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By:
Besarte Elshani
- July 20, 2025 21:22
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"Are we sealing the song, our love over the years, or not? I believe I deserve your love," was one of Armend Rexhepagiqi's questions at the "Old Love" concert, also the title of his album. The answer was given by the audience, to whom he also restored the "old love" and on stage he sealed the songs, hits and above all his greatness. "Every day there is serious news and art has a mission: that each of us convey freedom, an appeal for peace in the whole world with a round of applause. The world needs kindness," he said. And, the applause for him was unstoppable. As if everything that the audience wanted to give him over the years had come together
Armend Rexhepagiqi's early songs have proven to be pearls and hits that resist every revolution of the Albanian music scene. The latest in his repertoire, as a test for the loyalty of the audience that sings every verse of the song. The poetics of his pearls have been in sync with the audience and this unifies the singer-songwriter. The magnificent concert as a spectacle on Saturday night has been a roadmap and vision of his career of almost half a century in the music scene. "Old Love" is the name of the concert, just like the title of his newest album. It is the ninth in his career.
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“Shkel” – sung on a platform that rises about ten meters above the stage – and “Dashuriren ku e kam” are his anthems that he has given to the public. The echo of love for Rexhepagiqi’s song has been great. The most appropriate way to express it has been the harmony of the audience in the song with the singer-songwriter. The voices united as a choir have often faded the artist’s powerful voice on stage and this, as Rexhepagiqi has said, makes him proud and feels obliged to work even harder.
An hour before the concert started, the line of spectators was hundreds of meters long at the entrance. At the same time, the parking lot behind the Youth Palace, which was the location of the event, was already full. Unofficial figures put the audience at around five thousand people.
"My Prishtina, my heart!"
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"Old Love" seals the song and applause over the years for Armend Rexhepagiqi
The image of the stage and the entire space was similar to that of the major music festivals organized in the capital. Rexhepagiqi's entrance on stage was a spectacle in itself and the concert in general proved to be so. Rexhepagiqi has long since withdrawn from stage activity. The concert in July two years ago was a test that the public has been waiting for for a long time. And, the next concert is confirmation.
Before his physical presence on stage, there was a visual presentation with images on giant screens on both sides of the stage with archive footage of his concerts and performances over the years. They are Rexhepagiqi's artistic life, his characteristic voice and all his emotion, which he transmits in the interpretation of the songs he creates. It is his originality with which he has enriched the music scene.
Throughout his career, Rexhepagiqi has proven his artistic qualities many times. He continued his journey even in times when artistic creativity was prohibited.
In 1990, he represented Kosovo in "Jugovizion" and then his song in Albanian titled
"Mami, mami" was chosen as the national song that would represent Yugoslavia in the European song contest "Eurovision". In 2006, he won the "Kënga magjike" festival with the song "Kur dashuria vdes", and was awarded the best singer-songwriter award. That same year, he also won the "Video Festi Muzikor" video festival with one of his most iconic songs - "Shkel".
All of his successes are crowned with the public's love for his song. The first meeting with them on Saturday was preceded by a dramatic sequence with a play of lights and verses from the song "Dashuriënë ku e kam".
The first song he performed was “Dashni e vjetër” from the album of the same title, released on music platforms on June 4 of this year. What sets this album apart and is not at all surprising, based on Rexhepagiqi’s opus, are poetics, mainly harmonic music, vocal extensions and explosive sequences. He is known for his avant-garde style, so the songs on this album, such as “Kutia e zëza” and “Dyfish ma pak”, also include electronic music rhythms.
From this album, he also sang the songs “Boll m'ke dalë”, “S'o dashni”, “Ma ke n'alë” and “Krejt Prishtinën për dalëndje”. The vast majority of the public knows every word of these songs and this is proof of their admiration for the author's creativity.
Between performances, he has often spoken to the crowd. He has recalled moments and prejudices throughout his career.
"My Prishtina, my heart! My loves over the years. We loved each other, we understood each other, we sang together. They would say to me 'what are you singing, what are you doing with that music, what are you trying to do, don't you see that people are not having fun? Do we have any fans to tell them: come on, let's see!", Rexhepagiqi said before the audience responded with cheers and applause.
"Are we sealing our love through the years in song, or not? I believe I deserve your love," he continued on stage.
Sounds of kindness in a troubled world
Everyone present on stage, including the vocalists, conductor, and orchestra, were dressed in black, with T-shirts bearing the white peace symbol. From there, Rexhepagiqi conveyed messages of peace.
"Every day there is heavy news and art has a mission: to convey freedom to each of us, an appeal for peace throughout the world with a round of applause. The world needs kindness," he said.
The next song in the concert, "A don hala" with lyrics by Aida Baraku and music by him, was referred to as a song of his soul. From there, he praised the creativity of the composer Baraku, his wife.
"With her lyrics, with her verses, with her songs, her poetry, our music has gained sensitivity, depth, emotion, wisdom," said Armend Rexhepagiqi.
He also sang "Ti nuk më meriton" (You Don't Deserve Me) in 1997 and "Bileta" (Ticket) in 2007, composed by him. His music is part of many well-known songs by various local artists. The 2019 ballad "Tavolina e mërziëse" (The Table of Boredom) brought the poetics of Baraku's verses and the light rhythms written by him.
The stage was also a space from which he expressed his deep gratitude to the audience and the strong emotions that were conveyed even with tears. He also thanked the supporters of the concert, among them the Municipality of Pristina. He said that for the first time in his career he feels supported.
"It's the first time I feel supported by my city and country," said Rexhepagiqi.
The unburdened music emphasizes his vocal artistry. For the song "Edhe ë ì óri" it is accompanied only by piano sounds by Edon Ramadani, who was the perfect choice for this concert.
Armend Rexhepagiqi with "Old Love" for the first time in Ulcinj
"Every time I sing this song, I dedicate it to those who have loved deeply and to those who have lost someone dear to them. I invite everyone to raise their hands and dedicate the song to them," he said, overcome with emotion.
He also sang his hits "Me Kilometera", "Dudije", "Harrova" and again, his new song "Dashni e Vjetër". He extended his repertoire for the public by performing "Dashurije ku e kam" again.
The first guest of the concert was singer-songwriter Filloreta Raçi, known on stage as Fifi.
"I have manifested this concert in an extraordinary way. I had a concert today and I postponed it for another day just to be here in Pristina today and to honor Armend Rexhepagiqi. He and Aida Baraku are my two favorite composers and lyricists, of the soul," she said on stage.
She has performed her songs "Lali" and the ballad "Marova mas teje".
The other guest was singer-songwriter Ronela Hajati. She sang the songs "Vuj" from 2018, with which she participated in the "Kënga magjike" festival in 2018, and "Sekret" with which she represented Albania in "Eurovision" in 2022.
"Thank you for all the inspiration you have given to generations and to me. The most important thing is that you never forget," she told Rexhepagiqi.
An indicator of greatness as a creator
Set designer and artist Shqipe Kamberi said that the concert was indicative of Armend Rexhepagiqi's greatness as a creator.
"I grew up with Armend's songs, I have a very dear friend of his as well. Tonight he gave us a performance, just what we expected. He showed his greatness again. He is an icon of our music and makes us proud, makes us happy that we have such a musician," she told KOHĖN.
And artist Adrian Berisha considers Rexhepagiqi one of the most important artists in society.
"If you think of an artist from the '80s, I think that Armend Rexhepagiqi is in our top five artists. The concert was good, I enjoyed it very much, the organization was at an extraordinary level, but what really impressed me was Armend's performance. He is extraordinary in every aspect. Being able to have such energy with the audience shows how much of an artist he is," Berisha told KOHĖN.
It has been said that his song springs from the soul and this creativity, according to him, survives time.
"Armendi creates songs that are qualitative and not quantitative. They are songs that survive time, they are 'evergreen' and remain forever in our minds and we want to listen to them often. I believe that everything that Armendi does comes from his soul and everything that comes from the soul in the artistic aspect I think survives all times," said Berisha.
Before Armend Rexhepagiqi's performance, he released local and international hits. The selection, according to Berisha, known on stage as DJ Gamble, was intended as an adaptation to Saturday's main protagonist.
"Overall, I found the concert to be an extremely good one. I had the pleasure of playing music before Armend's performance and selected some songs that relate to the way he has always been a kind of dissident and outside of his own rules. It was also a great pleasure to experience the concert, in addition to making songs," said DJ Gamble.
The song "Nuk të harroj" by the late singer-songwriter, Violeta Rexhepagiqi, was also heard in this repertoire. It was a tribute and honor to the avant-garde artist, Armend Rexhepagiqi's sister.
"As a fan of Armend's music, I am also a fan of Violeta and the Kosovar 'synth-pop' generation of the '80s and '90s. Definitely, Violeta Rexhepagiqi, besides having played a major role in her brother Armend, was also one of the most important artists we have had in society and it was a kind of desire of mine, without discussing it with Armend, to play the song 'Nuk të harroj' and it was a kind of dedication to Armend that he does not forget, but we do not forget either", said Adrian Berisha.
Armend Rexhepagiqi's concert has been a journey not only of his career, but also of the history of entertainment music in the country. They have proven to be precious pearls and gems that withstand time.
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© KOHA Daily
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