After the temporary suspension of his “Ghettolimpo” summer tour due to an inflammation in his vocal cords, Mahmood starts big with a much-awaited performance at the “Sunny Hill Festival” in Pristina (Kosovo), one of the most important music festivals in the Balkans, founded and directed by Dua Lipa and his father Dukagjin, both British with proud Kosovar origins.
The event will take place from 4 to 7 August at Pristina’s Gërmia Park, where other international stars such as J Balvin, Diplo, Skepta, DJ Regard, AJ Tracey as well as Dua Lipa herself, will perform. For Alessandro Mahmoud, whose participation is supported by Farnesina and the Italian Embassy to Kosovo as part of the integrated promotion programme “Vivere all’Italiana”, the performance is scheduled for Friday 5 August. At least 25,000 fans are expected daily in a four-day long festival: from Kosovo, other countries of the Balkan region and the rest of Europe, including many members of the Kosovar diaspora, who traditionally visit their home country in these summer weeks.
“I immediately accepted the invitation from Dukagjin Lipa and the Italian Embassy in Pristina because in this Festival of redemption, in the youngest countries in Europe, I see a part of my own history: the identity poised between different cultures, which is richness rather than weakness; the desire not to lose contact with one’s origins; the memory of the sacrifices made by you and your family members; the pride in one’s past and the desire to move forward, remaining connected to family, friends, love,” Mahmood said.
“We are particularly proud of this Italian participation in the Sunny Hill Festival in Pristina, first of all because it allows our music to be appreciated in recognised international contexts, but also because Alessandro is an excellent embodiment of that multicultural, young and open Italy that we like to export abroad. Also thanks to the presence of Mahmood, who in a short time has conquered a place among the most important artists on the international music scene, we also count on increasing mutual knowledge and, hopefully, interactions, between our two countries” said the Italian Ambassador to Kosovo, Antonello De Riu.
For Dukagjin Lipa, himself singer as well as founder of the Republika Communication Agency that organises the festival, “the participation of an artist like Mahmood, who proves the high quality of the Sunny Hill Festival, as well as the fruitful collaboration with the Italian Embassy, are a source of satisfaction for an event that aims to culturally and touristically relaunch Kosovo, a country that loves music and knows how to have fun.”
For the performance in Pristina, Mahmood has not neglected any detail: from the costumes – with the close collaboration with Riccardo Tisci, who created exclusive outfits for him – to the choice of scenery and choristers. Before and after his performance, a number of videos of the “BeIT – Italy is simply extraordinary” campaign will be screened, realised by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and ICE, the Italian Agency for Foreign Trade.
Alessandro Mahmoud, aka Mahmood, was born in Milan in 1992 to an Italian mother and Egyptian father. Animated from a young age by a great passion for pop, urban and R&B music, he participated in the Sanremo Festival for the first time in 2016, ranking than first in 2019 with the song “Soldi”, which immediately became a planetary hit, and again in 2022 with “Brividi”, performed together with Blanco. Following these successes, he represented Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv (2019) and in Turin (2022). After numerous concerts in the most iconic European and Italian clubs, Mahmood has been on the “Ghettolimpo Summer Tour” since July. Immediately after Pristina, he will perform in Torre del Lago (Lucca, Tuscany), on 7 August.
“Sunny Hill” is an international music festival held annually in Pristina since 2018, organised by Dua Lipa and her father Dukagjin. Due to the coronavirus, the 2020 and 2021 editions did not take place. For 2022, in addition to the traditional festival in the Kosovar capital (4-7 August), a second edition will be held in Tirana (26-28 August). The Sunny Hill Festival has brought to Pristina world music stars such as Miley Cyrus, Calvin Harris and Martin Garrix among many others, as well as providing a showcase for emerging local artists.
- The interview of “La Stampa” to Mahmood (04.08.2022)
- The interview of “Klan Kosova” (04.08.2022)
- Press Conference at the Embassy- Kosova Press (05.08.2022)
- The report on tg1 – minute 19 ‘(07.08.2022)08.2022)
- The article on “Vanity Fair” (08.08.2022)
- The article on “Vogue” (08.08.2022)
(Published on 01.08.2022. Updated on 08.08.20222)
