|
 1.9 MB
Todor Tose Proeski - IN MEMORIAM !!! 1981 - 2007
Todor "Toše" Proeski (Macedonian: ????? "????" ???????) (January 25, 1981 - October 16, 2007) was a famous Macedonian singer who was popular across the entire Balkan area. He is considered a top act of the music scene of Republic of Macedonia.
Prior to his death, he was a student in his final year in the solo singing department of the Skopje Music Academy. Proeski was known for his trademark quote "Ve sakam site" (I Love You All), and was called "Elvis Presley of the Balkans" by the BBC. He died in an automobile accident in Croatia on October 16, 2007.
Toše Proeski, was born in Prilep, Macedonia as a son of Dominika and Nikola Proeski from Kruševo, his hometown, where he spent most of his childhood. After his musical talent was discovered, at an age of 12 he was chosen to perform at the popular children song festival "Zlatno slavejče" in Skopje. That 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 awarded for his strong vocal capabilities, which led to his rise to fame when he participated in the music festival Makfest in Štip with the song "Pusti me"("Let me go") in 1997. In 1999, he released his debut album, Nekade vo Nokta ("Somewhere in the Night"), in the summer of the same year, Proeski performed his first solo concert in Skopje.
Proeski held humanitarian concerts throughout the Republic of Macedonia. He was awarded with the Mother Theresa Humanitarian Award and in 2003 he became a Regional UNICEF Ambassador.
In 2004, MKTV chose Proeski to represent Macedonia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 in Istanbul, Turkey, and in February, he performed eight songs, where a jury, televote, and his own opinion chose the song. The song "Angel Si Ti? ("You?re an Angel?) was chosen by all three. 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.
In 2004 Proeski was named a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, and recorded the song "This World" which became the UNICEF anthem.
During the early morning of 16 October 2007, around 6.20 am, Proeski died in a car accident on the Zagreb?Lipovac highway near Nova Gradiška, Croatia. Proeski was asleep in the front passenger seat at the time of the crash. Of the other two passengers, only the driver suffered serious injuries.
Proeski's body arrived at midnight in Skopje by helicopter of the Macedonian army, and was transported by car to his home town Kruševo. Grieving citizens gathered to pay their last respects at the airport and also in Skopje's city square. The Embassy of the United States of America, the USAID and the Diplomatic mission of the European Union published official statements on the death of Toše Proeski. October 17 was pronounced a national day of mourning in Macedonia. The three days following his death were pronounced days of mourning in the City of Kruševo .
After his death, the government of the Republic of Macedonia, gave him the title "Honorable citizen of Macedonia".
|
|
|
|
|
Skopje
