Toše Proeski

Todor "Toše" Proeski (, ; 25 January 1981 – 16 October 2007) was a Macedonian singer and songwriter. Considered a top act of the local Macedonian and Balkan music scene, Proeski's music was popular across multiple countries in Southeast Europe. Proeski has been dubbed as the "Balkan Elvis". He was also acclaimed for his commitment to humanitarian causes, including serving as UNICEF ambassador and holding charity concerts. He died in a highway car crash in Croatia in 2007 at the age of 26, and received substantial posthumous recognition.

Biography Proeski at the rehearsal of the Eurovision Song Contest 2004. Proeski was born in Prilep on 25 January 1981 into an Aromanian family and grew up in Kruševo. His grandfather was an actor in the Kruševo theater. He studied in primary school in Kruševo, and secondary music school in Bitola. Professors of the latter school had Proeski moved from the department of clarinet to singing as he did not have a clarinet because his parents could not afford it. He studied at the Faculty of Musical Arts in Skopje. Proeski was a devout Orthodox Christian and member of the Macedonian Orthodox Church. Thus at the age of 12, he performed with the song "Јаs i mојоt dеdо" (Me and my grandfather) in the Aromanian language. He won the 1996 Melfest festival in Prilep at the age of 15, In 1999, at the Skopje Festival, Proeski sang his third big hit "Your Kisses on My White Shirts" by the same Koprov-Nedelkovski duo. After this, he released his second album "Sinot Božji" (The Son of God), which reached the top of the Macedonian charts. After his performance at the Slavic Bazaar at Belarus with the song "Tajno moja" (My Secret), Proeski became known to the international public.

In 2001, Proeski toured Australia, where he was welcomed by the Macedonian community. In 2003, he received training in New York from the vocal coach of Luciano Pavarotti, William Riley, to improve his singing. After his return to Macedonia, Proeski held charity concerts in cities across Macedonia. In 2005, Proeski's fifth album "Po tebe" (After You) was a hit in the Balkans, rising to the top charts in Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia. In an interview for Serbian newspaper Blic in 2005, he stated: Proeski sang songs in Macedonian, Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, Slovenian and Aromanian. Such songs include Zajdi, zajdi, jasno sonce, More sokol pie and Jovano, Jovanke. The arrangers of the songs have been Ilija Pejovski, Saša Nikolovski and Soni Petrovski. Proeski also had a role in one episode of the show. His final concert in the City Stadium in Skopje was held on 5 October, a charity co-organized by USAID and the Ministry of Education, During his life, he was referred to as the "Balkan Elvis" and was admired for his charisma and vocal abilities across multiple genres such as pop music and traditional music. When he was not performing, Proeski continued to study classical music in Skopje. The Touareg then crashed into the median barrier, after the trailer threw the car aside. None of the airbags were activated. Proeski was asleep in the front passenger seat at the time of the crash. He was 26 years old. Of the other two passengers, only the driver suffered serious injuries (head trauma). Per Macedonian experts, the speed was slightly lower, between . According to them, none of the functions on the vehicle failed, and that the airbags did not open because the vehicle's deceleration was in a level where they could not be activated. Television and radio stations across Macedonia were showing his concerts, music videos, the USAID and the Diplomatic mission of the European Union published official statements on Proeski's death. 17 October was declared as a national day of mourning in Macedonia. The three days following his death were pronounced days of mourning in Kruševo. After his death, the government of the Republic of Macedonia gave him the title "Honorable citizen of Macedonia". for Proeski, which was held on 17 October 2007 in his home town of Kruševo, including military honor ceremonies by the Ceremonial Guard Battalion of the Macedonian Army (personnel of which conducted an honorary rifle salute) and a military band. His coffin was covered with the flag of Macedonia. Also, the funeral was attended by people from Macedonia and neighboring countries. The religious service was held by the Macedonian Orthodox Church led by the Archbishop Stephen of Ohrid.

Honors On 5 October 2008, the anniversary of Proeski's last concert before his death, a tribute concert was held in Skopje. Over 20 singers from Balkan countries performed. In 2009, his posthumous album, "The Hardest Thing", and a documentary about the end of his life, Toše Proeski: The Hardest Thing, were released. which was received by Proeski's nephew. The museum has all of his awards, many of his belongings from his childhood, recreations of his living room and his home recording studio, including a wax model of Proeski. The museum has the shape of a cross as a reference to his devout Orthodox faith. Its interior walls are covered with song lyrics, including his signature phrase from his performances, "Ve sakam site" (I love you all), translated into over 100 languages. According to acting director of the museum in 2021, over 700,000 guests have visited it in ten years. In August 2012, a bronze statue of him was placed at the Art Bridge in Skopje as part of "Skopje 2014". A mosaic with his image was revealed in Prilep in October 2012. A biographical book about Proeski by journalist Sonja Aleksoska Nedelkovska, titled Ova ne e kraj (This is not the end), was published in 2014.

On 9 April 2019, North Macedonia's government made a decision to rename the sports stadium "Philip II" in the capital city of Skopje in honor of Proeski. The stadium's name is "Toše Proeski National Arena". A statue in honor of Proeski was placed in Nova Gradiška in 2021. However, the statue was subject to criticism by locals on social media, with many saying that it does not look like Proeski and that "even the Macedonians wouldn't recognize it".

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism of North Macedonia has announced a feature film, a documentary and a television series in honor of the life of Proeski. The Macedonian Radio Television had a competition in 2025 for filmmakers interested in working on the announced project. On 26 May 2025, Aromanian artist Zoran Cardula celebrated Aromanian National Day with a publication of a portrait of him and other Aromanians. Zabranjena ljubav (Forbidden Love) as Boško Cutić (2006)

Singles chart positions His chart toppers include:

YearSingleTranslationChart positionsAlbumMKDSCGCRO BIHTURZAFMTV Adria1999"Tajno moja""My Secret"1——————Sinot Božji2003"Ako me pogledneš vo oči/Ako me pogledaš u oči""If You Look into My Eyes"11—1———Ako me pogledneš vo oči/Ako me pogledaš u oči"Soba za taga/Soba za tugu""Room of Sorrow"11—1———"Magija/Čini" (feat. Esma Redžepova)"Spells"11—1———2004"Life"—12——2549—Den za nas/Dan za nas"Čija si""To Whom Do You Belong"11—110——2005"Žao mi je""I Am Sorry"———————Po tebe/Pratim te"Po tebe/Pratim te""After You/I'm Following You"11—11——"Koj li ti grize obrazi/Ko ti to grize obraze""Who's Biting Your Cheeks"111—1——2007"Srce nije kamen""The Heart Isn't Made of Stone"——1—3——Igri bez granici/Igra bez granica"Volim osmijeh tvoj" (feat. Antonija Šola)"I Love Your Smile"11111——"Nikoj kako tebe ne baknuva/Ubijaš me usnama""No One Kisses Like You/You Are Killing Me with Your Lips"1—1—3——"Veži me za sebe""Bind Me to Yourself"——1—4——"Igri Bez Granici/Igra Bez Granica""Game Without Borders"11111——2008"The Hardest Thing"11111—1The Hardest Thing"My Little One" (feat. his nephew Kristijan)———————2010"Još uvijek sanjam da smo zajedno""I Still Dream That We Are Together"11111——

An em dash (—) indicates that the single did not chart.