When Kamela Islamaj sang “Colour me” 4 years ago in a national song contest in Albania, she went on stage all coloured and gave her voice to some powerful lyrics: “Colour me. Within the boundaries of the shapeless image. Give me life. As you like it”.

After a stunning performance, she said it was a song about love, in times when there is so much hate and we have forgotten how to love. “I asked to be accepted with all my colours and there were some insinuations that my song was a dedication to LGBTIQ+, but I was talking just about love, love of every kind, of every community, of every shape. I do not differ love between communities or genders, because love is just love, no matter who is in love. And yes, I do support LGBTIQ+ so the song is about them also”, she recalls.

Islamaj is a well-known singer in Albania. She has been part of festivals and artistic scene, performing blues, jazz, rock alternative, funky or pop music. For almost two decades she has carefully built a career, having a balance between art, messages and the role of an artist in a society. In all her artistic journey, first supporting organizations working with Down syndrome children and then other initiatives or communities as LGBTIQ+, she has been active in human rights causes or gatherings.

“Maybe I am not very good in public speeches, but I try to be present, to sing a song, to give a message, and this means something. I think artists have the power to gain people’s hearts, minds and souls. Even if it seems there is no big influence, it is still something. And at the end, I will know that I did what I could, and more importantly, I did what I wanted.  It’s the same as with music, I am a free artist, a free soul and I have a free voice”, she explains, emphasizing that for her is not a heroic act, but what she believes.

EU in Albania

This approach has leaded her opinion towards human rights regardless the groups, but when LGBTIQ+ rights are in question, Islamaj has a more personal explanation and belief.

“I have friends who are part of the community and I know how hard it is to come forward and to tell who you are. There is discrimination indicated by a lot of factors, the long communist closure of the country, mentality, religion, not understanding others and not wanting to understand, but at the end I think, if we open our eyes and our minds- life would be easier for all of us. We can’t be bothered by a community asking for their rights, fighting for their lives. They are asking for their rights, not affecting or violating our lives. We can’t exclude people from the society because of their sexual orientation”, she says.

There have been cases she has faced discriminatory attitudes against LGBTIQ+ community in various situations, even with young artists she was giving private lessons in singing techniques. As their mentor, she has taught them one important thing in which she strongly believes. “If you ever want to be an artist, you have to be inclusive. You can’t pretend to be accepted by others, by the audience if you don’t accept yourself and the world around you”, she notes.

As there are themes still a taboo, talking about them will open new paths towards communication, acceptance and respect to other people, other realities and the whole society.

Islamaj has been performing different music genres, but jazz is her favourite. “It is the music that speaks to me, it is where my soul finds peace”, she tells.

After Blues, Jazz was born as the music of former African-American slaves, who worked on plantations or in the construction of railways, but then it became the rhythm of the whole world.  Many consider it now as an example of democracy where you have individual freedom but with responsibility to the group. 

“Blues first and then Jazz, came as a necessity of these people to express their voice, and still today, music is a way to advocate human rights”, says Kamela Islamaj a strong voice calling to respect other human beings’ rights to live, love and be free and decide for their own lives.