Željko Joksimović

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Željko Joksimović
Жељко Јоксимовић
Zeljko Joksimovic (Eurovision Song Contest 2012) 5 (cropped).jpg
Joksimović in 2012
Born (1972-04-20) 20 April 1972 (age 52)
Occupations
  • Singer-songwriter
  • composer
  • instrumentalist
Years active1997–present
Spouse
(m. 2012)
Children4
Musical career
Genres
Instruments
Labels

Željko Joksimović (Serbian Cyrillic : Жељко Јоксимовић, pronounced [ʒěːʎkojǒksimovitɕ] ; born 20 April 1972) is a Serbian vocalist, composer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer. He plays 12 different musical instruments including accordion, piano, guitar and drums. Joksimović is multi-lingual, being fluent in Greek, English, Russian, Polish and French as well as his native Serbian. [1]

Contents

A singer-songwriter, Joksimović has been successful composing for other artists throughout the Balkans. He has written five ballads that have represented their respective countries at the Eurovision Song Contest: "Lane moje", "Lejla", "Oro", "Nije ljubav stvar" and "Adio". He also composes music for films, television series, and theater shows. He represented Serbia and Montenegro in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 with the song "Lane moje", placing second. [2] He also represented Serbia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 with the song "Nije ljubav stvar", placing third.

During 2013, 2014 and 2015, he was a judge on X Factor Adria , the Western Balkan edition of The X Factor . [3]

Career

Early beginnings

Željko Joksimović was born on 20 April 1972 in Belgrade and grew up in the city of Valjevo. Joksimović's first international success came at the age of 12 when he won the title of First Accordion of Europe at the prestigious music festival in Paris. He graduated music at the University of Belgrade and launched his professional music career in 1997. In 1998 he won a contest at the Pjesma Mediterana festival with the song "Pesma Sirena", which led to opportunities to perform at more prestigious festivals in Belarus. The Serbian musician won the "Grand Prix" award at two festivals in that country. [4]

1999–2003: Amajlija, Rintam and 111

The young singer was promoted as a folk and pop artist. His first studio album, titled Amajlija , included "Pesma Sirena" along with seven other tracks. His first big success was with the single "7 godina", written by himself and Leontina Vukomanović. The song went to No. 1 on the Serbian pop music charts and became very popular in other former Yugoslav countries.

In 1999 he won his first big prize when becoming the Grand Prix winner of the International Festival of Arts Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk, Belarus. [5]

In 2001, Joksimović released his second studio album Vreteno named after a song on the album. Other tracks on the album included "Rintam", "Balada", "Gadura" and the duet with Haris Džinović "Šta će meni više od toga". Three music videos were produced for songs on this album.

111 was released in 2002, soaring to No.1 on the pop charts of Serbia and other countries of the region. Some of the songs included were "Varnice", "Zaboravljaš" and "Karavan".

In 2003, Joksimović wrote the song "Čija si" for Macedonian music singer Toše Proeski which led him to win Beovizija.

2004: Eurovision Song Contest 2004

Joksimovic performing "Lane Moje" for Serbia and Montenegro in ESC 2004. Istanbul, Turkey. JoksimovicESC2004.jpg
Joksimović performing "Lane Moje" for Serbia and Montenegro in ESC 2004. Istanbul, Turkey.

Serbia and Montenegro, sending an entrant for the first time to 2004 Eurovision Song Contest, decided on their representative through Evropesma 2004, a music festival and contest in Serbia and Montenegro. Joksimović won the contest with "Lane Moje", composed by Željko himself, along with lyricist Leontina Vukomanović.

In the semi-final, Joksimović placed first. However, in the final, he placed second behind Ukrainian singer Ruslana, but received the "Marcel Bezencon Press Award" (Best Composer Award). "Lane Moje" was the best-selling single in Serbia and Montenegro.[ citation needed ]

The song has become popular amongst many Eurovision fans and it is often rated as one of the best non-winning songs. [6] [7] [8]

2004–2007: After first Eurovision, IV and Platinum Collection

After the success in the Contest, the same year, Joksimović founded MINACORD PRODUCTION. Since then, he has worked and composed in his studio. In 2007 he composed and released the single "Ledja o Ledja" which gained a large popularity in the countries where Željko usually performs.[ which? ][ citation needed ] In 2005, he once again composed a song for Serbia and Montenegro's national pre-selection for Eurovision called Beovizija. Željko composed the ballad "Jutro" (Morning) which was performed by Jelena Tomašević. In October 2005, he composed and performed a duet with Austrian singer Tamee Harrison. The song was titled I Live My Life For You" which was a success throughout Europe.[ dubious discuss ] Around this time, Željko wrote his first film score. In cooperation with Cobra Production, he composed music for the movie Ivkova slava (Ivko's fame). The same year he released his fourth studio album "IV" or "Ima nešto u tom što me nećeš". In this album, he changed the music style that was typical of him. The songs in the album are Pop ballads with some ethnic Serbian folk elements. In 2006, he composed the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 song Lejla for Bosnia and Herzegovina, performed by Hari Mata Hari. The song finished in third place, making it Bosnia's best performance in the contest. He also won the prestigious Best Composer Award (COMPOSERAWARD 2006), assigned to Željko by all composers who participated in that festival.

In 2007, he released his second greatest hits compilation called Platinum Collection which included two new singles "Devojka" and "Nije do mene". He also composed the music for the TV series "Ranjeni orao" and "Ono nase sto nekad bejase". The same year, in front of 18,000 people Joksimović made a concert where he sang all of his hits in the Belgrade Arena released in the DVD titled "Koncert Beogradska Arena".

2008–2011: Eurovision hosting and Ljubavi

Zeljko Joksimovic together with Jovana Jankovic during the first semi-final ESC Belgrade 2008. ESC 2008 - Presenters at the 1st semifinal.jpg
Željko Joksimović together with Jovana Janković during the first semi-final ESC Belgrade 2008.

In early 2008, Željko Joksimović composed a song that was performed by Jelena Tomašević in the Serbian national final for the Eurovision song selection, Beovizija 2008, called "Oro". The song is a folk ballad with traditional folk Serbian elements. Because the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 has been won by Serbia, the contest that year came in the country. On 24 March 2008 it was announced by the 2008 Eurovision organizers RTS that together with Jovana Janković he would host the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Belgrade, giving him two roles in the contest. [9] Tomašević's song finished in the 6th place in over 25 countries in the final. The song came six with 160 points, with OGAE Greece ranking it their favorite of the year.

After a year of a music pause, he released his fifth studio album named Ljubavi (2009) by the production of Minacord and City Records. "Ljubavi" is the name of the pilot single of the album too. The single has a large success in Serbia and the neighboring countries.[ citation needed ] In early 2010 he released the second single from the album called "Žena Za Sva Vremena".

On 12 June 2010, he performed his biggest concert yet. It was held on the Asim Ferhatović Hase Stadium in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, which can seat 37,500, though attendance for concerts can be expanded to reach about 80,000, in front of over 40,000 persons.

2012: Eurovision return

Joksimović represented Serbia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Baku, Azerbaijan. The song was called "Nije ljubav stvar" composed and performed by Joksimović. The lyrics are by Marina Tucaković and Miloš Roganović. The English version of the song called "Synonym" by Ljilja Jorgovanović. Željko Joksimović and Alek Alekov did the arrangements of both versions. James Cruz, an award-winning audio-mastering engineer in his New York studio, did the postproduction and mastering. The song was a great success, finishing in third place.

He married Jovana Janković in January 2012.

2015: Eurovision Song Contest 2015

Željko Joksimović was invited by RTCG to compose song for Knez who represented Montenegro in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 in Vienna, Austria. Joksimović composed the song Adio and the song has three versions, in Serbian, French, and English language. Serbian lyrics are written by Marina Tucaković and Dejan Ivanović, while English version is signed by Swedish songwriters Nicole Rodriguez, Tami Rodriguez, and Serbian Milica Fajgelj and Dunja Vujadinović. [10]

Recent concerts

In November 2018, Željko Joksimović had a concert in Arena Zenica – after eight-year break. [11] He gave another concert entitled "Dva sveta" (Two worlds) in Sava Centar a month later. [12]

Joksimovic on ZSF 2019 singing Milimetar (mosaic artwork in the background because of the lyrics) Zenitsa 20190809 222425.jpg
Joksimović on ZSF 2019 singing Milimetar(mosaic artwork in the back­ground because of the lyrics)

On 9 August, Joksimović closed Zenica summer fest 2019 by free public two-hour performance on Zenica city square. [13]

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

Compilations

Singles

Duets

Soundtracks

Other works

Eurovision Song Contest entries

CountryYearSongArtistPlacePoints Marcel Bezençon Awards
Flag of Yugoslavia (1992-2003); Flag of Serbia and Montenegro (2003-2006).svg  Serbia and Montenegro 2004 "Lane moje" (Лане моје)Željko Joksimović & Ad-Hoc Orchestra2263Press Award
Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg  Bosnia and Herzegovina 2006 "Lejla" Hari Mata Hari 3229Composer Award
Flag of Serbia.svg  Serbia 2008 "Oro" (Оро) Jelena Tomašević feat. Bora Dugić 6160
Flag of Serbia.svg  Serbia 2012 "Nije ljubav stvar" (Није љубав ствар)Željko Joksimović3214
Flag of Montenegro.svg  Montenegro 2015 "Adio" Knez 1344

Entries in Beovizija

Entries in Evropesma / Europjesma

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Serbia and Montenegro in the Eurovision Song Contest</span>

The State Union of Serbia and Montenegro participated in the Eurovision Song Contest twice: in 2004 and in 2005. Their debut appearance was a success, with the song "Lane moje" performed by Željko Joksimović finishing second. The following year, they placed seventh, with "Zauvijek moja" by the band No Name. The Serbian-Montenegrin participant broadcaster in the contest was Udruženje javnih radija i televizija (UJRT) which selected its entrant with the national selection Evropesma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hari Varešanović</span> Bosnian musician (born 1961)

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Bosnia and Herzegovina was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 with the song "Lejla", composed by Željko Joksimović, with lyrics by Fahrudin Pecikoza and Dejan Ivanović, and performed by the band Hari Mata Hari. The Bosnian-Herzegovinian participating broadcaster, Radio and Television of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BHRT), internally selected its entry for the contest. The broadcaster announced Hari Mata Hari as its representative on 9 February 2006, and the song "Lejla", was presented to the public on 5 March 2006 during a show entitled BH Eurosong 2006. Songwriter Joksimović had represented Serbia and Montenegro in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hari Mata Hari</span> Bosnian musical group; rock band

Hari Mata Hari is a Bosnian pop band. Hari Mata Hari is the stage name for the singer Hari Varešanović. The group originated from the city of Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The group has performed over 1,000 concerts and sold 5 million albums to date. Their songs are among the most famous and popular love ballads in the former Yugoslavia era. Hari Mata Hari was the representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 held in Athens, Greece. Coincidentally, hari mata hari in Malay stands for 'day of the sun, or Sunday'.

Evropesma or Europjesma was a pop song contest in Serbia and Montenegro which ran from 2004 to 2006. The winning song represented the country in the Eurovision Song Contest. It was organized by the Serbia and Montenegro union of broadcasters UJRT.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Serbia in the Eurovision Song Contest</span>

Serbia has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 16 times since making its debut in 2007. The Serbian participant broadcaster in the contest is Radio-televizija Srbije (RTS). Serbia won the contest on its debut with "Molitva" by Marija Šerifović. The country's other top five results are third place in 2012 with "Nije ljubav stvar" by Željko Joksimović, and fifth place in 2022 with "In corpore sano" by Konstrakta. Serbia's other top ten results are sixth place (2008) and tenth place (2015).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lejla (song)</span> 2006 song by Hari Mata Hari

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lane moje</span> 2004 single by Željko Joksimović

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References

  1. Željko Joksimović: Ne promatram se kao da sam zgodan!. Dnevnik.hr (11 December 2010). Retrieved on 2012-08-29.
  2. Zeljko Joksimovic Biography. Artists.letssingit.com. Retrieved on 2012-08-29.
  3. Yuma, Faris (8 September 2013). "Joksimović i Kristina Kovač sudije 'X factora'". Tracara.com. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  4. Željko Joksimović – početna strana. Zeljkojoksimovic.com. Retrieved on 2012-08-29.
  5. "Belarus: Slavianski Bazaar 2020 Selection - Vitebsk Results". Eurovoix World. 10 December 2019. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  6. ""Lane moje" - the best song in the history of Eurovision". RTS.
  7. "The Eurovision Song Contest: 10 of the best". The Guardian. 20 May 2015.
  8. "Wiwi Jury of the 2010s: Serbia's Željko Joksimovic with "Nije Ljubav Stvar"". Wiwibloggs. 21 August 2019. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  9. Konstantopoulos, Fotis (4 March 2008). EUROVISION 2008 Jovana Janković & Željko Joksimović the hosts. Oikotimes.com
  10. "Knez released a French and an English version of "Adio" - ESCBubble". escbubble.com. Archived from the original on 20 August 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  11. "Željko Joksimović održao spektakularan koncert u Zenici (VIDEO+FOTO)" (in Bosnian). www.zenit.ba.
  12. Koncert projekta "Dva Sveta"
  13. "FOTO: Spektakularnim koncertom Željka Joksimovića, završen Zenica Summer Fest 2019." (in Bosnian). zenicainfo.ba.
  14. "Nikola Tesla" – Zeljko Joksimovic. YouTube (25 June 2008). Retrieved on 2012-08-29.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Serbia and Montenegro in the Eurovision Song Contest
2004
Succeeded by
Preceded by Eurovision Song Contest presenter
(with Jovana Janković)
2008
Succeeded by
Flag of Russia.svg Semi-finals:
Natalia Vodianova and Andrey Malahov
Flag of Russia.svg Final:
Alsou and Ivan Urgant
Preceded by
First title
Performer of The Best Song in Balkans
2009
Succeeded by
Preceded by
First title
Best Male Performer in the Balkans
2009
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Nina
with Čaroban
Serbia in the Eurovision Song Contest
2012
Succeeded by