Toše Proeski Тоше Проески | |
|---|---|
 Proeski at his last concert inSkopje on 5 October 2007, eleven days before his death | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Todor Proeski (1981-01-25)25 January 1981 |
| Died | 16 October 2007(2007-10-16) (aged 26) Nova Gradiška, Croatia |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1996–2007 |
| Labels |
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Todor "Toše" Proeski (Macedonian:Тодор Тоше Проески,pronounced[ˈtɔʃɛˈprɔɛski]ⓘ; 25 January 1981 – 16 October 2007) was a Macedonian singer and songwriter. Considered a top act of the localMacedonian andBalkan music scene, Proeski's music was popular across multiple countries inSoutheast Europe. He was dubbed the "Elvis Presley of theBalkans" byBBC News. He died in a highway car crash in Croatia in 2007 at the age of 26, and received substantial posthumous recognition.[1]
Proeski was born inPrilep[2] and grew up inKruševo[2] into anAromanian family.[3][4] After his musical talent was discovered at the age of 12, he was chosen to perform at the popular children's song festivalZlatno Slavejče (eng.: Golden Nightingale) inSkopje, performing the song "Јаs i mојоt dеdо" in theAromanian language.[5][6][7] This was his first public music performance; however, his successful career began in 1996 when he participated in the teenage music festival Melfest in Prilep.
Following this public exposure, he was acclaimed for his strong vocal capabilities. This led to his rise to fame when he participated in the music festival Makfest inŠtip with the song "Pušti me" ("Let Me Go") in 1997. His fanbase quickly grew and he continued to make use of festivals, such asSkopjeFest andOhridFest, as a platform for promotion and publicity. Proeski collaborated with one of Macedonia's acclaimed lyricists and composers,Grigor Koprov, to produce some of his most successful songs, such as "Usni na usni" ("Lips over Lips") and "Sonce vo tvoite rusi kosi" ("Sun in Your Golden Hair"). In 1999, he released his debut album,Nekade vo noḱta (Somewhere in the Night). In the summer of the same year, Proeski performed his first solo concert in Skopje.
In the year 2000, Proeski participated in the Eurovision pre-selection forMacedonia in SkopjeFest. He sang "Solzi pravat zlaten prsten" ("Tears Make a Golden Ring"), which won thetelevoting from the public; however, he finished third overall behindKarolina Gočeva and the winnersXXL. During that period, he began recording tracks for his second album,Sinot božji (The Son of God), which was promoted by the end of June 2000. The album included songs such as "Nemir" ("Restless") (a duet withKarolina Gočeva), "Vo kosi da ti spijam" ("Sleeping in Your Hair"), "Izlaži me ušte ednaš" ("Lie to Me One More Time"), as well as "Iluzija" ("Illusion") (Grand Prix at the festivalSlavianski Bazaar inVitebsk) and "Tajno moja" ("Secret of Mine"). Two songs are composed by Kire Kostov (winning second prize at the festivalSunčane Skale, held inHerceg Novi, nowMontenegro).
The Serbian production house BK Sound purchased the rights to release Proeski's latest album in the otherformer Yugoslav republics, which led to his victory of the Oscar of Popularity in those former republics for the year of 2000, and his sold-out shows inSkopje andBelgrade. Proeski embarked on an Australian tour along with other Macedonian singers in 2001.
In 2001, Proeski gained wider regional popularity in the countries of former-Yugoslavia, by placing second at theSunčane Skale festival held on 12, 13 and 14 July inHerceg Novi with the song "Sonce vo tvoite rusi kosi" (lit. 'The Sun in Your Blond Hair'), written by G. Koprov, O. Nedelkovski and K. Ikonomov.[8]
After spending his time in recording studios inAthens, Greece, Proeski released his third album "Ako me pogledneš vo oči" ("If You Look into My Eyes") in October 2002 inMacedonian andSerbo-Croatian languages. After the release, Proeski went on an intense promotional tour throughout Macedonia. He also went toSerbia,Bosnia and Herzegovina, andBulgaria for further promotion. Proeski wonBeovizija in Belgrade in April 2003, with "Čija si" ("To Whom Do You Belong?"), a song that became a huge hit in Macedonia and the other former Yugoslav republics. This song was to representSerbia and Montenegro in theEurovision Song Contest 2003, but theEBU stated that too many countries had entered in that year, forcing them to withdraw others.Serbia and Montenegro (who participated as one country at the time) was one of them.
To improve his singing, Proeski took classes in New York from maestro William Riley, who was also coach to famoustenor,Luciano Pavarotti. When he returned, Proeski held humanitarian concerts throughoutMacedonia. He was awarded with the Mother Teresa Humanitarian Award, and in 2003 he became a RegionalUNICEF Ambassador.
In 2004, MKTV chose Proeski to represent Macedonia at theEurovision Song Contest 2004 inIstanbul,Turkey, and in February, he performed eight songs, where a jury, televoting, and his own opinion chose the song. The song "Angel si ti" ("You're an Angel") was chosen by all three. In April, Proeski released his album "Dan za nas" ("A Day For Us"), which featured the eight songs from the Eurovision selection inMacedonian.
In May, Proeski finished 14th with the song "Life", which was the English version of "Angel si ti". Prior to the contest, he was popularised by reporters due to his tremendous opera singing ability, at his press conferences.
All eight songs were recorded in English, but only the winning song of the national final, "Life", was released. During the TV national final show, after each song was performed, a clip of the song was played in English to show viewers how it would sound if that song won the contest and was performed in English at theEurovision Song Contest 2004 final.
In 2004 Proeski was named aUNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, and recorded the song "This World" which became the UNICEF anthem. Proeski signed a contract with Dallas Records so that his next album could be released inCroatia andSlovenia. To establish himself in these countries, Proeski recorded "Krajnje vreme" with Slovenian singer,Anja Rupel. In 2005, Toše's fifth albumPo tebe (After You) was released throughout ex-Yugoslavia.Po tebe is one of the most successful Balkan albums ever. It topped music charts for months inMacedonia,Serbia,Croatia,Slovenia andBosnia and Herzegovina.
Božilak (Rainbow) was a compilation of 14 selectedtraditional Macedonian songs arranged by Saša Nikolovski Gjumar,Ilija Pejovski and Soni Petrovski. The artist was backed up by a symphony orchestra on the album.
His last albumIgri bez granici (Macedonian title)/Igra bez granica (Serbo-Croatian title) ("Game Without Limits") was released all over ex-Yugoslavia in August 2007.
Apart from songs inMacedonian andSerbo-Croatian, he also recorded one song inSlovene, "Moja" ("Mine") in 2007, and one in Italian, "Aria" ("Air"), with Italian superstar,Gianna Nannini. The list of artists who collaborated with Proeski includesAnja Rupel,Antonija Šola,Bora Čorba,Karolina Gočeva,Esma Redžepova,Gianna Nannini,Goca Tržan,Grigor Koprov,Jeff Beck,Tony Cetinski,Željko Joksimović among other notable musicians. Prior to his death, he was a student in his final year in the solo singing department of the Skopje Music Academy.
Proeski also established himself as a songwriter. He wrote several hits for himself including "Ima li dan za nas" ("Is There A Day For Us"), "Slušaš li" ("Are You Listening"), "Malečka" ("Little One"), and "Polsko cveḱe" ("Field Flower"). In 2004, Proeski composed "Muza" ("Muse") forMartin Vučić, theEurovision Song Contest 2005 representative for Macedonia. It became the title track for the young artist's second album. In interviews, Proeski stated that he had written over 100 songs but was waiting for the right moments to record them as they were still in demo form.
Toše's last concert was held on 5 October 2007 for the Primary Education Project forUSAID. The concert raised tens of thousands ofeuros for the primary schools of Macedonia. The concert was attended by over 40,000 people and viewed all over the world.
The night before his death, Proeski gave his final interview to the Macedonian Television StationKanal 5. He talked about his intention to finish his Musical Academy studies, his search for his soul mate, and his new album in the works.[9][10]
Fight against evil, eliminate enemies, and the victory of the good were the main points of the comic "Super Toše", where the main character was based on Toše Proeski. It was made as a part of the humanitarian campaign under the motto "Superhero of humanity". The main character has all virtues and characteristics of Toše in aim to build a fictional superhero who will hopefully be an idol of the young. "Toše is idealized, but with this, we want to give the young people faith that good can defeat the evil", said Oliver Romevski, the author of "Super Toše". "His job was not easy. As a weapon, he had his super voice with which he tried to eliminate evil and defeat his enemies, one of whom, was Mr. Pirate, the common enemy of the world, who was smuggling kids, drugs, and weapons."
On the forty-ninth edition of the annualEurovision Song Contest in 2004, Proeski represented Macedonia with the songLife. The song was selected on February 14, 2004, by televoting and 11 membered juries, in a competition with seven other songs written for Proeski.
The song was written by Ilija Nikolovski, directed byJovan Jovanov. On theEurovision Song Contest 2004, his performance was powerful and energetic together with the background vocals, who made an art show on the stage. He managed to reach the finale, where he got 49 points and ended up in fourteenth place.
After the event, he admitted that he was not satisfied with the performance, attributing it to what he saw as Eurovision voting, being based on stage direction as well as the song itself. However, in his home country he was given a warm welcome on his return.
On 23 June 2006, he performed his second solo concert at the City Stadium in Skopje. The spectacular concert started with the dance group from Belgrade, in the rhythm of Toše's band,Blue Funky Individuals.
The stadium was filled with his fans who sang along with him his biggest hitsPo tebe,Rani na usnite,Gromovi na dusa,transl. mk – transl. Koj li ti grize obrazi,Polsko cveke,..., as well as the songs from his previous albumsVo kosi da ti spijam,Lejdi,Izlazi me,Sonce vo tvoite rusi kosi,Daleku od mene,Angel si ti (Life),....
In the middle of the concert, he was joined by the ethnic singerBilja Krstić and they performed the Macedonian folk songJovano Jovanke in a duet. At the end of the performance, Bilja continued alone on the stage with her big hitPuce puska.
The concert lasted till midnight, but his fans didn't let him leave, so he got back on the stage and performedPo tebe again, alongsideZajdi zajdi, the Macedonian folk song.
On 9 June 2007, Toše for theCroatian Radio Festival with his songVeži me za sebe won a Grand Prix award in the category for pop-rock and urban music with 16.589 points.
Under the motto "Education is everyone's responsibility", the pop star Toše Proeski on 5 October 2007 at 07:30 pm, performed his spectacular concert, once again on the City Stadium in Skopje, supported by the organizationUSAID. The funds from the tickets (around 10,000 EUR) were used for the five-year project for renovating 100 elementary schools allover Macedonia, and bringing better educational programs and implementing educational reforms. At the press-conference inHotel Continental Skopje, except Toše, other attendees were representatives ofUSAID. The directorMichael Eddy said that he was proud to be working with a star from the rank of Toše Proeski. Toše said that the renovation of the schoolNikola Karev in Krushevo (his hometown) is accelerated.
"It is an honor to be a part of a project like this and part of big plans for education in Macedonia. Every concert of mine is dear to me, but the charity concerts are special to me, and they will stay with me forever. If we can improve the education in Macedonia we will have a healthier society", said Toše.
At the press conference, he made a statement that he will feel like a Macedonian forever, and he will never leave his country. "Success is always tied with evil because that is in the nature of humans. I hope that I get the support from everyone to fight the evil because I can't do it on my own.", said Toše.
As guest stars, on his final concert, Toše was joined byAdrian Gaxha,Bojan Marović andAntonija Šola.
After the end of the concert, Toše and his band were given statuettes ofMother Teresa by the foundation of the same name as a thank you for the humanitarian work. Toše gave his statuette to his mother Dominika, who taught him about the importance of humanitarian work since he was young. Everything ended with a magnificent firework display in honor of Toše.
Best lines from his concert that will never be forgotten were "Give me a starry sky" (when he asked his fans to turn on the flashlights on their phones).
The concert was aired on 6 January 2008 onA1 Televizija at 03:00 pm – 07:00 pm.
During the early morning of 16 October 2007, at approximately 6:20 am, Proeski died in a car accident on theZagreb–Lipovac highway nearNova Gradiška, Croatia. He was a passenger along with his manager Ljiljana Petrović in aVolkswagen Touareg driven by Georgi Georgievski. The Touareg crashed into the back of a truck and then into the median barrier, killing Proeski instantly, crushing the third vertebrae of his neck; the truck sustained no damage. Proeski was asleep in the front passenger seat at the time of the crash. He was 26 years old.[11] Of the other two passengers, only the driver suffered serious injuries (head trauma).
Proeski's body arrived at midnight inSkopje by helicopter of theMacedonian Army, and was transported by car to his home town ofKruševo. Grieving citizens gathered to pay their last respects at the airport and also inMacedonia Square. TheEmbassy of the United States of America, theUSAID and theDiplomatic mission of the European Union published official statements on Proeski's death.[12][13][14] 17 October was declared a national day of mourning in Macedonia.[1] The three days following his death were pronounced days of mourning in Kruševo.[15]
After his death, the government of the Republic of Macedonia gave him the title "Honorable citizen of Macedonia".[11]
The government organized an officialstate funeral[16] for Proeski, which was held on 17 October 2007 in his home town ofKruševo, including military honor ceremonies by theCeremonial Guard Battalion of theMacedonian Army (personnel of which conducted anhonorary rifle salute) and amilitary band. The funeral, which was broadcast by the nationalMacedonian TV, was attended by many domestic and foreign delegations, including the PresidentBranko Crvenkovski, the Prime MinisterNikola Gruevski, members of theMacedonian Parliament and its President Ljubiša Georgievski and other high-ranking officials, the US and the EU AmbassadorsGillian Milovanovic and Erwan Fouéré and other diplomats, representatives of theRed Cross, theUSAID and other organizations, sports clubs, etc. Also, the funeral was attended by many notable musicians from Macedonia and other countries, including:Karolina Gočeva,Kaliopi,Vlado Janevski,Lambe Alabakoski,Elena Risteska,Jovan Jovanov,Martin Vučić,Adrian Gaxha,Tijana Dapčević and her sisterTamara Todevska,Aki Rahimovski (thefrontman ofParni valjak),Toni Cetinski,Ceca Ražnatović,Željko Joksimović,Vlado Georgiev and many others. The religious service was held by theMacedonian Orthodox Church led by theArchbishop Stephen of Ohrid, as Proeski was a declaredOrthodox Christian.[17]
Numerous websites,blogs, andinternet forums are filled with the last messages from his fans and friends. A petition was available online[18] for Toše Proeski to be remembered by naming educational facilities, like the localCenter for Music Education inBitola, where he had studied, to carry his name. This petition is to promote an annual humanitarian concert, carrying his name "Toše Proeski" for the poor and disabled and those of desperate need of medical attention. A page for condolences can be found at theKruševo municipality official website.
Since his death, each year on 25 JanuaryMile Stojkoski, as a symbol of grief and respect, runs a marathon in his wheelchair from Prilep to Proeski's grave in Kruševo. Since 2008 Stojkoski ran an additional long distance marathon starting from Kruševo in honor of Toše Proeski.[19] These two notable Macedonians both received the Mother Teresa Award for their humanitarian accomplishments, and shared a close friendship.[20][21]
An online petition was held for a tribute to be paid to Toše Proeski at theEurovision Song Contest 2008. It gathered over 13,900 signings however it was not honored. Tamara Todevska, singer of the Macedonian Eurovision entry of this year said that their entry was dedicated to a few people including their "angel who is up there watching over us".
On 25 April 2011 "Memorial House Todor Proeski" has been opened in Kruševo. At World Architecture Festival (WAF) 2011, in Barcelona, the building won the award "People's Choice Award, by OpenBuildings" as the most beautiful one in the world.
On 5 October 2008, the anniversary of Proeski's last concert before his death, a tribute concert was held inSkopje. Over twenty singers from various Balkan countries performed.[22]
A documentary about the work of Toše Proeski was released on 12 February 2009 in cinemas all over Macedonia.
Another concert was held on 24 January 2010, the day before what would have been Toše's 29th birthday.
A memorial concert for Toše was held on 2 November 2018. It included many popular Balkan musicians and was held at the SCBT Arena.
On 9 April 2019, North Macedonia's government made a decision to rename the sports stadium "Philip II" in the capital city of Skopje in honour of Toše.[23] The stadium's new name is "Toše Proeski National Arena".
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Macedonia has announced a feature film, a documentary and a television series in honor of the life of Tose Proeski. Most of the national television stations from the Balkans were expected to join.The Macedonian Radio and Television will hold a competition in 2025 for filmmakers interested in working on the recently announced project as a documentary, feature film and television series about Tose Proeski, a project that should be ready in the next two years according to statements by the Minister of Culture and TourismZoran Ljutkov.
MRT announced that 1,473,475 euros will be allocated for the filming of the film about the famous Macedonian singer.
Immediately after Toše Proeski's death was announced, the citizens ofSkopje and people from all aroundMacedonia, as well as foreigners, started to gather at theMacedonia Square bringing candles, flowers and messages of condolence in his memory. Also, many institutions such as schools, universities, sports clubs, and business companies joined the spontaneous commemorative campaign. Similar gatherings took place in many other cities around the country, but also around theBalkans, especially in theformer Yugoslav countries and thediaspora. A mourning ceremony was organized inSarajevo,Bosnia and Herzegovina nearSkenderija, where around 2000 people gathered to light candles in memory of Toše Proeski.[24][25]
His chart toppers include:
| Year | Single | Translation | Chart positions[citation needed] | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MKD | SCG | CRO | BIH | TUR | ZAF | MTV Adria | ||||
| 1999 | "Tajno moja" | "My Secret" | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Sinot Božji |
| 2003 | "Ako me pogledneš vo oči/Ako me pogledaš u oči" | "If You Look into My Eyes" | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | Ako me pogledneš vo oči/Ako me pogledaš u oči |
| "Soba za taga/Soba za tugu" | "Room of Sorrow" | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | ||
| "Magija/Čini"(feat.Esma Redžepova) | "Spells" | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | ||
| 2004 | "Life" | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | 25 | 49 | — | Den za nas/Dan za nas |
| "Čija si" | "To Whom Do You Belong" | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 10 | — | — | ||
| 2005 | "Žao mi je" | "I Am Sorry" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Po tebe/Pratim te |
| "Po tebe/Pratim te" | "After You/I'm Following You" | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | ||
| "Koj li ti grize obrazi/Ko ti to grize obraze" | "Who's Biting Your Cheeks" | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | ||
| 2007 | "Srce nije kamen" | "The Heart Isn't Made of Stone" | — | — | 1 | — | 3 | — | — | Igri bez granici/Igra bez granica |
| "Volim osmijeh tvoj"(feat.Antonija Šola) | "I Love Your Smile" | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | ||
| "Nikoj kako tebe ne baknuva/Ubijaš me usnama" | "No One Kisses Like You/You Are Killing Me with Your Lips" | 1 | — | 1 | — | 3 | — | — | ||
| "Veži me za sebe" | "Bind Me to Yourself" | — | — | 1 | — | 4 | — | — | ||
| "Igri Bez Granici/Igra Bez Granica" | "Game Without Borders" | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | ||
| 2008 | "The Hardest Thing" | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | The Hardest Thing | |
| "My Little One"(feat. his nephew Kristijan) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 2010 | "Još uvijek sanjam da smo zajedno" | "I Still Dream That We Are Together" | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | |
Media related toToše Proeski at Wikimedia Commons
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Macedonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by None | Beovizija winner 2003 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
