Željko Joksimović facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Željko Joksimović
Жељко Јоксимовић
Joksimović in 2012
Born	(1972-04-20) 20 April 1972 (age 53) Belgrade, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia
Occupation	Singer-songwriter composer instrumentalist
Years active	1997–present
Spouse(s)	Jovana Janković (m. 2012)
Children	4
Musical career
Genres	Pop-folk Balkan ballad
Instruments	Vocal accordion piano guitar drums
Labels	City Minacord
Associated acts	Nina Badrić Tony Cetinski Haris Džinović Emina Jahović Dino Merlin Antonis Remos

Željko Joksimović (Serbian Cyrillic: Жељко Јоксимовић, pronounced [ʒěːʎko jǒksimovitɕ]) was born on April 20, 1972. He is a very famous Serbian singer, songwriter, and musician. He can play many different instruments, like the accordion, piano, guitar, and drums. Željko is also great with languages! He speaks Greek, English, Russian, Polish, and French, along with his native Serbian.

Željko is known for writing songs for other artists across the Balkans. He has even written five songs that were performed at the Eurovision Song Contest. These popular songs include "Lane moje", "Lejla", "Oro", "Nije ljubav stvar", and "Adio". He also creates music for movies, TV shows, and plays. Željko represented Serbia and Montenegro in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 with "Lane moje", coming in second place. He also represented Serbia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 with "Nije ljubav stvar", finishing third.

From 2013 to 2015, Željko was a judge on X Factor Adria. This show is the Western Balkan version of The X Factor, a popular music competition.

Music Journey

Starting Out in Music

Željko Joksimović was born in Belgrade and grew up in Valjevo. He showed his musical talent very early. When he was just 12 years old, he won a big award in Paris. He was named the First Accordion of Europe at a famous music festival!

After studying music at the University of Belgrade, Željko started his professional music career in 1997. In 1998, he won a competition at the Pjesma Mediterana festival with his song "Pesma Sirena". This win opened doors for him to perform at more important festivals in Belarus, where he won the "Grand Prix" award twice.

First Albums: Amajlija, Rintam, and 111

Željko became known as a folk and pop artist. His first album, Amajlija, featured "Pesma Sirena" and seven other songs. A big hit from this album was "7 godina", which he wrote with Leontina Vukomanović. This song quickly became number one on the Serbian pop charts and was very popular in other countries that used to be part of Yugoslavia.

In 1999, he won another major award. He was the Grand Prix winner at the International Festival of Arts Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk, Belarus.

In 2001, Željko released his second album, Vreteno. It included songs like "Rintam", "Balada", and a duet with Haris Džinović called "Šta će meni više od toga". Three music videos were made for songs from this album.

His album 111 came out in 2002. It quickly reached number one on the pop charts in Serbia and nearby countries. Songs like "Varnice", "Zaboravljaš", and "Karavan" were on this album.

In 2003, Željko wrote the song "Čija si" for the Macedonian singer Toše Proeski. This song helped Toše Proeski win Beovizija 2003, a music contest.

Eurovision Song Contest 2004

Željko Joksimović performing "Lane Moje" for Serbia and Montenegro in ESC 2004 in Istanbul, Turkey.

In 2004, Serbia and Montenegro entered the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 for the first time. They chose their representative through a festival called Evropesma 2004. Željko Joksimović won the contest with his song "Lane Moje". He composed the music, and Leontina Vukomanović wrote the lyrics.

In the semi-final, Željko came in first place. In the final, he finished second, just behind Ukrainian singer Ruslana. He also won the "Marcel Bezencon Press Award" for Best Composer. "Lane Moje" became the best-selling song in Serbia and Montenegro. Many Eurovision fans still consider "Lane Moje" one of the best songs that didn't win the contest.

After Eurovision and New Music

After his success at Eurovision, Željko started his own music company, MINACORD PRODUCTION, in 2004. He has been working and composing in his own studio ever since. In 2007, he released the song "Ledja o Ledja", which became very popular where he usually performs.

In 2005, he wrote another song for Serbia and Montenegro's Eurovision selection, Beovizija. This ballad, "Jutro" (Morning), was sung by Jelena Tomašević. In October 2005, Željko also sang a duet with Austrian singer Tamee Harrison called I Live My Life For You. This song was successful across Europe.

Around this time, Željko also started writing music for movies. He composed the music for the film Ivkova slava (Ivko's fame). In the same year, he released his fourth album, "IV" or "Ima nešto u tom što me nećeš". On this album, he explored a new music style, mixing Pop ballads with some traditional Serbian folk sounds.

In 2006, he composed the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 song Lejla for Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was performed by Hari Mata Hari and finished in third place, which was Bosnia's best result in the contest. Željko also won the Best Composer Award for Lejla.

In 2007, he released a collection of his greatest hits called Platinum Collection. It included two new songs: "Devojka" and "Nije do mene". He also composed music for the TV series "Ranjeni orao" and "Ono nase sto nekad bejase". That same year, Željko performed a huge concert in front of 18,000 people at the Belgrade Arena. This concert was later released as a DVD called "Koncert Beogradska Arena".

Hosting Eurovision and New Album

Željko Joksimović with Jovana Janković during the first semi-final of Eurovision 2008 in Belgrade.

In early 2008, Željko Joksimović composed "Oro" for Jelena Tomašević. She sang it in the Serbian national final for Eurovision, Beovizija 2008. "Oro" is a folk ballad with traditional Serbian elements. Since Serbia won the Eurovision Song Contest 2007, the 2008 contest was held in Belgrade. On March 24, 2008, the organizers announced that Željko would host the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 with Jovana Janković. This meant he had two important roles in the contest! Jelena Tomašević's song "Oro" finished in 6th place in the final.

After a year-long break from releasing music, Željko released his fifth album, Ljubavi, in 2009. The song "Ljubavi" was the first single from the album and became very popular in Serbia and nearby countries. In early 2010, he released another single from the album called "Žena Za Sva Vremena".

On June 12, 2010, Željko performed his biggest concert ever at the Asim Ferhatović Hase Stadium in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Over 40,000 people attended the concert!

Returning to Eurovision

Željko Joksimović represented Serbia again in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Baku, Azerbaijan. He composed and performed the song "Nije ljubav stvar". The lyrics were written by Marina Tucaković and Miloš Roganović. An English version of the song, called "Synonym", was also made. The song was a big success, finishing in third place.

In January 2012, he married Jovana Janković.

Eurovision Song Contest 2015

RTCG asked Željko Joksimović to compose a song for Knez, who represented Montenegro in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 in Vienna, Austria. Željko composed the song Adio. The song has three versions: in Serbian, French, and English language.

Recent Concerts

In November 2018, Željko Joksimović held a concert in Arena Zenica after an eight-year break. A month later, he performed another concert called "Dva sveta" (Two worlds) in Sava Centar.

Željko Joksimović singing Milimetar at ZSF 2019.

On August 9, 2019, Željko Joksimović closed the Zenica Summer Fest with a free two-hour concert in Zenica city square.

Music Albums

Studio Albums

1999 Amajlija
2001 Rintam
2002 111
2005 Ima nešto u tom što me nećeš
2009 Ljubavi
2015 Zvezda

Live Albums

2008 [1] Beogradska Arena Live
2017 [2] Dva Sveta - Koncert Sava Centar (Live)

Collections

2003 The Best Of Željko Joksimović
2007 Platinum Collection
2010 Ultimate Collection

Singles

2004 Leđa o leđa
2004 Lane moje CD+DVD
2004 Lane moje/Goodbye (maxi-single)
2005 I live my life for you (with Tamee Harrison)
2007 Devojka
2007 Nije do mene
2008 Ono naše što nekad bejaše
2010 Dođi sutra
2012 Nije ljubav stvar
2013 Ludak kao ja
2015 Ranjena zver
2017 Milimetar
2018 Ponelo me
2018 Menjaj pesmu
2019 Možda je to ljubav

Duets (Songs with Other Artists)

2001 Haris Džinović – Šta će meni više od toga
2004 Dino Merlin – Supermen
2005 Tamee Harrison – I Live My Life For You
2012 Samuel Cuenda " Su amor me venció"
2009 Miligram - Libero
2014 Daniel Kajmakoski – Skoplje - Beograd
2014 Toni Cetinski – Zabluda
2018 Emina Jahović – Dva aviona

Soundtracks (Music for Movies)

2005 "Ivkova slava", (Željko Joksimović, Jelena Tomašević & Nikola Kojo)
2009 "Ranjeni Orao"

Other Songs He Wrote

2003 Toše Proeski – Song: Cija Si – Composer: Željko Joksimović
2005 Nava Medina – Song: Malah Shomer – Composer: Željko Joksimović
2005 Jelena Tomasevic – Song: Jutro – Composer: Željko Joksimović
2006 Hari Mata Hari – Song: Lejla – Composer: Željko Joksimović
2009 Halid Bešlić – Song: "Miljacka" – Composer: Željko Joksimović
2008 Jelena Tomasevic – Song: Oro – Composer: Željko Joksimović
2008 Eleftheria Arvanitaki – Song: To Telos mas Des – Composer: Željko Joksimović
2008 Melina Aslanidou – Song: Poso – Composer: Željko Joksimović
2008 Song: Nikola Tesla (Instrumental) – Composer: Željko Joksimović feat. Jelena Tomašević
2011 Lepa Brena – Song: Biber – Composer: Željko Joksimović
2011 Lepa Brena – Song: Ne bih bila ja – Composer: Željko Joksimović
2013 Saša Kapor – Song: Hotel Jugoslavija – Composer: Željko Joksimović
2014 Knez – Song: Adio – Composer: Željko Joksimović

Eurovision Song Contest Appearances

Željko Joksimović has been involved in Eurovision many times, both as a singer and a composer for other artists.

Country	Year	Song	Artist	Place	Points	Marcel Bezençon Awards
Serbia and Montenegro	2004	"Lane moje" (Лане моје)	Željko Joksimović & Ad-Hoc Orchestra	2	263	Press Award
Bosnia and Herzegovina	2006	"Lejla"	Hari Mata Hari	3	229	Composer Award
Serbia	2008	"Oro" (Оро)	Jelena Tomašević feat. Bora Dugić	6	160
Serbia	2012	"Nije ljubav stvar" (Није љубав ствар)	Željko Joksimović	3	214
Montenegro	2015	"Adio"	Knez	13	44

Songs in Beovizija (Serbian Selection Show)

Željko Joksimović has composed winning songs for the Beovizija festival, which is used to pick Serbia's Eurovision entry.

2003 - "Čija si" (Чија си) by Toše Proeski - 1st Place
2004 - "Zamisli" (Замисли) by Leontina Vukomanović - 3rd Place
2005 - "Jutro" (Јутро) by Jelena Tomašević - 1st Place
2008 - "Oro" (Оро) by Jelena Tomašević - 1st Place

Songs in Evropesma / Europjesma (Serbia and Montenegro Selection Show)

He also had songs in the Evropesma contest, which chose the entry for Serbia and Montenegro.

2004 - "Lane moje" (Лане моје) by Željko Joksimović - 1st Place
2004 - "Zamisli" (Замисли) by Leontina Vukomanović - 12th Place
2005 - "Jutro" (Јутро) by Jelena Tomašević - 2nd Place