sometimes people have to start from scratch. I find myself there because when I came to England I started from scratch. I didn’t come for an education or a music project, but I came to follow Paul, the love of my life. Sometimes it is difficult to explain how it is possible to leave success or artistic life to go to another place. Here where I live, I am often asked a question. Love does everything.”

Shahini says that the decision to leave was theirs. “It was a logical decision. Paul’s own career was more stable here. In Albania, I made music with great pleasure and love, but it was not a profession where you get paid and support your family with this income. I made music as a single girl, when my family supported me. If I was thinking about the family I would create, I should be more careful. That’s why I justify my move.”

Anjeza and Paul have a daughter together, who according to the artist is “daddy’s girl” but has also received a lot from her mother. “It has a lot of personality. With the microphone, she makes echoes of her voice and when she is ready she says now look at me. I don’t push her towards music. I want her to get information from all the fields she wants and choose her own life. I will support her for everything.”

As she looks at the music made in Albania from a distance, Shahini says that Albanian music has been troubled for a long time. I hope that young artists have the desire to create themselves and take the music into their hands to change it. To have an identity and not to copy each other.”

/k.s/