Zambaku i Prizrenit Song Contest (2006)
In 20-years of “Zambaku i Prizrenit” history, a novelty was marked. In 2006, for the first time ever, the burden for organizing this festival was handed upon a non-governmental organization. NGO “Civil Emancipation – EC Ma Ndryshe”, an organization gathering the youth of Prizren mostly, assumes the burden of one of the most successful and lasting festivals of Kosovo, proven as the only festival keeping buoyant the tradition of the old citizen music. This narrative report presents the several months work of the NGO Civil Emancipation “EC Ma Ndryshe”, from the moment of drafting the project proposal up to conclusion of this project. This project has been split into several phases, each of particular importance, and successfully concluded thanks to the tireless commitment by the organizer.
From the very moment scripting the project proposal until the night of the festival, on 7th July 2006, besides the Prizren’s youth from the implementing NGO, many individuals and various entities were engaged for the progress of this project, which vested the project with broader fiber and the sense of civic participation. This song contest festival was held on July 7th 2006 in Prizren, under the artistic lead of Valton Beqiri, with a total of 14 competing songs, followed by a large audience (about 750 people) in “Lumbardhi” cinema and the TV-audience through the direct broadcast of Radio Television of Kosovo in both terrestrial and satellite network.
Award-winners of this song contest festival were: Patris Berisha (Flagship Award of the professional jury), Astrit Pallaska (Silver Lily/audience’s award), Besa Delija (The Golden Microphone/performers’ and orchestra’s award) and Behar Arllati (Internet Award/internet voting audience’s award).
The realization of this song contest festival was supported by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, the Assembly of Prizren Municipality, ProCredit Bank in Kosovo (Prizren branch) and other sponsors. Regardless the difficulties in implementing the project, media’s consideration and music critics assessed the festival with high-pitched marks in terms of artistic and professional quality. NGO “Civil Emancipation Ma Ndryshe” deems this project had achieved the mobilization of a broad scope of citizens, by leading a civic movement for successful realization of this festival, equally important and meaningful to the city of Prizren and for entire Kosovo as well.
