Thanks to the support of the Italian Embassy in Kosovo, on 5 August, Alessandro Mahmoud, stage name Mahmood, will sing 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 her father Dukagjin, both British citizens of Kosovan descent. The festival will run from 4 to 7 August at Germia Park in Pristina, and will feature international stars such as J Balvin, Diplo, Skepta, DJ Regard, AJ Tracey, including Dua Lipa herself.
“I immediately accepted the invitation extended by Dukagjin Lipa and the Italian Embassy in Pristina because in this Festival of redemption in the youngest Country of Europe, I see part of my own history: a cross-cultural identity, which is an asset more than weakness; the wish to not lose contact with one’s roots; the memory of the sacrifices made by you and your family; the pride of your past and the wish to move forward, remaining bound to your family, friends, and loves,” said Mahmood, whose participation is sponsored by the Farnesina and by the Italian Embassy in Kosovo under the “Italian Way of Life” (“Vivere all’Italiana”) integrated promotion programme.
“We are particularly proud of this Italian participation in the Sunny Hill Festival of Pristina, first of all because it enables our music to be appreciated and recognized in an international context, but also because Mahmood perfectly embodies the multicultural, young, and open part of Italy that we like to export abroad. Through the participation of Mahmood, who quickly conquered a place among the most important representatives of the music scene, including internationally, we also expect to increase our two Countries’ mutual knowledge and, hopefully, also our interactions,” said the Italian Ambassador to Kosovo, Antonello De Riu.
According to Dukagjin Lipa, singer and song writer as well as founder of the Republika Communications Agency that organizes the Festival: “The participation of an artist like Mahmood, who confirms the high profile of the Sunny Hill Festival, and the fruitful collaboration with the Italian Embassy, are reasons of great satisfaction for a festival that aim to culturally relaunch Kosovo and tourism in a Country that loves music and knows how to have fun.”
For his performance in Pristina, Mahmood has not overlooked the slightest detail: from the costumes – created in close collaboration with Riccardo Tisci, who designed his exclusive costumes – to the stage setting and the chorus. Videos from the “BeIT – Italy is simply extraordinary” campaign, produced by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) and the ICE Foreign Trade Agency, will be screened before and after his performance.
