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Eugent Bushpepa

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Eugent Bushpepa
Bushpepa at the Eurovision Song Contest 2018
Bushpepa at the Eurovision Song Contest 2018
Background information
Also known asGent Bushpepa
Born (1984-07-02) 2 July 1984 (age 40)
Rrëshen, Albania
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • Songwriter
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • drums
Years active2006–present
LabelsUniversal Music

Eugent Bushpepa (born 2 July 1984), also known by the alternative name Gent Bushpepa, is an Albanian rock singer, songwriter, and philanthropist.[1][2] Regarded as one of the most popular modern rock musicians in the Albanian speaking world, Bushpepa is noted for his vocal range, vocal power, high-energy live performances, and is also recognized as an accomplished guitarist.

Bushpepa and his band were the supporting acts on the concert tours of Deep Purple in 2007, Duff Mckagan (Guns N’ Roses) in 2011 and Overkill in 2014. On 18 August 2013, he performed a full concert with Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal[3]. In December 2017, Bushpepa won the 56th edition of Festivali i Këngës with the song "Mall", and therefore represented Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 in Lisbon. He finished 11th.[4][5] Bushpepa is the sole author of his song which was reworked for the Eurovision by Jim Lowe, a Grammy Award-winning British record producer and audio engineer, and released through Universal Music Group.

Life and career

Early life

Bushpepa was born on 2 July 1984 in Rrëshen, Albania. He started singing at the age of six while his guitar training began in the fifth grade of primary school. After finishing high school, he moved to Bologna, Italy, to study medicine where he completed his first academic year.[6] Although Eugent made his professional stage debut in Kënga Magjike at the age of fourteen, his music career was jump-started upon his return to Albania in 2006 where he was set to pursue a medical degree in dentistry and started to perform live shows in various night clubs and pubs alongside studies. Writing and performing his own material, Bushpepa had also made various live covers and appeared in over 2000 live shows since his beginnings.[7]

Music career

Clockwise from upper left: Bushpepa has opened for Deep Purple in 2007, Duff McKagan (Guns N'Roses) in 2011, Overkill in 2014, and has performed with Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal in 2013.

Bushpepa's professional career began in 2006 and since then he has been active in the Albanian music scene. His national breakthrough came with the song ”Maska e Madhështisë", released in 2007 at Top Fest 4. In the same competition, he also teamed up with a rock band called Sunrise, performing their song Engjëll, and then he went on to play in major music festivals and worked on new music.[1].

He was asked to become the supporting act for Duff McKagan for a concert in Tirana[8][9] on their Loaded band tour on 1 June 2011.

Bushpepa posing for journalists during a promotional tour in Madrid, Spain, 2018

During a traditional beer festival in Korçë on 18 August 2013, Bushpepa performed with Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, the guitarist of Guns N' Roses.[10][11] In 2014, he joined the band Darkology as their tour vocalist.[12], replacing Kelly Sundown Carpenter in their Killfest tour with Overkill, Prong, and Enforcer who performed in various cities in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and the Netherlands.[13].

In early to mid 2017, Bushpepa had signed on as an adviser in The Voice of Albania, assisting Besa's team, whereas on 24 December 2017, he won the 56th edition of Festivali i Këngës, the longest-running annual televised music competition in Albania since 1962, and thus represented Albania at the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 in Lisbon, Portugal with his song "Mall".[14][15]

Eurovision Song Contest

Following Bushpepa's victory in Albania, it was confirmed that his winning song "Mall" would be performed in Albanian language but with a shortened duration of three minutes as per Eurovision rules. The Eurovision version was reworked by Bushpepa and Jim Lowe, a Grammy Award-winning audio engineer, and was released through Universal Music on April 16.[16]. Bushpepa's promotional tour in London and Tel Aviv were postponed due to visa delays[17], but he resumed the tour in Amsterdam and Madrid that advanced with great success[18][19]. Albania was drawn to compete third at the first-semi final in which Bushpepa performed "Mall" third in a field of nineteen participants and qualified for the Grand Final being among the top ten most-voted acts[20]. In the final, the song was performed twelfth in a field of twenty-six and ranked seventh with the juries and eleventh with a combined televote score.

Chinese censorship

Bushpepa performing at the Eurovision Song Contest 2018

During the Chinese broadcast of the Eurovision's first semi-final on Mango TV, Bushpepa's performance was taken completely off-air due to a ban on television performers displaying tattoos that took effect in January 2018[21], while the Irish entry was also edited out of the show due to its representation of a same-sex couple on stage. As a result, the EBU terminated the broadcast rights agreement with Mango TV, citing that "censorship is not in line with the EBU's values of universality and inclusivity and its proud tradition of celebrating diversity through music," which led to a ban on televising the second semi-final and the grand final in the country.[22]. Notwithstanding the fact, Bushpepa has not commented publicly on the matter.

Discography

Bushpepa has made no albums to date and has only released singles. Although he deems himself as a non-commercial artist, Bushpepa stated that he is working on his first studio album following requests from fans.

Singles

Year Venue Song title Notes
2007 Top Fest 4 Maska e madhështisë
2007 Top Fest 4 Engjëll
2008 Top Fest 5 Ëndërr reale feat. Gled Mikerezi
2008 Festafiali 47 RTSH S'jam baladë feat. Rovena Dilo
2009 Top Fest 6 Stinë dreqi
2011 Top Fest 8 Rebel pa hije
2012 Top Fest 9 Udhëtari
2013 Top Fest 10 Viktimë
2015 Top Fest 12 Pranë finishit
2017 Festivali i Këngës 56 Mall Winner song
2018 Eurovision Song Contest Mall Albanian representative

He featured two new songs ("Koha Ndryshk" and "stay with me") in his Tirana concert, June, 2nd 2018.

Awards

Top Fest

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2008 "Ëndërr reale" Best Male Singer Won
2009 "Stinë dreqi" Vodafone Club Award Won
2011 "Rebel pa hije" Best Male Singer Won
2015 "Pranë finishit" Honorific Award Won

Festivali i Këngës

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2017 "Mall" First Prize Won

References

  1. ^ a b "Eugent Bushpepa Biography" (in Albanian). Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  2. ^ "Eugent Bushpepa - Official ESC profile". Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  3. ^ "U.S. Embassy in Tirana: Report on Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal and Eugent Bushpepa's Concert in Albania". U.S. Embassy in Tirana, Albania. August 20, 2013.
  4. ^ "Eugent Bushpepa to represent Albania at Eurovision 2018". The official website of the Eurovision Song Contest - Eurovision.tv. December 23, 2017.
  5. ^ "Meet the acts competing in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018". RadioTimes UK.
  6. ^ "Exclusive Interview with Eugent Bushpepa on TCH (Part 2)" (in Albanian). Retrieved February 16, 2017. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  7. ^ "Exclusive Interview with Eugent Bushpepa on TCH" (in Albanian). Retrieved February 16, 2017. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  8. ^ "Guns 'N Roses bassist to give concert in Tirana". Tirana Times. May 27, 2011.
  9. ^ "Eugent Bushpepa & Duff McKagan - 2011". Eugent Bushpepa Official. June 7, 2011. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  10. ^ The HDI: Bumblefoot in Albania
  11. ^ "Eugent Bushpepa Performing with Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (Guns N' Roses)". Eugent Bushpepa Official.
  12. ^ GrandeRock.com Darkology announces new line-up for tour 2014
  13. ^ "Darkology Leak Songs from Upcoming Album - Lineaup Changes for Overkill Tour Announced". BraveWords.com. October 23, 2014.
  14. ^ "Eugent Bushpepa to represent Albania at Eurovision 2018". eurovision.tv. December 23, 2017.
  15. ^ "Eugent Bushpepa representará a Albania en el Festival de Eurovisión 2018 con "Mall"". MSN.com. December 29, 2018.
  16. ^ Adams, William (March 16, 2018). "Albania: Eugent Bushpepa releases Eurovision version of "Mall"". Wiwibloggs.com.
  17. ^ Royston, Benny (April 8, 2018). "Eugent Bushpepa Cancels Promotional Tour". Eurovoix.com.
  18. ^ Royston, Benny (April 15, 2018). "Finland, Israel, Australia, Spain, Albania and UK all impress at Eurovision In Concert". Metro.co.uk.
  19. ^ Taylor, Richard (April 14, 2018). "Eugent Bushpepa Back On Promotional Tour". EurovisionIreland.net.
  20. ^ "First Semi-Final: 10 Acts Qualify For Eurovision 2018 Grand Final". The Official Website of the Eurovision Song Contest - Eurovision.tv. 8 May 2018.
  21. ^ Beijing, AFP (2018-05-10). "Chinese TV cuts tattoos, gay-themed dance from Eurovision". Yahoo! News. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  22. ^ "Statement 10 May: EBU terminates this year's partnership with Mango TV". Eurovision Song Contest. 10 May 2018. Retrieved 10 May 2018.


Preceded by Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest
2018 		Succeeded by
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