Albina Kelmendi

Albina Kelmendi is a singer and songwriter from Kosovo, born on 27 January 1998 in Peja. Her music moves between Albanian pop and the traditional songs of her home region, and much of it has been made together with her family.

She grew up with music, learning the clarinet and the piano at the Halit Kasapolli music school in Peja, and performing with her relatives in what they called the Family Band. In 2014 she auditioned for the fourth series of The Voice of Albania, turned all four chairs, joined Team Elsa and finished as the runner-up.

Her first single after the show, "Ëndrrën mos ma merr", came out in 2015, and she then competed at the 12th Top Fest with "Nuk ka ma mirë". "Denim", recorded with Sinan Vllasaliu, followed in 2018, "Shko" in 2020 and "Mirazh" in 2021, the first of a series of singles. On 25 June 2022 she released her debut album, Nana loke, through Folé Publishing; her mother also worked with her on it, and the single "Nanë moj kom gabu" came from the same year.

In December 2022 Albina and five members of her family entered the 61st Festivali i Këngës as Albina & Familja Kelmendi with "Duje". The jury placed them second, but the public vote chose them to represent Albania at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in Liverpool. Following Ronela Hajati, Albania's singer the year before, they qualified from the second semi-final on 11 May and finished 22nd in the final on 14 May.

Albina Kelmendi has continued to release songs since then, among them "Inat", and in 2025 she took part in Kënga Magjike with "Gënjeja". Her video playlist brings together her own songs and her live versions of well-known Albanian folk songs.