Tose Proeski - Music and Life

Biography of Tose Proeski

Todor "Tose" Proeski was born at January 25th, 1981 in Prilep (Macedonia) as a son of Dominika and Nikola Proeski.
In Krusevo, his hometown, Tose spent most of the childhood.

After his musical talent was discovered, at an age of 12 he was chosen to perform at the popular children song festival "Zlatno Slavejche" 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 Stip with the song "Pusti Me" ("Let Me Go") in 1997.
His fanbase quickly grew and he continued to make use of festivals, such as "Skopje Fest" and "Ohrid Fest", as a platform for promotion and publicity.
Proeski collaborated with one of Macedonia’s acclaimed lyricists and composers, Grigor Koprov, to produce some of the greatest hits of his career such as "Usni Na Usni" ("Lips On Lips") and "Sonce Vo Tvoite Rusi Kosi" ("The Sun In Your Golden Hair").

In 1999, he released his debut album, "Nekade Vo Nocta" ("Somewhere In the Night"), which contained eleven tracks.
In the summer of the same year, Proeski performed his first solo concert in Skopje.

In 2000, Proeski participated in the "Eurovision" pre-selection for Macedonia at "Skopje Fest". He sang "Solzi Pravat Zlaten Prsten" ("Golden Ring Made Of Tears"), which won the televoting from the public, but he finished third overall, behind Karolina Goceva and the winners "XXL".

During that period, he began recording the tracks for his second album, "Sinot Bozji" ("The Son Of God"), which was promoted by the end of June 2000.
The album brought some great hits, like "Nemir" ("Restless") (a duet with Karolina Goceva), "Vo Kosi Da Ti Spijam" ("Sleeping In Your Hair"), "Izlazi Me Uste Ednas" ("Lie To Me One More Time"), as well as "Iluzija" ("Illusion") (Grand Prix at the festival "Slavianski Bazaar" in Vitebsk ) and "Tajno Moja" ("Secret Of Mine"), two songs are composed by Kire Kostov, (winning second prize at the festival "Suncane Skale", held in Herceg Novi, Montenegro).

The Serbian production house "BK Sound" purchased the rights to release Proeski's latest album in the former Yugoslavian republics, which led to his victory of the "Oscar Of Popularity" in former Yugoslav republics for the year of 2000, and his sell-out shows in Skopje and Belgrade.
Proeski set off on an Australian tour along with other Macedonian singers in 2001.

After spending his time in recording studios in Athens (Greece), Proeski released his third album "Ako Me Pogledneš Vo Oci" ("If You Look Into My Eyes") in Macedonian and Serbian.
After the release, Proeski went on a tour throughout Macedonia doing intense promotion.
He also went to Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Bulgaria for further promotion.
Proeski won "Beovizija" in Belgrade on April 2003, with "Cija Si" ("To Whom Do You Belong?"), a song which became a huge hit in Macedonia and the other former republics.


To improve his singing, Proeski took classes in New York from maestro William Riley, who was also coach to famous maestro Luciano Pavarotti.
When he returned, 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).
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 April, Proeski released his album "Den Za Nas" ("A Day For Us"), which was two CDs featuring the eight songs from the Eurovision selection.
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.
Proeski signed a contract with "Dallas Records" so his next album could be released in Croatia and Slovenia. To establish himself in these countries, Proeski recorded "Krajnje Vreme” with Slovenian singer, Anja Rupel.

In 2005, Tose’s fifth album "Po Tebe" ("After You”) was released all over ex-Yugoslavia.
"Po Tebe", was one of the most successful Balkan albums ever. It topped music charts for months in the Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In 2006 Tose published the album "Bozilak" ("Rainbow"), a compilation of 14 selected traditional Macedonian songs. He was backed up by a symphony orchestra on this album.

His latest album "Igri Bez Granici" ("Games Without Frontiers") was released all over ex-Yugoslavia in August 2007.

Apart from songs in Macedonian and Serbian languages, in 2007 he also recorded one song in Slovenian, "Moja" ("Mine").


During the early morning of October 16th 2007, around 6.20 am, Tose Proeski died in a car accident on the Zagreb–Lipovac highway near Nova Gradiska (Croatia).
He was a passenger along with his manager Ljiljana Petrovic in a Volkswagen Touareg driven by Djordji Djordjievski.
The Touareg crashed into the back of a truck and then into the median barrier, killing Proeski instantly, crushing the third vertebrae of the neck, although the truck sustained no damage.
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 (head trauma).

Proeski's body arrived at midnight in Skopje by helicopter of the Macedonian army, and was transported by car to his home town Krushevo.
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 Tose Proeski.
October 17th was pronounced a national day of mourning in Macedonia.
The three days following his death were pronounced days of mourning in the City of Krusevo.

After his death, the government of the Republic of Macedonia, gave him the title "Honorable citizen of Macedonia".


Immediately after Toše Proeski's death was announced, the citizens of Skopje and people from all around Macedonia, as well as foreigners, started to gather at the "Makedonija" central city square bringing candles, flowers and messages of condolence in his memory.
Also, many institutions such as schools, universities, sport clubs and business companies joined the spontaneious commemorative campaign.

Similar gatherings took place in many other cities around the country, but also around the Balkans, especially in the former Yugoslav countries and the diaspora.


The government organized an official state funeral for Proeski, which was held at October 17th 2007 in his home town of Kruševo, including military honour ceremonies by the Macedonian army and the National guard, such as a honor guard, a military orchestra and a honorary rifle salute.
The funeral, which was broadcasted by the national "Macedonian TV" was attended by many domestic and foreign delegations, including the president Branko Crvenkovski, the prime minister Nikola Gruevski, members of the Macedonian Parliament and its president Ljubisa Georgievski and other high-ranking officials, the US and the EU ambassadors Gillian Milovanovic and Erwan Fouéré and other diplomats, representatives of the Red Cross, the USAID and other organizations, sport clubs etc.

Also, the funeral was attended by many notable musicians from Republic of Macedonia and other countries, including: Karolina Goceva, Kaliopi, Vlado Janevski, Lambe Alabakoski, Elena Risteska, Jovan Jovanov, Martin Vucic, Adrian Gaxha, Tijana Dapcevic and her sister Tamara Todevska, Aki Rahimovski (the frontman of "Parni Valjak"), Toni Cetinski, Ceca Raznatovic, Zeljko Joksimovic and many others.

The religious service was held by the Macedonian Orthodox Church led by the Archbishop Stephen of Ohrid, as Proeski was a declared Orthodox Christian.

Numerous websites, blogs and internet forums are filled with the last messages from his fans and friends.
A petition is available on-line for Toše Proeski to be remembered by naming educational facilities, like the local Center for Music Education in Bitola, where he had studied to carry his name. Also, this petition is to promote an annual humanitarian concert, carrying his name "Tose Proeski" for the poor and disabled and those of desperate need of medical attention.

A page for condolences can be found at the Kruševo municipality official website.