Aki Rahimovski

Aleksandar "Aki" Rahimovski (; 5 June 1955 – 22 January 2022) was a Macedonian-Croatian rock musician. Best known as the vocalist of the highly popular band Parni Valjak, Rahimovski is widely considered one of the most prominent vocalists and frontmen of the Yugoslav rock scene.

Rahimovski started his musical career as a teenager, performing as keyboardist and vocalist for several bands from the Yugoslav republic of Macedonia, before joining Zagreb-based Parni Valjak in 1975. With Parni Valjak he achieved large success in the second half of the 1970s and nationwide popularity in the 1980s, the band managing to maintain their popularity in all former Yugoslav republics after the dissolution of the country. With Parni Valjak, Rahimovski had released 18 studio albums, 5 solo albums, 5 video albums and a number of 7-inch singles. He had been the band's vocalist until his death in 2022. In addition to working with Parni Valjak, Rahimovski had a short-lasting solo career during the band's 2005–2009 hiatus, releasing one solo album.

Biography Early life Rahimovski was born into a Torbeši family, in Niš on 5 June 1955, but moved with his family to Skopje at an early age. His father was a music teacher, and at the age of seven Rahimovski enrolled in a music school, attending classes in piano and singing. They maintained large popularity in Croatia during the early 1990s, also restoring their popularity in other former Yugoslav republics in the following years and decades. In 2005, the group announced their disbandment, only to reunite in 2009, continuing to sell out large venues in former Yugoslav region. In 2007, he released his only solo album U vremenu izgubljenih (In the Time of the Lost). In 2002, with Mladen Vojičić "Tifa", Dado Topić and Zlatan Fazlić he recorded Fazlić's song "Pjesma za Davora" ("A Song for Davor"), recorded as a tribute to deceased Indexi vocalist Davorin Popović. In 2010, he recorded the song "Kasno je za sve" ("It's Late for Everything") for Toše Proeski tribute album Još uvek sanjam da smo zajedno (I'm Still Dreaming We're Together).

During his career, Rahimovski made a number of guest appearances as guest vocalist on albums by other artists. In 1999, he appeared as guest vocalist on the album 16 nam je godina tek – Koncert (We're Only 16 – Concert) by Croatian and Yugoslav country music band Plava Trava Zaborava, in the cover of Parni Valjak song "Godine prolaze" ("Years Are Passing"), in the cover of Eric Clapton song "Wonderful Tonight" and in the cover of the song "Love Hurts". In 2007, Rahimovski made a series of guest appearances: he appeared as guest on Zoran Predin's album Za šaku ljubavi (For a Handful of Love), in the song "Vilenjak" ("Elf"); together with Hasanefendić on Vanna album Ledeno doba (Ice Age), in the cover of Parni Valjak song "Stranica dnevnika" ("A Page from a Diary"). In 2010, he made a guest appearance on Garo & Tavitjan Brothers album Makedonsko srce kuca u 7/8 (Macedonian Heart Beats in the 7/8 Rhythm), recording the vocals for the cover of the traditional song "Snošti sakav da ti dojdam" ("Last Night I Wanted to Come to You").

Death Rahimovski died on 22 January 2022, aged 66, in Novo Mesto, Slovenia, where he had resided during the last several years of his life.

Legacy In 1998, Parni Valjak album Anđeli se dosađuju? (Angels Are Bored?) was polled No. 82 on the list of 100 Greatest Albums of Yugoslav Popular Music in the book YU 100: najbolji albumi jugoslovenske rok i pop muzike (YU 100: The Best albums of Yugoslav pop and rock music). In 1987, in YU legende uživo (YU Legends Live), a special publication by Rock magazine, the band's live album Koncert (Concert) was proclaimed one of 12 best Yugoslav live albums. In 2006, the band's song "Uhvati ritam" ("Catch the Beat") was polled No. 68 and "Stranica dnevnika" was polled No. 96 on the B92 Top 100 Domestic Songs list.

Discography with Parni Valjak Studio albums Dođite na show! (1976) Glavom kroz zid (1977) Gradske priče (1979) City Kids (as Steam Roller, 1980) Vruće igre (1980) Vrijeme je na našoj strani (1981) Glavnom ulicom (1983) Uhvati ritam (1984) Pokreni se! (1985) Anđeli se dosađuju? (1987) Sjaj u očima (1988) Lovci snova (1990) Buđenje (1993) Samo snovi teku uzvodno (1997) Zastave (2000) Pretežno sunčano? (2004) Stvarno nestvarno (2011) Vrijeme (2018)

Live albums Koncert (1980) E = mc³ (1985) Svih 15 godina (1990) Bez struje – Live in ZeKaeM (1995) Kao nekada / Live at S.C. (2001)

Compilation albums Parni Valjak (1985) Samo sjećanja (1991) Pusti nek' traje, kolekcija vol. 1 (1991) Najveći hitovi (1997) Balade(1998) Koncentrat 1977.-1983. (2005) Koncentrat 1984.-2005. (2005) The Ultimate Collection (2009) Najljepše ljubavne pjesme (2010) The Best Of (2010) Nema predaje (2013) Greatest Hits Collection (2017) Vrijeme ljubavi (2022)

Box sets Original Album Collection Vol. 1 (2015) Original Album Collection Vol. 2 (2015) Antologija (2017)

Video albums Koncert (1988) Live – Zagreb, Dom sportova 2. XII 2000. (2002) Bez struje – Live in ZeKaeM (2005) Live Beogradska arena (2011) Live in Pula (2018)

Singles "Parni valjak" / "Šizofrenik" (1976) "Tako prođe tko ne pazi kad ga Parni valjak zgazi / "Dok si mlad" (1976) "Ljubavni jadi jednog Parnog valjka" / "Teško je biti sam" (1976) "Prevela me mala žednog preko vode" / "O šumama, rijekama i pticama" (1976) "'Oću da se ženim" / "Ljeto" (1977) "Lutka za bal" / "Crni dani" (1977) "Od motela do motela" / "Predstavi je kraj (u živo)" (1978) "Stranica dnevnika" / "Ulične tuče" (1979) "Motel to Motel" / "When the Show Is Done" (1979) "Neda" / "Hvala ti" (1981) "Moje dnevne paranoje" / "Ona je tako prokleto mlada" (1982) "Uhvati ritam" / "Samo ona zna" (1984) "Kekec je slobodan, red je na nas" (1991) "Kaži ja (Boje jeseni)" / "Sai Baba Blues" (1997) "Tko nam brani" / "Dok si pored mene" (2002)

Solo Studio albums U vremenu izgubljenih (2006)