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Tose Proeski turned into a phenomenon
The SETimes Podcast – February 14th, 2013
14/02/2013
The Tose Proeski phenomenon continues to unite the countries in the Balkans. Klaudija Lutovska reports for Southeast European Times in Skopje.
The tragic death of young Macedonian singer Tose Proeski in 2007 turned into a regional phenomenon that continues to unite millions of fans across seven Balkan countries -- Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Bulgaria and Slovenia.
Proeski was involved in many humanitarian actions, including raising tens of thousands of euros at his final concert on October 5 2007 to benefit Macedonian schools. When he died 11 days later at age 26 in a car crash in Croatia, news reports called him "the greatest Balkan star" and compared him to Elvis Presley.
His popularity seems to grow over time; a street in Sarajevo will soon bear Proeski's name.
Aleksandra Simonovic, from Belgrade Tose Proeski Fan Club, explained why Proeski's legacy lives on strongly.
"Tose was a man with a great heart, great humanitarian, and the Balkan prince of pop music with the most beautiful voice. This is a man who brings together people, sick and healthy, famous and forgotten, rich and poor."
The singer keeps binding people across national, religious and generational borders, as he sang in Macedonian, his native Vlach, English, Serbian, Croatian, Spanish, Italian, Russian, French and other languages.
Mende Georgievski, a psychologist from Macedonia, said Proeski continues to be a phenomenon.
"We experienced Tose as a communication channel through which we can all forget our disadvantages, weaknesses. It is a phenomenon of collective grief that occurred after the [accident]. [It is] a phenomenon that brings up overwhelming sadness, like that for Elvis Presley, Princess Diana, or President Tito."
Proeski's young fans, such as 16-year-old Gabrijela Kokot from Montenegro, have another explanation for his lasting influence.
"It is obvious that a nation wants to connect, especially if you are talking about something pure, innocent. Tose was part of our identity as young people and, represented our goal for to success. Everyone was aware that he had something big, but how big we did not understand then. "
The Tose Proeski international fan club forum continues Proeski's humanitarian legacy, organising seven actions per year in the seven Balkan states, but also in Europe and the world. The proceeds go to sick children.
His colleagues, such as musician Alexander Cvetkovski of Macedonia, fondly remember Proeski.
"Tose was a cheerful and sincere person, a rarity in the Balkans. A humble man, because he had faith, not to win sympathies ... a man who had a tough childhood, hard career … I remember he played saxophone in hotels and restaurants since he was young ... but he had a strong urge to succeed in his career, and he did all that with great love and patience, confident in the thought that what we get is the grace of God, not a credit for the effort."
14/02/2013
The Tose Proeski phenomenon continues to unite the countries in the Balkans. Klaudija Lutovska reports for Southeast European Times in Skopje.
The tragic death of young Macedonian singer Tose Proeski in 2007 turned into a regional phenomenon that continues to unite millions of fans across seven Balkan countries -- Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Bulgaria and Slovenia.
Proeski was involved in many humanitarian actions, including raising tens of thousands of euros at his final concert on October 5 2007 to benefit Macedonian schools. When he died 11 days later at age 26 in a car crash in Croatia, news reports called him "the greatest Balkan star" and compared him to Elvis Presley.
His popularity seems to grow over time; a street in Sarajevo will soon bear Proeski's name.
Aleksandra Simonovic, from Belgrade Tose Proeski Fan Club, explained why Proeski's legacy lives on strongly.
"Tose was a man with a great heart, great humanitarian, and the Balkan prince of pop music with the most beautiful voice. This is a man who brings together people, sick and healthy, famous and forgotten, rich and poor."
The singer keeps binding people across national, religious and generational borders, as he sang in Macedonian, his native Vlach, English, Serbian, Croatian, Spanish, Italian, Russian, French and other languages.
Mende Georgievski, a psychologist from Macedonia, said Proeski continues to be a phenomenon.
"We experienced Tose as a communication channel through which we can all forget our disadvantages, weaknesses. It is a phenomenon of collective grief that occurred after the [accident]. [It is] a phenomenon that brings up overwhelming sadness, like that for Elvis Presley, Princess Diana, or President Tito."
Proeski's young fans, such as 16-year-old Gabrijela Kokot from Montenegro, have another explanation for his lasting influence.
"It is obvious that a nation wants to connect, especially if you are talking about something pure, innocent. Tose was part of our identity as young people and, represented our goal for to success. Everyone was aware that he had something big, but how big we did not understand then. "
The Tose Proeski international fan club forum continues Proeski's humanitarian legacy, organising seven actions per year in the seven Balkan states, but also in Europe and the world. The proceeds go to sick children.
His colleagues, such as musician Alexander Cvetkovski of Macedonia, fondly remember Proeski.
"Tose was a cheerful and sincere person, a rarity in the Balkans. A humble man, because he had faith, not to win sympathies ... a man who had a tough childhood, hard career … I remember he played saxophone in hotels and restaurants since he was young ... but he had a strong urge to succeed in his career, and he did all that with great love and patience, confident in the thought that what we get is the grace of God, not a credit for the effort."
