Soni Malaj

Soni Malaj
Soni Malaj
Born	Sonja Malaj; 23 October 1981 (age 43); Tropojë, Tropoja Albania
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter, dancer
Years active	1997–present
	Musical career
Genres	Pop; Pop rock;

Sonja "Soni" Malaj (born 23 October 1981), also known mononymously as Soni, is an Albanian singer, songwriter and dancer.

Life and career

Soni Malaj was born on 23 October 1981 into an Albanian family in the city of Tropojë, then part of the People's Republic of Albania, present Albania.^[1]^[3] Her real name is Sonja Malaj. She spent her childhood until the age of 9 in Tropoja. The family then moved to Tirana where Soni would continue her career as a singer.

She has participated in competitions like "Top Fest"^[4] (2006), and she placed second in Kënga Magjike with Flori Mumajesi, with the song "Fluturimi 3470". After Serbian singer Marija Šerifović won Eurovision Song Contest 2007, there was speculation that her winning song Molitva was actually plagiarism of Soni Malaj's song Ndarja.^[5] Soni Malaj also won Top Fest 11.^[6]

She was a judge on the second, third and sixth seasons of the albanian talent Show X Factor.^[7]

In 2018, Malaj unsuccessfully attempted to represent Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019, after finishing fifth at the 57th edition of Festivali i Këngës with the song "Më e fortë".^[8]^[9] In March 2021, Televizioni Klan (TV Klan) announced her as one of the contestants selected to compete at the 22nd edition of Kënga Magjike.^[10]

Discography

Albums

Nuk qaj për ty (2002)
Mbretëresha e natës (2003)
E vogëla (2005)
Mesdhe (2006)
Unik (2010)

Singles

As lead artist

Title	Year	Peak chart positions	Album
Title	Year	ALB ^[11]	Album
"Larg natës"	2004	—	E vogëla
"Eja në Ballkan"	2004
"Eja, eja"	2005
"Zjarr"	2005		Non-album singles
"Një me dy"	2006
"Ndarja"
"Do të vij"
"Të dua ty"	2007
"Fluturimi 3470" (with Flori Mumajesi)	2007
"Shpirti im binjak"	2008
"Me faj pa faj"
"Zona zero"
"Zemër e pa kurdisur"	2009
"Shukarije" (with Sinan Hoxha)	2012
"Jeto" (featuring Aldo)	2013
"Me të jeton"	2014
"Tulipani i bardhë" (featuring Saad Ramadan)	2014
"Me rrena"	2015	17
"Me mua" (featuring Skivi)	2016	20
"Ti, jeta" (featuring Gena)		—
"Për vete më mbaj"		—
"Përgjithmonë"	2017	35
"Pa ty" (featuring Tim)		—
"Loca"		30
"Zeshkanja"		60
"En la intimidad" (featuring Jowell)	2018	79
"Më e fortë"	2018	—
"Ta fala" (featuring Agon Amiga and Daim Lala)	2019	—
"Te quiero"		—
"Shije tradhëtie"		—
"Versioni im"	2021	—
"Pak si..."	2021	3
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

References

^ ^a ^b "Soni Malaj – Biografia". TeksteShqip. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
^ "Soni Malaj – Credits". All Media Network. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
^ "Soni Malaj #Bio" (in Albanian). Top Music Awards. 8 February 2018. Archived from the original on 19 January 2021. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
^ "Je Marija Šerifović osvojila Evrosong s plagiatom?" (in Slovenian). Dnevnik.si. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
^ Portal Jutarnji.hr (14 May 2007). ""Molitva" plagijat albanskog hita?". Jutarnji.hr. Retrieved 7 June 2011.
^ Soni Malaj wins Top Fest 11
^ "X Factor (Albanian TV series)", Wikipedia, 2021-09-08, retrieved 2021-11-09
^ Adams, William Lee (17 October 2018). "Albania: Festivali i Këngës 57 reveals 22 acts and song titles ahead of December 22 final". Wiwibloggs. Archived from the original on 18 October 2020. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
^ Christou, Costa (22 December 2018). "Albania: Jonida Maliqi wins Festivali i Këngës 57!". ESCXtra. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
^ "Kush janë artistët BIG që do të jenë në festivalin 'Kënga Magjike 2021'?" (in Albanian). Televizioni Klan (TV Klan). 7 March 2021. Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
^
Note: "The Top List" are the charts conducted by Top Channel since December 2015. For peak positions in Albania:
- For "Me rrena":"The Top List – 13/12/2015" (in Albanian). Top Channel. 13 December 2015. Archived from the original on 31 December 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
- For "Me mua":"The Top List – 27/03/2016" (in Albanian). Top Channel. 27 March 2016. Archived from the original on 30 April 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
- For "Përgjithmonë":"The Top List – 07/05/2017" (in Albanian). Top Channel. 7 May 2017. Archived from the original on 29 August 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
- For "Loca":"The Top List – 30/07/2017" (in Albanian). Top Channel. 30 July 2017. Archived from the original on 13 February 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
- For "Zeshkanja":"The Top List – 28/01/2018" (in Albanian). Top Channel. 28 January 2018. Archived from the original on 24 February 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
- For "El la intimitad":"The Top List – 10/06/2018" (in Albanian). Top Channel. 10 June 2018. Archived from the original on 13 June 2018. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
- For "Pak si...":"The Top List – 25/09/2021" (in Albanian). Top Channel. 25 September 2021. Archived from the original on 26 September 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2021.

External links

Soni Malaj at AllMusic
Soni Malaj discography at Discogs

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Samanta Karavella with "Loti i fundit"	Top Fest 2014	Succeeded by Ermal Fejzullahu, Lumi B and Ledri Vula with "Shko"

[Biografia-1] "Soni Malaj – Biografia". TeksteShqip. Retrieved 10 March 2021.

[2] "Soni Malaj – Credits". All Media Network. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.

[3] "Soni Malaj #Bio" (in Albanian). Top Music Awards. 8 February 2018. Archived from the original on 19 January 2021. Retrieved 10 March 2021.

[4] "Je Marija Šerifović osvojila Evrosong s plagiatom?" (in Slovenian). Dnevnik.si. Retrieved 5 June 2011.

[5] Portal Jutarnji.hr (14 May 2007). ""Molitva" plagijat albanskog hita?". Jutarnji.hr. Retrieved 7 June 2011.

[6] Soni Malaj wins Top Fest 11

[7] "X Factor (Albanian TV series)", Wikipedia, 2021-09-08, retrieved 2021-11-09

[8] Adams, William Lee (17 October 2018). "Albania: Festivali i Këngës 57 reveals 22 acts and song titles ahead of December 22 final". Wiwibloggs. Archived from the original on 18 October 2020. Retrieved 11 March 2021.

[9] Christou, Costa (22 December 2018). "Albania: Jonida Maliqi wins Festivali i Këngës 57!". ESCXtra. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 11 March 2021.

[10] "Kush janë artistët BIG që do të jenë në festivalin 'Kënga Magjike 2021'?" (in Albanian). Televizioni Klan (TV Klan). 7 March 2021. Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 11 March 2021.

[11] Note: "The Top List" are the charts conducted by Top Channel since December 2015. For peak positions in Albania:
For "Me rrena":"The Top List – 13/12/2015" (in Albanian). Top Channel. 13 December 2015. Archived from the original on 31 December 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2021.

For "Me mua":"The Top List – 27/03/2016" (in Albanian). Top Channel. 27 March 2016. Archived from the original on 30 April 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2021.

For "Përgjithmonë":"The Top List – 07/05/2017" (in Albanian). Top Channel. 7 May 2017. Archived from the original on 29 August 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2021.

For "Loca":"The Top List – 30/07/2017" (in Albanian). Top Channel. 30 July 2017. Archived from the original on 13 February 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2021.

For "Zeshkanja":"The Top List – 28/01/2018" (in Albanian). Top Channel. 28 January 2018. Archived from the original on 24 February 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2021.

For "El la intimitad":"The Top List – 10/06/2018" (in Albanian). Top Channel. 10 June 2018. Archived from the original on 13 June 2018. Retrieved 23 March 2021.

For "Pak si...":"The Top List – 25/09/2021" (in Albanian). Top Channel. 25 September 2021. Archived from the original on 26 September 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2021.

[12] For "Me rrena":"The Top List – 13/12/2015" (in Albanian). Top Channel. 13 December 2015. Archived from the original on 31 December 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2021.

[13] For "Me mua":"The Top List – 27/03/2016" (in Albanian). Top Channel. 27 March 2016. Archived from the original on 30 April 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2021.

[14] For "Përgjithmonë":"The Top List – 07/05/2017" (in Albanian). Top Channel. 7 May 2017. Archived from the original on 29 August 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2021.

[15] For "Loca":"The Top List – 30/07/2017" (in Albanian). Top Channel. 30 July 2017. Archived from the original on 13 February 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2021.

[16] For "Zeshkanja":"The Top List – 28/01/2018" (in Albanian). Top Channel. 28 January 2018. Archived from the original on 24 February 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2021.

[17] For "El la intimitad":"The Top List – 10/06/2018" (in Albanian). Top Channel. 10 June 2018. Archived from the original on 13 June 2018. Retrieved 23 March 2021.

[18] For "Pak si...":"The Top List – 25/09/2021" (in Albanian). Top Channel. 25 September 2021. Archived from the original on 26 September 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2021.

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