Antoneta Kastrati has a unique story to tell.  Raised in the village of Zahaq (city of Peja), she abandoned her studies in medicine to pursue a career in film directing. Antoneta chose documentary film making as a medium of expression.  In 2009, she graduated with a Master’s degree from the Kosovo Institute of Journalism and Communications.  She was chosen as one of the eight women directors chosen by the American Film Institute Directing Workshop for Women from across the United States.   Since 2003, Antoneta has produced over ten documentaries that share insights into social issues ranging from traditions of marriage, women in politics, domestic violence, homophobia, deforestation and coal pollution.

In an interview for Kosovo Diaspora, Anoneta talks about her struggles and challenges that led her to successful film production.

KD: Tell us a bit about your background and the work you do?

Shortly after the war in Kosovo, I joined the “Balkan Sunflowers”, a volunteer humanitarian group that organized activities for youth and children. It was there I first started learning about camera and documentary film. I got involved in documentary film because it was vehicle for me to express myself as well as tell stories that mattered.  I moved to Los Angeles after I received my master’s degree.

KD: How did the idea for your short film “She Comes in Spring” come about?

At the end of the war, only two days before NATO troops entered Kosova, my mother and older sister were killed by a group of Serbs from a nearby village.  The killer is still free today somewhere in Serbia. I had wondered many times about going to find them and what it would be like to confront them.

So, I wrote She Comes In Spring exploring the possibility of confrontation, in a fictional form. The script however, changed a lot from the first initial draft.  She Comes In Spring now tells the story of brutality of the war through the point of view and the memory of a Serbian soldier, who now many years after the war is faced with his past.

She Comes in Spring is the first step for me in a long process of dealing with the past.  It is a predecessor to a documentary film I plan to make in the near future.

KD: What are the most worthy reactions the film has received so far?

After the Newport Beach Film Festival screening in California, I was approached by an old man in tears who gave me a long hug telling me how brave I was. He talked to me about the importance of remembrance and sharing the stories of war so they won’t happen again. I soon realized that he was a Holocaust survivor. Here he was 90 years old and had spent most of his life bringing to light the atrocities and lessons from the Holocaust.  I felt such closeness to this old man. He reminded me of the importance and the responsibility I have as a survivor – to bring to light and never forget the dead.

Another reaction worth mentioning came from a French citizen, after the Dokufest screening who said the film was unique as it came from Kosovo and raises the issue of the past with Serbs.

She Comes in Spring/ Facebook Official

Another reaction was a recent one, from a woman from Prishtina who sent me a Facebook message after my screening at Femmes Fatales Film Festival, which I was not able to attend. I am going to quote part of her message “During the screening, I was sitting next to a woman from Serbia. While we, the Albanian audience, were wiping our tears in secret, the woman from Serbia was crying out loud.”

In addition, I think that International audiences were surprised to see a film coming from Kosovo, made by a war survivor that tells the story in an unbiased, truthful way, away from nationalistic clichés and stereotypes.

KD: What projects are you working on now?

I am writing and developing my first feature film based on Empty Bucket, a short I directed few years ago, which I plan to shoot in Kosovo hopefully in the next two years. It is a story of Lume, a young bride married in an isolated Kosovo village who is haunted by nightmares and suffers her second miscarriage in a row. Her mother in law is convinced that Lume is cursed by black magic and sends her on a journey of witch doctors, unusual rituals and forced bed rest, in order to heal her from the curse. Later, as her husband’s family celebrates a new pregnancy, Lume’s wartime past comes back to haunt her and her unborn baby.

It is a drama/mystery and it deals with the consequences of the war in present day Kosovo.

She Comes in Spring/ Facebook Official

KD: How do you see the art and culture scene in Kosovo?

I think there have been some good developments in the recent years, primarily in film.  I am very much excited about the new generation of directors from Kosovo. I see an emergence of honest, professional and creative work coming from this new wave of directors. There have been a handful of short films that have had international success. There are some feature films being developed that I can’t wait to see in the big screen, such as “The Wedding” from Blerta Zeqiri and “Babai” by Visar Morina.

Another shift happening in the last few years comes from QKK (Kosovo Cinematographic Center) and it has to do with financing. In the past few years they have started to trust and finance film projects from young directors. I think that is a great step for the future of Filmmaking in Kosovo.

KD: How can diaspora members help better the image of Kosovo?

Doing the work we are inspired to do. Creating qualitative work that moves beyond our borders. We have seen with Rita Ora and Majlinda Kelmendi. They are working hard and moving forward in doing what they know how to do best.  I think work speaks for itself.

To find out more about Antoneta Kastrati or her Film click here “She comes in Spring”

Bebe Rexha is the new up-and-coming artist that is taking the music industry to another level. This 24-year-old talent has set the bar high as she wrote the smash hit-song “The monster” performed by Eminem featuring Rihanna.

Bebe Rexha/Facebook Official

In 1989, Bleta Rexha also known as Bebe Rexha was born in Brooklyn, New York. The rising star is very proud of her Albanian heritage, as Rexha’s parents come from the Albanian city Dibra in Macedonia. Bebe Rexha found her passion for music as a child, being called a musical prodigy. To confirm her love for music, Rexha was part of many musicals throughout her high school years. As she spent a great amount of time focusing on her songwriting skills, her hard work paid off and she won “Best teen songwriter” award at the National Academy of Recording Arts & Science’s annual New York “Grammy Day” event.

The ambitious pop star was the lead singer of a band called Black Cards created by Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz. In 2012 Bebe started her solo career and got signed by Warner Bros. As a songwriter she achieved great success writing the hit-song “The Monster” performed by Eminem and Rihanna, which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

In an interview with illyriapress.com Bebbe Rexha talks about the inspiration behind the song. “When I wrote “The Monster”, I had just gotten dropped from my first record deal with Universal/Island Def Jam and I was very sad. So my friends and I were working on new music for my album so that I could get a new record deal. When I went to the studio that day, I found a quote on the internet about the monsters that live inside of us, so I was inspired to write a song about the monsters in my head.”

The talented singer/songwriter also wrote and is featured on Cash Cash’s “Take me home”. Her great musical influence are Coldplay, who she dreams to collaborate with. Other musical influences are Kanye West, Lauryn Hill, Queen and Ace of Base. Her plans for 2014 is to promote her new released single “I can’t stop drinking about you” and also work on her debut album. Rexha will also be performing at Lollapalooza festival in Chicago and SummerFest in Milwaukee where she will be opening up for Usher. On top of that she is working on new songs with the famous David Guetta for his album.

Bebe Rexha/Facebook Official

When asked about if she would consider having a concert in Kosovo, Albania or Macedonia, she tells illyriapress.com “I am very proud of my heritage and I would love to perform my music there. My culture is very important to me.”

While Mr. Rexhepi has been living in Switzerland for 29 years. He is still a holder of B visa, a status that makes him a long stay visitor; however the residence status does not hold Mr. Rexhepi back from being a stellar player. He is the one of the best chess players and is willing to represent Switzerland wholeheartedly.

Mr. Rexhepi is so far the person with the greatest chances of representing Switzerland at the International Chess Competitions for people with damaged hearing. So far, he has an impressive record of being three times selected as the champion of chess for people with damaged hearing.

“When I am playing chess, I forget about all my problems,” says Mr. Halit Rexhepi. One thing he does not forget are his cigarettes. While playing at the 2008 chess competitions at St. Gallen, he could not focus due to restrictions on smoking. Playing for hours without smoking was just too difficult. He is not convinced that a ban on smoking is rational because “this way we would have to disqualify the players that have garlic breath,” jokingly argues Mr. Rexhepi.

Halit Rexhepi and his family had moved to Switzerland 21 years ago. After finishing high school, he had worked as a salesman at a grocery store. His first hearing aid device was given to him at a Swiss Hospital. Mr. Rexhepi explains that his hearing is damaged up to 70% and is unable to learn sign language, however, he can read lips and that is how he manages to get by. Besides, he jokingly explains that playing chess does not require one to speak.

Initially, Mr. Rexhepi started playing at a chess club called “Kosova”, a club initiated from Kosovar Diaspora members in St. Gallen. His numerous wins had motivated him to move forward and win the title of Swiss champion of Chess for People with Hearing Damage. Even though Mr. Rexhepi is not a citizen, he will represent the Swiss team at the World Championship Competition that is to be held in Croatia. The team is consisted of six members and Mr. Rexhepi shall be leading it to success.

The original article was posted at Albinfo.ch – Click here to read the original article.

Ylber Dauti, a lawyer, is among the most successful Albanian young advocates in America and Europe. His name has been frequently seen in the U.S. and Albanian media. He is frequently selected by “Verdict Search Report & New York Law Journal” for excellent records. Lawyer Dauti has won numerous cases on legal issues of a few million dollars. Therefore, he is classified as “the millionaire lawyer”.

In the list of his victories, sensational issues that have dictated to change even the state laws were recorded. But, which are the latest victories of the lawyer? In this article we will introduce: the victory with a seven-figure of an Albanian client a few weeks ago, the victory of a delicate issue with two Albanian children who as adults will find themselves being multimillionaires; maximum victory with an American client who became a millionaire; the latest involvement in the “Verdict Search Report and the New York Law Journal”; and the meeting with George Soros where he was assigned to give him a special award. How he felt when he lost the first court battle ten years ago? What emotions he experiences after a prolonged legal battle? Why does he recommend to his clients the saying of Mark Twain, the same located in a conspicuous place of his office: “If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything”?

The latest news from “The Daut Law, PC” legal office of the Albanian lawyer is a trial that ended a few weeks ago in New York. His client was an Albanian born and raised in America. The lawyer says that the jury selection was a coincidence; one of the selected members was of Albanian origin, who came in the U.S. 20 years ago. This was unusual in 10 years of experience of Dauti. This coincidence made him happy, as he thought that he himself as an Albanian lawyer and his Albanian client would feel better since there would be an affinity, but the feeling quickly dissipated; the selected Albanian jury member resigned due to his weak English. However the trial continued with another selection and the question ended positively. The Albanian client came satisfied from defense of the lawyer Dauti, not only due to the amount of compensation with seven figures he won, but also with professionalism and ethics of Mr. Dauti.

Lawyer Dauti has worked hard to protect children. Nights, weeks and months until he succeeded; he proved so reliably that the other side was to blame for the accident. Alongside other evidence, he managed to convince the opposing party through the testimony of two experts: a child psychologist and a civil engineer. The judge was shocked from the compensation amount of the issue and stated that “she had never seen or heard that such a great amount o was given in a case like this, because – according to her – injuries were so minor.” How much was the amount of compensation? The lawyer does not give figures, but repeats what his clients have written in a public letter published in “the Sun” that: “When the children grow up they will realize that they are multimillionaires…”
“But I would like to add, the lawyer says,  “especially one of them will have a lot of millions and probably won’t need to work at all during his life – of course he doesn’t have to work, but I would not suggest such a thing at all.”

Lawyer Dauti was also highly appreciated in a public letter from another client, Joseph Kramer, which he published in “Dielli” magazine in February 2013. Thanks to Dauti’s legal office, Kramer won the biggest judicial remuneration for 2012 in the state of New York. Also, Dauti holds a record of “Verdict Search Report & New York Law Journal” for winning the “premises liability” twice for the biggest amount earned in a judicial case in the New York state. Ylber Dauti is also the first Albanian lawyer being a member of “Million/Multimillion Dollar Advocates Forum”.

The original article was posted at illyriapress.com – Click here to read the original article.

Mr. Jashari arrived in the United States in 1999 with a total of 20 dollars in his pocket. Now, among his clients are names of famous starts and athletes. Just like the thousands of dream-chasers, Mr. Jashari had come to the United States with the ambition of making use of his talent. His ambition and hard-work had finally paid off when he joined the “Bhambi’s”  tailoring house, a well known tailor shop among the elites of Manhattan. 

Bedair Jashari had arrived in Brooklyn,NY on the year of 1999. With two children and a pregnant wife, Bedair had decided to take a good look at his last 20 dollars and make a decision. Had initially been hosted by his uncle, whom he constantly praises and is grateful for the help. Bedair had been taking all the possible jobs that he could handle, he had been working back to back shifts until his English finally caught up and enabled him to look for a more professional career.

“Initially, I was very eager to start working as a designer or tailor, however, my lack of English had made it nearly impossible for companies to even consider my applications. I had sent hundreds of applications, without an answer. Years later, I decided to give it another shot and here I am. Today I work as a classic suit designer and am very happy.”

” I am very thankful to God for the talent and ambition. Only through this talent have I made it here. My ambition was never personal, just like in the past, I constantly think of ways I could better my profession as well as help others” – explains Mr. Jashari.

The famous names among his customer are: former President Bill Clinton, Senator John McCain, Pierce Brosnan,Nicole Kidman, Hillary Duff, Calvin Klein, George Forman and many others. Mr. Jashari is convinced that attention to details and customer care are the keys to a successful business. “Attention to detail brings perfection in tailoring” M.Jashari.

The original article was posted at illyriapress.com – Click here to read the original article.

Euglen Muslli is 21 year-old and still lives with his parents in Brooklyn, New York who last week won 1.5 million dollars in lottery.

“Many people talk about the American Dream, but I’m living it for real right now,” said Euglen Muslli, who emigrated from Albania in the U.S., only six years ago. After having a haircut on May 19, while walking near a point of sale of the lottery tickets he stopped to buy a ticket.

“When I found out I won I was shocked and now I really do not know what to do,” he said to the American media.

Muslli who won 1.5 million dollars, in his bank account will have receive a net1.18 million dollars; the remainder will go for taxes, writes “lajmi.net”.

“I want to keep on working,” said the young fortunate. “Down the road, I want to open an Italian restaurant. I love the Italian food.”

The original article was posted at Lajmi.net – Click here to read the original article.

A region built on warm hospitality and community spirit. Elizabeth Gowing heads out in a Land Rover Discovery to one of Europe’s most remote valleys in the small town of Theth, Northern Albania.

Elizabeth Gowing came to Kosovo eight years ago and fell in love with the Albanian Lands. She learned to speak Albanian, and set up a charity, The Ideas Partnership working on environmental, education and cultural heritage projects.

Land Rover Discovery conquers steep rocky ascents and high-passes covered in snow, as it drives through a part of Europe where no roads lead.

The original article was posted at Ukalbanians.net – Click here to read the original article.

As we all know, Switzerland is a country were a lot of Albanians reside. Plus, the Super League is filled with Albanian football players and there is at least one Albanian in most of the bigger teams. It is a league that has advanced players such as Xherdan Shaqiri, Granit Xhaka and many more. Most of the Albanians in Switzerland went on to represent Switzerland but there are still a couple of them that went the other way and chose their native country, Albania.

By Kosovare Mezini

During these past couple of weeks the Albanian football crowd has gotten to know a new name, Fidan Aliti. When Gianni De Biasi presented the list of players that were going to play three friendly games, young Aliti was one of the new names that raised a couple of eyebrows. Who is he? – people wondered. Well, he is a 20 year-old defender that born in Switzerland and with roots all the way to Presheva. He currently plays in FC Luzern, a team where the Albanian National Team player Jahmir Hyka and the U21 player Hekuran Kryeziu plays in.

On May 31st, at the age of 20, Aliti got to do his first team debut for Albania. He replaced Ansi Agolli during the last minutes against Romania but it was a narrow 0-1 defeat for the red and black’s. Albania lost the second game as well with the same result, this time against Hungary but Aliti was left on the bench the entire game. However, in the last game, several of our players had to leave due to injuries or other obligations which meant that Fidan Aliti was going to debut from start. He did, and he played the entire game against San Marino and got to celebrate a 3-0 win in his first game. 2014 has been a historical year for him since he made his debut for Luzern’s first team earlier this year and has now introduced himself to Albania’s National Team.

Even though he shares the same name-day as the famous Zlatan Ibrahimovic – October 3^rd they play in different positions, but Aliti might achieve the same amount of fame in a few years. We’ll just have to let the future show us if this youngster will carry on to become another role model amongst the Albanians teens.

Shkëlzen Gashi shun the critics who claimed that Swiss football does not have high caliber players without its “Albanian Five” (Shaqiri,Xhaka,Xhemaili,Behrami,Mehmedi). With the “Top Five” away, Gashi had proven that through fantastic performance, he could be crowned the player with most goals in the Swiss Football Super-league. With 19 goals, Gashi (representing GC Cyrih) has been the lone warrior at the top of the billboard for some time now, leaving far behind the second placed Valentin Stocker of Basel (12 goals). 

© Ekonomia Online

Watch Shkëlzen Gashi demolish the net on a YouTube video compilation here:

The original article was posted at Albinfo.ch – Click here to read the original article.

28 year old Admir Saiti has been working on building a successful career. His passion for photography has paid off and got him a job with one of the world’s top car manufacturing firms. 

Admir Saiti, who now lives in Weggis (Swizterland), has already finished working on two video projects – commercial ads for “Schild” and “BMW”. Saiti claims that he is only warming up since BMW has contracted him for two (2) additional video projects. Mr. Saiti had been suggested as an excellent photographer to BMW by Thomas Buchwalder.

His work is not strictly limited to the car industry. Mr. Saiti is known for setting up excellent photo-shoots for various modeling and artistic agencies. Some of his photos are shown at “Fashion Night”- a fashion event held on Hallenstadion of Zurich.

All in all, Admir Saiti feels that his decision to move from Kumanovë to Weggis has really given him the confidence he needs to pursue a career in photography. 

The original article was posted at Albinfo.ch – Click here to read the original article.

Raised far away from her homeland, Gostivar; Hava Bekteshi has not forgotten her roots and tradition. Her favorite musical instrument is the Çifteli; she brings it along to all her performances throughout Germany.

Recently, Hava and her skill to play the Çifteli were showcased on TV Hamburg 1, where she had decided to play a little love song.

“Welcher bist du?” or “Which one are you?” is a highly anticipated movie by Valton Jakupi. The premier is set to take place on 22nd of June in Cinewil at 12:30 pm. The movie premier will have an organized cocktail for the audience where people will have the chance to taste Albanian cookies and sweet dishes.

The movie “Which one are you?” by Bujanovc born Valton Jakupi and producer Felix Baumgartner sheds light on the life of Albanians in Switzerland and breaks down the  pre-conceptions people have on immigrants. The movie captures a wide range of characters that one could encounter in a diaspora community and specifically focuses on the type of Albanians one meets in Switzerland.

Based on Mr. Jakupi, the movie is primarily done in German. However, there are bits and pieces where conversations are held on Albanian. The movie is set on the lives of two characters, the father and son and their views on life in the West and the struggles of living abroad. “I wanted to send a message through the movie – I wanted to show that the Albanian community in Switzerland is integrated and there are many Albanians working on careers that are not necessary blue color jobs”.

Valton Jakupi and Felix Baumgartner call on all the people who are talented actors to visit their offices. They are eager to work with young actors and help them reach their dreams. They will be working on a follow up project on integration and would love to include as many young people as possible!

The original article was posted at Albinfo.ch – Click here to read the original article.

The Albanian people know him as their ambassador and the football world knows him as the dedicated defensive center-back for Lazio. We speak of no less then Lorik Cana. The new football hero was born on July 27, 1983, a summery day in Pristina, Kosovo.

Following his fathers Agim Cana footsteps, Lorik Cana and his family moved in 1992 to Switzerland where his father signed for the football club Montreux. Lorik’s professional football career began in 2002, when he signed for Paris Saint-Germain’s first squad. According to footballtop.com, he made 69 appearances during three seasons and scored two goals. Lorik saw further success when he signed onto another French club, Marseille, and became the key midfielder in 2005.

Though he has three citizenships and, thus, three national teams to choose from, Lorik Cana followed his heart and roots and chose Albania. In an interview 2009 with journalist Louise Taylor for The Guardian , Mr Cana says ” I want to give my best all the time, to make my family and my people proud”.

He has since 2003 played for Albania’s national team where he also is the team captain.  The footballer had already in 2003, at the age of 20, been voted as the Albanian footballer of the year. After playing for Marseille, Lorik continued his career playing for teams such as Sunderland and Galatasaray and finally the italian football club Lazio where he currently is signed.

“I did not do it for football, I did it for humanity” says Alex Pedrazzini , MP of Ticino Canton from the CVP (Christian Democratic Party) as he explains how he was set on preventing the deportation of Valon Behrami years ago.

If it wasn’t for Alex Pedrazzini a parliamentary at the Testina Canton from CVP, Switzerland might be missing one of its key football players. Valon Behrami’s family is forever grateful for the work that Pedrazzini did in keeping Behrami from deportation.

Back in 1998, Behrami’s family was refused permission to stay in Switzerland. Mr. Ragip, Valon Behrami’s father, had only one option, to turn to Mr. Pedrazzini. Their sons played football for the same team so the two families had a friendly history. “Listen Alex, I need your help!” were Ragip Behrami’s words. 16 years later, Mr. Pedrazzini admits that it really was his intervention that was the deciding act on keeping the Behrami family in Switzerland.

“I did not do it for football, I did it for humanity” says Mr. Pedrazzini in retrospective. He argues that once he examined the family history and records, he found enough evidence to support a case in favor of the Behrami family.

The original article was posted at Albinfo.ch – Click here to read the original article

Kosovo-born classical guitarist Petrit Çeku will perform at the “Open Guitar Festival” in Czech Republic this week, which will be held in the historic Gothic castle of “Krikvolat.”

Petrit Çeku, Simfonijski orkestar HRT-a (foto: Dario Njavro)

Petrit Çeku was born in 1985 in Prizren where, during primary music school, he received instructions from Luan Sapunxhiu. In 2002 he moved to Zagreb, where he continued his music education under the instruction of Xhevdet Sahatxhija. Later he entered Darko Petrinjak’s class at the Music Academy in Zagreb and graduated from the program in 2008. He currently studies with Manuel Barrueco at “Peabody Conservatory” in Baltimore; USA. His first solo album was released that year under the “Naxos Records” label.

According to the “Peabody Institute” he performs regularly with symphony orchestras as well as in chamber music setting with various musicians.

Petrit has won first prize in “the All-Croatian Competition” in Dubrovnik in 2003 and in the international “Anna Amalia Guitar Competition” in Weimar. He has also won a lot of other prizes and awards, such as “Anna Amalia Competition for Young Guitarists” (Germany-2003), “Emilio Pujol Guitar Competition” (Italy-2004), “Andrés Segovia Competition” (Germany-2004), “the Gold Medal in the Parkening International Guitar Competition” (California, 2012) and other awards all around the world.

Besides the concerts, the “Open Guitar Festival” will also have lessons for the students and teachers of art and music schools. During the festival, the prominent guitarist Richard Wright will also give lessons.

Traditional costumes, tunes from the çifteli, dances and songs were performed at the “1+1 = Love and Life” exhibition at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow, UK. Mrs. Remzije Zeka Sherifi, talked on how this is a great opportunity for UK residents to meet and get to know the Albanian culture and Balkans in general.

“The idea has been around for roughly three years now, it is when professionals from 11 museums : Museum of Prishtina, Novi Sad, Sarajevo, Zenica, Banja Luka, Macedonia, Belgrade, Gjakova, Cetinja, Tirana and the Historical museum of Shkodra; in the spirit of good will and cooperation, decided to work on a grand project. The current Glasgow exhibition is truly unique, it has a selection of original photographs as well as traditional ethnic clothing hand made by the women of “Nënë Tereza” women’s group in Glasgow”- explained Mrs. Sherifi.

What made the event so special was the presence of a 45 year old traditional Albanian woman’s dress, made with wool and cotton and hand decorated with beads. The visitors had the chance to see traditional clothing from various Ethnic Albanian cities, as well as clothing from around the world. The event was concluded with a fashion show with colorful clothing and Albanian folk tunes.

The original article was posted at Kultplus – Click here to read the original article

Yllka Istrefi is a talented classical pianist from Kosovo, living in London since 2001. She left Kosovo to follow her dreams and learn more from Professor Benjamin Kaplan. Yllka was awarded a Postgraduate Diploma from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London and completed a Master’s Degree in Advanced Piano Performance at the Royal College of Music in London with Vanessa Latarche. Up to date she has had over 200 concerts and performed in many countries across the world, including festivals such as Chelsea Schubert Festival, Mozart Piano Sonata Festival and many others.  

In an interview for Kosovo Diaspora, Yllka talks about her performances and the role of diaspora.

KD: Can you tell us more about your performances?

One of the great advantages of being a performer is that you get to travel and meet lots of different people. I find it amazing that when I get invited back in some concert venues and there are people who come to hear me again and again. In April I performed at the Chopin Festival in Prishtina and going back home for a concert is always a great feeling. I also love performing in Italy; my most recent concert was near Lake Maggiore and the audience was amazing. Obviously, I feel most at home performing in the UK and am very happy to have great relations with many concert venues and promoters across the countries.

KD: What projects are you working on now?

I am working towards a few recitals here in the UK in the coming months and am preparing for a recording session, which I hope to complete during July. I am also working towards a tour of South-West England in 2015. Apart from performing, I am also a very enthusiastic runner and last month in Edinburgh I completed my second marathon in 3 hours 42 minutes, which has qualified me to run at the London Marathon in 2015.

KD: How do you see the art and culture scene in Kosovo?

I find that there is a lot of individual initiative and enthusiasm in Kosovo. There are lots of hard-working professionals who are keeping the cultural life alive. Unfortunately, Kosovo still lacks the basic conditions for proper cultural growth. It is imperative to start thinking and acting as soon as possible towards a structure that would make Kosovo compatible with the rest of Europe.

KD: What are some of the challenges you face as a pianist from Kosovo?

I don’t feel that being from Kosovo has held me back in any way. Especially here in the UK, I have been surrounded by musicians from all over the world and was not much different from them. In some ways, people are more curious about where I come from, our culture and our music.

KD: How can diaspora members help better the image of Kosovo?

By integrating into the adopted culture and setting high standards for themselves. This is important because often the diaspora is the only reflection of our country that many people will see.

For more please check Yllka’s Webpage

Kosovo will be playing Switzerland on July 9^th, on an international friendly Beach Soccer match which has been officially appointed by FIFA.

Source: albinfo.ch

This event was initiated and organized by Selami and Rabit Rexhepi, the founders of the football club “Illyria” in Switzerland. After a long process, the Kosovo team has received the approval from FIFA and the necessary arrangements have been made by the Football Federation of Kosovo, the Swiss beach soccer team is one of the most prestigious teams in this category. They were the finalists of the 2009 World Cup in Dubai where they were defeated by Brazil. They currently rank the 5^th on the FIFA World Ranking for Beach Soccer. The Swiss League, “Swiss Beach Soccer League Suzuki” is also recognized as one of the strongest and best organized leagues in the world.

While Kosovo football lovers are working for an international promotion of the Kosovar football, Beach Football (Beach Soccer) is only played on a local tournament level.

Prior to the game of July 9^th, the Kosovo team will play two  test matches against “BSC Havana Shots” and “BeachKings Emmen.”

The original article was posted at Albinfo.ch – Click here to read the original article

By Nol Sahatçiu

Rita Ora needs to up her game. Not that she hasn’t and isn’t, but she’s got competition (if so viewed) and a pretty mighty one at that. Self-named Singer-Songwriter Bebe Rexha, born to Albanian parents, is making debuts and collabs and just putting herself out there for all to see. Perhaps her best known act so far is her melodic brainchild of the Eminem feat. Rihanna no. 1 hit ‘Monster’ which she can also interpret in quite the glamorous method herself, as seen here:

sometimes you just gotta jump.—
Bebe Rexha (@BebeRexha) June 26, 2014

So how Rexha first get her start? According to Starcasm.net she began her ‘career’ since the age of four, doing musicals such as “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Jesus Christ Superstar”.Her first break came as the front woman for the Pete Wentz project, Black Cards, but even though the band did not do that well, Bebe had plans of her own. Bebe started writing songs for her debut project, and her latest mainstream success came as the writer and featured artist on the debut single for red hot DJ trio, Cash Cash, on their song “TAKE ME HOME”.

In early 2014, Billboard Magazine identified Bebe as an “Artist That Will Help Define 2014″, placing her as a competitor for the mainstream bigs such as Rihanna, and even our own homebrew Rita Ora. Bebe is currently signed to a worldwide recording deal with Warner Bros. Records and her debut album will be released in early 2015. We wish Bebe the best of luck in her future endeavors as another contender for the Albanian ambassadors of the world. Good luck Bebe.

The Swiss newspaper Blick has attributed a video to Xherdan Shaqiri for his spectacular hat-trick against Honduras. In this video you see citizens and tourists in Zürich complementing Shaqiri and wishing him the best for the next match.