| The Festival of modern Albanian music, Top Fest Awards, received the full attention of millions of viewers who were nailed in their seats watching it on Top Channel TV. The final night of this event took place on May 16th and introduced established and upcoming artists under a modern MTV style setting. Terms like Pop Rock, Alternative, Rhythm and Blues or Hip-Hop were not known during Albania's long isolation from the world but were only taken into use in the early nineties. Before that, music was defined as "easy-listening", or folk. Top Fest popped up at a time when modern Albanian music was living through a chaotic period, and when artists were uncertain about the ways to follow in order to make it in the music business. At Top Fest, young people were for the first time able to listen Hip-Hop, Alternative, Funk, Pop or Rhythm and Blues in Albanian. Moreover, after the second edition of Top Fest in 2005, the number of compact disc production studios jumped from three to more than ten and hundreds of young Albanian artists' covers could be found in various music shops. During the first edition of Top Fest in 2004, almost half of the artists came from Kosovo, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and other parts of Europe where Albanians reside. Although the 2009 event was held in Tirana, more than 80% of the awards were bestowed upon artists from Kosovo. Top Fest created a new and original formula that characterises the introduction of songs and artists. The festival ... |
