Zjarr E Ftohtë
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Zjarr E Ftohtë ("Fire and Cold") was the Albanian entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2006, performed in Albanian by Luiz Ejlli. As Albania's previous two entries were performed in English, this was the first time that Albanian was heard on the Eurovision stage.
As the 2005 entry "Tomorrow I Go" had finished outside the top 10, Ejlli had to perform in the semi-final, in which he was drawn to sing sixth. He followed the entry from Belarus (Polina Smolova singing Mum) and was followed by the Belgian entry (Kate Ryan singing Je T'Adore). Following the vote, the song recorded only 58 points, good for 14th place, but not enough for a final berth.
The song is sung from the perspective of a man who can't forget his former lover. He likens his predicament to feeling "fire and cold" ("fire but still cold" is an alternative translation), while begging her to "open your heart".
Despite the strength of the lyrics, the song was performed in a subdued fashion. Ejlli and three backing singers barely moved from their positions, while two Albanian folk musicians provided accompaniment.
Many commentators had difficulty pronouncing the song title or the performer's name. The BBC commentary, for example, rendered the song as "Zlar E Flot".
