Apr. 10 – In Albania she first made her dreams come true. And now her dream continues… “It started as a challenge, an adventure. But today it’s the most beautiful experience of my life.” Sarah Memmola is a 25 year old from Puglia who has been living, for the past 5 months, in Tirana, to participate in the third season of X -Factor. She didn’t win, but the Francavilla Fontana native arrived third. “Hugging my family again was a strong emotion, I was OK in Albania but I missed my home and my family – said the young artist today – in Puglia, I received such a warm welcome. I landed a spot on the X-Factor competition almost by accident, and it was surprising and exciting to arrive in the finals. I’m happy with the way things went: reach third place was very satisfying but, for me, the greatest challenge was to convince them of my talent, and get them to appreciate a ‘foreigner.’ In Tirana, they liked my honesty and my spontaneity, my desire to win and my commitment. Life is good in Albania, and I found there an Italian spirit that allowed me to quickly make friends and really get to know a beautiful, warm and affectionate people. I felt at home from the first moment.” About the Albanian music scene, Sarah says: “The artistic level is very high, but of course, tastes and music are different. The Balkans are nearby and you can feel it in the music. Rather than large record labels, it’s the independent projects that become successful.” What about Sarah’s new projects? “I’m going to collaborate with Alban Skenderaj, a famous Albanian singer-songwriter. He wrote a beautiful song for me and now we are looking for a good production. I’m already preparing for a summer tour that will cover Italy and Albania.”
