Toše Proeski facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Todor Toše Proeski
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Proeski at his last concert in Skopje on 5 October 2007, eleven days before his death.
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| Background information | |
| Native name |
Тоше Проески
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| Birth name | Todor Proeski |
| Born | 25 January 1981 Prilep, SR Macedonia, (present-day North Macedonia) |
| Died | 16 October 2007 (aged 26) Nova Gradiška, Croatia |
| Genres |
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| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
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| Years active | 1996–2007 |
| Labels |
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Todor "Toše" Proeski (Macedonian: Тодор "Тоше" Проески; born January 25, 1981 – died October 16, 2007) was a famous singer and songwriter from North Macedonia. He sang many types of music. People in North Macedonia and across the Balkans loved his songs. BBC News even called him the "Elvis Presley of the Balkans". Toše passed away in a car accident in Croatia when he was 26 years old.
About Toše Proeski
His Early Life and Music
Toše Proeski was born in Prilep and grew up in Kruševo. His family was Aromanian. When he was 12, his amazing singing talent was noticed. He sang at a children's festival called Zlatno Slavejče (Golden Nightingale) in Skopje. This was his first public show.
His career really started in 1996. He joined the Melfest music festival in Prilep. People were amazed by his strong voice. He became even more famous after singing "Pušti me" ("Let Me Go") at the Makfest festival in Štip in 1997.
Toše used festivals like SkopjeFest and OhridFest to share his music. He worked with a well-known Macedonian writer, Grigor Koprov. Together, they created popular songs like "Usni na usni" ("Lips over Lips"). In 1999, he released his first album, Nekade vo noḱta (Somewhere in the Night). That summer, he had his first big concert in Skopje.
In 2000, Toše tried to represent Macedonia at Eurovision. He sang "Solzi pravat zlaten prsten" ("Tears Make a Golden Ring"). The public voted for him, but he finished third overall. Around this time, he recorded his second album, Sinot božji (The Son of God). This album had popular songs like "Nemir" ("Restless"), a duet with Karolina Gočeva. It also included "Iluzija" ("Illusion"), which won a big prize at the Slavianski Bazaar festival.
His music became very popular in other countries that used to be part of Yugoslavia. He won an award for popularity in 2000. He also had sold-out concerts in Skopje and Belgrade. In 2001, Toše went on a tour in Australia with other Macedonian singers.
Becoming a Regional Star
In 2001, Toše became even more popular in the countries of former Yugoslavia. He came second at the Sunčane Skale festival with his song "Sonce vo tvoite rusi kosi" (The Sun in Your Blond Hair).
After recording music in Athens, Greece, Toše released his third album in October 2002. It was called "Ako me pogledneš vo oči" ("If You Look into My Eyes"). He released it in both Macedonian and Serbian. He then toured North Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Bulgaria to promote it. In April 2003, Toše won the Beovizija festival in Belgrade with "Čija si" ("To Whom Do You Belong?"). This song became a huge hit. It was supposed to represent Serbia and Montenegro at Eurovision, but they couldn't enter that year.
To make his singing even better, Toše took lessons in New York. His teacher, William Riley, also taught the famous singer Luciano Pavarotti. When Toše came back, he held charity concerts across North Macedonia. He received the Mother Teresa Humanitarian Award. In 2003, he became a Regional UNICEF Ambassador.
In 2004, Toše was chosen to represent North Macedonia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 in Istanbul, Turkey. He performed eight songs, and "Angel si ti" ("You're an Angel") was chosen. In April, he released his album "Dan za nas" ("A Day For Us"). It included the eight songs from the Eurovision selection.
At Eurovision, Toše finished 14th with the English version of his song, "Life". Reporters were very impressed by his amazing opera singing. All eight songs were recorded in English, but only "Life" was released.
In 2004, Toše was named a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. He recorded "This World," which became the UNICEF anthem. He also signed a contract to release his music in Croatia and Slovenia. To become known there, he sang "Krajnje vreme" with Slovenian singer Anja Rupel. In 2005, Toše's fifth album, Po tebe (After You), came out. It was one of the most successful albums in the Balkans. It was number one on music charts for months in many countries.
His album Božilak (Rainbow) had 14 traditional Macedonian songs. Toše sang them with a symphony orchestra. His last album, Igri bez granici ("Game Without Limits"), was released in August 2007.
Besides Macedonian and Serbo-Croatian, he also sang a song in Slovene called "Moja" ("Mine"). He also sang "Aria" ("Air") in Italian with the Italian star Gianna Nannini. Toše worked with many famous musicians. Before he passed away, he was studying solo singing at the Skopje Music Academy.
Toše as a Songwriter
Toše was also a talented songwriter. He wrote several hit songs for himself. These included "Ima li dan za nas" ("Is There A Day For Us") and "Malečka" ("Little One"). In 2004, he wrote "Muza" ("Muse") for Martin Vučić, who represented Macedonia at Eurovision in 2005. Toše once said he had written over 100 songs. He was waiting for the right time to record them.
Toše's last concert was on October 5, 2007. It was for a project by USAID to help primary schools. The concert raised a lot of money for schools in Macedonia. Over 40,000 people attended, and it was watched worldwide.
The night before he died, Toše gave his last interview. He talked about finishing his music studies and his new album.
Super Toše Comic Book
Toše Proeski was the main character in a comic book called "Super Toše." The comic was about fighting evil and good winning. It was part of a charity campaign called "Superhero of Humanity." The character "Super Toše" had all of Toše's good qualities. The goal was to create a superhero who young people would look up to. Oliver Romevski, the author, said that Toše was a hero who fought evil with his super voice.
Eurovision Song Contest 2004
In 2004, Toše Proeski represented Macedonia at the 49th Eurovision Song Contest. He sang the song Life. The song was chosen on February 14, 2004. It was picked by public votes and a jury from eight songs written for Toše.
The song was written by Ilija Nikolovski and directed by Jovan Jovanov. Toše's performance at Eurovision was strong and full of energy. He made it to the final round. There, he earned 49 points and finished in fourteenth place.
After the contest, he said he wasn't fully happy with his result. He thought Eurovision voting was sometimes more about the stage show than just the song. But when he returned home, he received a very warm welcome.
Second Big Concert in Skopje
On June 23, 2006, Toše had his second solo concert at the City Stadium in Skopje. The concert began with a dance group from Belgrade. The stadium was full of fans who sang along to his biggest hits. These included "Po tebe" and "Rani na usnite."
During the concert, folk singer Bilja Krstić joined him. They sang the Macedonian folk song Jovano Jovanke together. After that, Bilja sang her hit song Puce puska. The concert lasted until midnight. Fans didn't want him to leave, so he came back and sang "Po tebe" again. He also sang the Macedonian folk song Zajdi zajdi.
Croatian Radio Festival
On June 9, 2007, Toše won a Grand Prix award at the Croatian Radio Festival. He won in the pop-rock and urban music category for his song Veži me za sebe.
Third and Final Concert in Skopje
Toše Proeski held his last big concert on October 5, 2007. It was at the City Stadium in Skopje. The concert's theme was "Education is everyone's responsibility." It was supported by the organization USAID. The money raised from tickets, about 10,000 EUR, went to renovate 100 elementary schools in Macedonia. This project aimed to improve education.
At a press conference, Toše said he was proud to be part of this project. He said charity concerts were special to him. He believed that improving education would create a healthier society. He also stated that he would always feel Macedonian and would never leave his country.
Guest stars at his final concert included Adrian Gaxha and Antonija Šola. After the concert, Toše and his band received statuettes of Mother Teresa. This was a thank you for their humanitarian work. Toše gave his statuette to his mother, Dominika. She had taught him about helping others since he was young. The concert ended with beautiful fireworks.
One memorable moment was when Toše asked his fans to turn on their phone flashlights. He said, "Give me a starry sky." The concert was later shown on TV on January 6, 2008.
His Passing
On the morning of October 16, 2007, Toše Proeski passed away. He was in a car accident on a highway in Croatia. He was a passenger in a car with his manager and driver. The car crashed into a truck. Toše was asleep in the front seat and died instantly. The driver had serious injuries, but the manager was not badly hurt.
Toše's body was brought to Skopje by helicopter. Then it was taken to his hometown of Kruševo. Many people gathered to pay their respects at the airport and in Macedonia Square. The US Embassy and the EU Diplomatic Mission shared official statements about his death. October 17 was declared a national day of mourning in Macedonia. The three days after his death were also days of mourning in Kruševo.
After he passed away, the government of North Macedonia gave him the title "Honorable citizen of Macedonia."
State Funeral
The government held an official state funeral for Toše. It took place on October 17, 2007, in his hometown of Kruševo. There were military honors, including a rifle salute and a military band. The funeral was shown on national TV. Many important people attended, including the President and Prime Minister. Ambassadors and representatives from various organizations were also there.
Many famous musicians from Macedonia and other countries came to the funeral. These included Karolina Gočeva, Kaliopi, Toni Cetinski, and Željko Joksimović. A religious service was held by the Macedonian Orthodox Church, as Toše was an Orthodox Christian.
Many websites and online forums were filled with messages from his fans. People started a petition to name schools after Toše. They also wanted an annual charity concert in his name for those in need.
Every year on January 25, a man named Mile Stojkoski runs a marathon in his wheelchair. He runs from Prilep to Toše's grave in Kruševo. He does this to show respect and grief. Both Toše and Mile received the Mother Teresa Award for their humanitarian work.
People also asked for a tribute to Toše at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008. Over 13,900 people signed a petition. While it wasn't an official tribute, the Macedonian Eurovision singer, Tamara Todevska, dedicated her song to Toše.
On April 25, 2011, the "Memorial House Todor Proeski" opened in Kruševo. In 2011, this building won an award for being one of the most beautiful in the world.
Tribute Concerts
On October 5, 2008, a year after Toše's last concert, a tribute concert was held in Skopje. More than twenty singers from different Balkan countries performed.
A documentary about Toše's work was released in cinemas in Macedonia on February 12, 2009. Another concert was held on January 24, 2010, the day before what would have been Toše's 29th birthday. A memorial concert for Toše was also held on November 2, 2018. Many popular Balkan musicians performed at the SCBT Arena.
National Football Stadium
On April 9, 2019, the government of North Macedonia decided to rename the "Philip II" sports stadium in Skopje. It was renamed in honor of Toše. The stadium's new name is "Toše Proeski National Arena."
Images for kids
Immediately after Toše Proeski's death, people gathered in Skopje and across North Macedonia. They brought candles, flowers, and messages to remember him. Many schools, universities, and businesses also joined in. Similar gatherings happened in other cities in the Balkans, especially in former Yugoslav countries. A mourning ceremony was held in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, where about 2000 people lit candles for Toše.
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People gathering in Skopje to remember Toše.
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A memorial for Toše in Skopje.
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Candles and flowers left in Toše's memory.
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A crowd paying respects in Skopje.
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Toše Proeski's hometown, Kruševo.
Discography
Albums
- Nekade vo noḱta (1999)
- Sinot Božji (2000)
- Ako me pogledneš vo oči / Ako me pogledaš u oči (2002)
- Den za nas / Dan za nas (2004)
- Po tebe / Pratim te (2005)
- Božilak (2006)
- Igri bez granici / Igra bez granica (2007)
- The Hardest Thing (2009)
Compilations
- The Platinum Collection (2008)
- The Ultimate Collection (2009)
- Toše i prijatelji (2010)
- Toše: Poslednji pozdrav (2011)
- S ljubavlju od Tošeta (2011)
- The Platinum Collection (6 CD Box) (2012)
- The Best Of (2013)
- Secret Place (2018)
Filmography
- Zabranjena Ljubav one episode #1.402 Mladic Bosko (2006)
- Kako Ubiv Svetec Tose (2004)
- Nad Lipom 35 one episode #2.2 Himself (2007)
See also
- Music of Macedonia
- Music School "Toše Proeski"
