Ana Kodra
Ana Kodra began performing at the age of eight years old when she participated in the TV show Tu Si Che Vales. This spectacle had many competitors with various talents and different ages. Ana, though eight years old, managed to go to the final and found her own fan base. When she was nine Ana became part of the TV show Little Genius and in addition to this, won second pride at the National Children’s Festival in Shkodra.In November 2016, Ana won third prize at the international children’s festival, Prishtina Kids Fest and represented Albania at another international festival, Tra La La, held in F.Y.R. Macedonia. In June 2017 Ana Kodra won two awards at the International Children's Festival in Shkodra, taking the prizes for the Best Vocal and Best Song. Ana is now 10 years old and she has been studying the piano for the last six years. She won the Albanian national selection for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest and will perform her song Don’t Touch My Tree (Mos Ma Prekni Pemen).
About the song writers and composers
Kristi Popa is an Albanian singer-songwriter and was born in 1973. Over the years he has contributed several entries for Festivali in Këngës, the Albanian national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest. In 2006, he accompanied singer Mariza Ikonomi on the piano with his contribution Ku është dashuria in Festivali i Këngës 45, where she eventually finished third. In 2008, he performed the song Dikush mungon by Erga Halilaj and in 2010 he wrote Pranë performed by Kejsi Tola. In 2013 he composed the music to Erga Halilaj's contribution to Festivali in Këngës and in 2015 he participated in the competition with the song Ajo çfarë ndjej. In addition to his songwriting he was he was also a jury member of the Albanian version of Star Academy in 2008.
Jorgo Papingji is an Albanian songwriter, author and poet born in 1942. Like Kristi Popa, he is also known for his successful contributions to Festivali in Këngës. He has been awarded the title Mjeshtri in Madh (The Great Master) which is given to prominent Albanians. Papingji wrote his first contribution to Festivali in Këngës in 1974 and wrote his first winning contribution in 1990 when Anita Bitri performed the song Ashkush s'do ta besojë (Dashuri e parë). In 2009 he wrote the song Në pasqyrë for Anjeza Shahini, Albania's first representative in the Eurovision Song Contest. In 2012 Papingji, along with Genti Lako, wrote the song Kush ta dha këtë emër which finished third in Festivali in Këngës. Papingji’s latest winning contribution to the contest was in December 2013 with the song Zemërimi i një natë performed by Hersiana Matmuja. It was Papingji’s first Eurovision Song Contest entry.
