La Fazani of Kosovo who found the balance in art also in Vietnam

"One of the greatest challenges of an artist is precisely to find the balance between routine and spontaneity", is the definition given by singer-songwriter Arbër Salihu, known as La Fazani. In his journey as an artist, he also has an episode in Vietnam. When he returned from there, he restored his relationship with the scene. Salihu is known for the local scene, but his personal story is the other side. In music, according to him, there should also be something personal, authentic. And on this point, La Fazani has long been proven

Life, education, studies, escape to the Netherlands, numerous performances in Vietnam and even advice for young musicians, were the topics covered in the workshop led by singer-songwriter Arbër Salihu. In front of an audience of few people but in a warm environment of one of the halls of the Center for Narrative Practices, the audience had the opportunity to listen to the story of the artist known as La Fazani.

Among the various festivals and concerts that take place during the year in Pristina, those where his name is missing are rare. As an artist, he stands out for the energy he conveys to the audience, as well as for the satirical lyrics he builds his songs with. The multidimensional artist, as he stated in his confession, deals with almost every detail that his music requires. He usually writes the lyrics himself and his songs are generally notable for their experimental nature. Among his songs is the well-known "Hajde me šuplakë", a satirical song that mocks politics and the negative vices of society, but on the other hand, it is accompanied by very rhythmic sounds, rock n' roll and tek tuk rhythms are also heard of Albanian folklore.

Although he had enrolled in high school of music, Arbër Salihu had not finished it. He attended classes at "Mehmet Akif" college. He had no mercy on music studies even in the faculty. He had chosen the "most Albanian" profession, as he said, going to the Netherlands to study economics.

"I mean, I completed my economics studies and then when I returned to Pristina I decided that music is my life and I consider 2012 as the year since I started to professionally deal with music. First I made music with Genc (Salihu, the famous singer-songwriter, his brother vj) It was the first group and it was called 'Grupi gazmor'. We had only one performance with that group in Istanbul. It was a festival organized in 2013 I think. It was me, Genci, Nesim Maxhuni, Tomorr Kuçi, Enes Bajramliqi. Then this group turned into 'Cute Babulja', which was like a reunion of Genci with Enes, but I, Tomorri and Fatjoni were also part of it", he said while describing the first years after finishing his studies.

For many, Arbër Salihu is also known as the brother of Genc Salihu, a well-known singer of pop-rock and jazz music. In his confession, La Fazani also talked about the problems this fact had created. Being the brother of a well-known musician, he was often not taken seriously either by his family or by music. However, it has suggested that one should take these ignominies and turn them into something positive. Being like this, he had devoted himself to work to "convince" others that he also knows how to make good music. In the role of a singer who grew up in Pristina, La Fazani also spoke about the difficulties or fears faced by the singers of this small country.

"In Pristina, there is probably some reluctance, that you don't feel like going somewhere - I personally always have this fear - I don't feel like just going and performing 'come on, we're going to an unrelated country', with some coffee that maybe not many people will come or the atmosphere has been tired. It's kind of shy when people see you doing that. I have always been afraid of this thing. I've always wanted to only do the events that I know I'm good at. I have never wanted to do anything that is below her. Maybe because we are a kind of smaller society with: 'what is this one saying, what is he saying'. It affects everyone," he said.

After returning to Pristina, La Fazani fled to the Asian continent and stayed in Vietnam for a year. In addition to working to earn money, Salihu would also perform a very large number of performances which later helped him overcome his fear of the place or the stage where he is performing.

"I was not interested in Vietnam. I went everywhere and performed a lot. This thing probably gave me the final push to get a confidence that now, every time I go on stage, I don't know where I am. I'm in a position where I don't care how many people are in front of me. I don't care what the set up is. I am ready. Just give me a microphone and I'm ready to sing. In one year in Vietnam, I performed more than in my entire life", said Salihu.

After his stay in Vietnam and numerous performances, La Fazani had returned to Pristina. According to him, artists like him, who do not have big profits, have it easier if they stay in their homeland.

"This was also the moment when I said: 'Okay, this will be the last time I will do a job that has nothing to do with music.' Finally, I returned to Pristina for the second time and now this brings up the issue that, in Pristina, for someone like me, for someone who wants to create art that is not easy to sell, it is not easy to earn from it, I do not it is easier to do this as in the place where you were born and lived, because you live with your family, you live with your parents", La Fazani said while explaining that in Pristina he does not need to work to earn money, because here he lives in the family's apartment, eats there and in this way it is much easier for him to dedicate his time to music.

Starting from his experience as an artist and creator, La Fazani also mentioned the great need to create a balance between routine and spontaneity. According to him, art has the power of learning in finding balance.

"One of the greatest challenges of an artist is precisely finding the balance between routine and spontaneity. Routine is a very underrated thing. Without routine and work ethic. Art is the one that can prove this. Because you have no chance to become an artist musician without having at least one good phase of your life that you are dedicated to. Simply, you can be very talented, but without work ethic there is no chance to succeed", he explained.

To explain this, he took an example from his daily life as he announced that he is working on a new album.

"I am working on a new album as La Fazani. It's taking me too much work, but I know what I have to do. To wake up every day to record this or that. They are things that maybe do not inspire you, are not creative and especially when you are not part of an industry that supports you. It makes you take on too many things. Technical things that take maybe 2-3 hours just on the laptop to find in the software how to make the sound better", he announced.

He had some advice for young creators. According to him, an artist should first of all listen to as much music as possible, be able to see things from afar, know how to play an instrument. He advised that regardless of whether an artist is good at several different things, whether as a lyricist, guitarist or vocalist, he should insist that he excels in at least one of them. Among other things, according to him, what keeps a song or an artist alive is the personal in the sense that in his art he manages to insert something from his self.

"An artist should as much as possible bring personal, authentic experience to his creations, so that the work can stand. The only works that survive time, trends, those that are happening at a certain moment, are the ones that have come out of the most personal experiences of the artist", Salihu assessed. Salihu has already proven that he is authentic in music.

The event with his confession took place within the framework of the "AHA" platform of the "Përnime" organization.