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Success requires work and publicity
Albania: Olta Boka frustrated for lack of support
Eurovision viewers must be prepared to see a different Olta to the shy little girl who won the Festivali I Kenges back in December. Barely the minimum age to enter the Eurovision Song Contest at 16, Olta has undergone a transformation, now looking more mature and more feminine, something that was obvious in the video clip of Zemren e lame peng.
How does the young singer feel with less than a month to go before she departs for Belgrade? Well, Olta feels ready but insecure as there has been no international promotion of her song to the European audiences, apart from the dispatch of some 1.000 promo CDs to radio stations. "I feel good", Olta tells Panorama, "I am preparing myself emotionally and working with the song. We are waiting for the day of departure and although there has been no promotion, we hope for something to come across at the last minute. Either way, I am going there to give the maximum possible. But we shouldn't expect too much. We haven't been promoted in any country. A song must be heard, in order for the ear to get used to it, because although it might be beautiful, it would not create the right effect with just one listen." The composers of the song share Olta's feelings and also fear that they cannot expect a great outcome in Belgrade without sufficient support from the broadcaster.
Olta states that she understands there are not sufficient funds available thus she did not insist on a promotional campaign for her song but at the same time she cannot but feel disappointed: "When you're talking about international events you must spend and invest more." she says. "Every time we discussed this matter (with TVSH officials), our concerns were sidetracked, despite the fact that we have been promised many meetings concerning the promotion of the song."
The singer seems also not entirely satisfied with the outcome of the song's video clip: "There's a saying that there's no limit to good things. There's the possibility to do even better. I like the clip, but I cannot deny the fact that better things could have been done with it. I don't know if the message that the clip envisions has been transmitted, but I hope that it has."
What frustrates Olta the most is that she believes she will be the one to be held responsible for a potential bad result in the contest: "I am not the type of person that likes to talk about the bad stuff, but let's not forget that when I come back from Belgrade, everything will fall on me." she states. The lack of promotion will have a bad effect on the song's placing she feels and concludes: "To achieve success you need a lot of work, and publicity."
A very special thank you to Black Magic for the submission of the article.
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she is a great singer! i managed to chat with her in the chatroom of esc today xD i believe it was her too
SHQIPERIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!
This song is good enough to not need promo tour.
Suksese, baby.
i love this song..powerful ballad!!! i ll definetely vote for her as well
Greetings from Macedonia.
Enjoy the Albanian version of the official video for The Republic of Macedonia and don't forget to vote for us!
url=www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVP7D67N5tM]www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVP7D67N5tM/url]
ukraine switzerland and albania will make it in finals IMO
So..
Miss Boka are sulking because of lack of support from the goverment!?
What can i say, exept,
Welcome to the western world my dear.
I seriously hope that no-one in the "old" Eastern-Europe think that artists in the west are supported by each respective goverment??? in that case, you are SOOOO wrong
I like Albanias song. It´s really nice. However, before the videoclip I saw a live performance of the song (on You Tube) and it sounded awful. Both song and singer. I hope that it was a one time thing and that Olta is a better singer in reality (sometimes the live clips that are provided are of really bad quality wich showcases the entry badly) and that it will show on her ESC-performance. Until then I base my opinion of the studioversion wich can always change by the end of the ESC-broadcast. Good luck to Olta and Albania! 
I am sure that Albania will be at top 5 in the final
But is so bad that rtsh cant give a chance for her song
maybe in that case she will be winner
but i am absolutley sure that if the fans of esc will listened 3 times this song she will be the winer
my Top 3
1.ALBANIA
2.greese
3.Macedonia
She needs to relax and enjoy the experience. Promotional tours make little difference (if any) to the outcome of the contest although I guess it would be nice for her to see something of europe. I really like this song but I wish they hadn't changed the original version (as they do every year).
Olta your song is beautiful, touching, i truly hope you do well!!! Blow us away on stage sweetheart
Why should the Albanian TV throw money out the window when even apparantly Oltas producers do not find it worth spending a penny .
Oltas song is a complete pain !
It looks like Albanian Television is as cheap as the BBC. Andy isn't even getting local promotion!
It's my favourite song this year by quite a way, so I'm hoping that she does qualify, and, if not win, get a top 5 position.
Good luck Albania!
This is a pity. Although her song is a little bit old fashioned, I like it, and the video is great! I hope she'll do well in Belgrade. Good luck Olta!
Good Luck Albania and Olta from Malta!
good for her for exposing how cheap TVSH really is! do they not realise that this is an international contest and their actions here reflect the whole country of albania? if they cannot pay for a half-decent clip/promotion/other costs then hand the title over to another broadcaster in albania (Top Channel would be best) or just leave the contest altogether... stop embarrasing the nation with your greed and lack of financial support bichezz
olta's song is my favourite albanian entry since anjeza also, right now i like it even better, i love the composition/orchestration and the lyrics are just superb... sadly though olta often falls somewhere in the middle on all online polls, hopefully it will not be the same in eurovision coz i truly believe this song deserves better
For the first time since 2004 i liked this song and i know that this will go to the finals because i just LOVE HER SONG
@ Just-in-Iceland
But aren't the Euroband in Denmark around now? They'll be in London on Friday too. Might not be an official promo tour but they're not staying at home the whole time.
with the original version she might have a much better chance
Well, it's the same for Iceland I think. At least she got money to do a decent video.
We don't get to send Eurobandid on a promo tour which I think sucks.
Oh I love this song! In my Top 5. Please qualify Albania!!!
I actually quite like this song and I think it is a very good ethno-ballad. I hope she qualifies too rather than that shocking entry from FYR Macedonia that will probably takes its place
Good luck, Olta! Good luck, Albania! Hope it'll pass the Semi
Great song and I like Oltas new look. I am not sure about importance of the PR tour though : remember Fabrizio Faniello ....he visited quite a few countries and non of them gave any point to him. In fact, his only point came from Albania - which wasn't on his visiting list !
I understand the wish for more support from the broadcaster though - I remember how Luiz even had to care about the costumes/dresses himself and wasn't allowed to stay in Athens and watch the final cause RTSH didn't pay enough rent for his room !
You're absolutely right, Olta, but you're not the only one. It's the same in Portugal. It's enough to say not a single newspaper has ever mentioned that last year's song did not qualify for a mere 3 points. Sabrina was always mentioned as having failed to qualify, was never given a chance to sing other songs on TV and her first CD had to be premiered among a Portuguese community in the States. Good luck, Olta, even if you don't get to the final.
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