Karolina Gočeva (, ; born 28 April 1980), sometimes credited as Karolina Gocheva or known only as Karolina, is a Macedonian singer. She launched her music career in 1991 with a performance at a local children's show and continued participating in the following years, receiving recognition for her talent. In 1992, she released her first children album titled ''Mamo, pušti me'' (). She signed a contract with the record label Avalon Production in 2000.
Gočeva's discography consists of a total of nine
studio albums
An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track or cassette), or digital. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century a ...
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
and
world
The world is the totality of entities, the whole of reality, or everything that Existence, exists. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the world as unique, while others talk ...
musical styles. Shortly after signing her contract with Avalon Production, Gočeva released her debut studio album '' Jas Imam Pesna'', which included the song "Nemir" featuring
Toše Proeski
Todor "Toše" Proeski (, ; 25 January 1981 – 16 October 2007) was a Macedonian singer and songwriter. Considered a top act of the local Music of North Macedonia, Macedonian and Balkan music, Balkan music scene, Proeski's music was popular acro ...
. Her second, third, and fourth studio albums '' Zošto Sonot Ima Kraj'', '' Znaeš Kolku Vredam'' and '' Vo Zaborav'' were released in 2002, 2003, and 2005, respectively. While her initial five albums were more pop, R&B and rock-oriented, her later records '' Makedonsko Devojče'' () (2008), '' Makedonsko Devojče 2'' (2014) and '' Izvor'' () (2018) incorporated elements of Macedonian traditional music and jazz. This switch in sound led to increased popularity, wide acclaim from the public, and sold-out concerts in North Macedonia, Serbia, and Bulgaria. Her ninth studio album, in collaboration with Duke Bojadziev and Ismail Lumanovski, '' Pesni za Ljubov i Kopnež'', was released on 24 December 2022. An upcoming studio album with a more pop sound preceded by singles "Od nebo do dno" and "Daj na sunce" is scheduled for release at the end of 2024.
She represented Macedonia in the Eurovision Song Contests 2002 and
2007
2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year.
Events
January
* January 1
**Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
, ranking 19th and 14th, respectively. Gočeva has received numerous awards and accolades both in North Macedonia as well as other
Balkan
The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...
award ceremonies. She is widely known as the most famous Macedonian female pop singer and has received the label "Macedonian pop princess/queen" and a "pop diva". Although most of her songs are sung in Macedonian, Gočeva has also released records in Serbo-Croatian and English leading to an increase in popularity in Bulgaria and ex-Yugoslav countries such as Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Croatia. Additionally, Gočeva is renowned for her casual fashion style for which she frequently collaborates with Caci Pakoska. With her music work, Gočeva has also taken part in campaigns against drug use,
uterine cancer
Uterine cancer, also known as womb cancer, includes two types of cancer that develop from the tissues of the uterus. Endometrial cancer forms from the lining of the uterus, and uterine sarcoma forms from the muscles or support tissue of the ute ...
and
gender-related violence Gender-related violence or gender-based violence (GBV) refers to any kind of violence directed against people due to their gender or gender identification, culture may have a role to play, being lower in egalitarianism societies and higher, sexist ...
.
Life and career
1980–1998: Early life and career beginnings
Karolina Gočeva was born on 28 April 1980 in
Bitola
Bitola (; ) is a city in the southwestern part of North Macedonia. It is located in the southern part of the Pelagonia valley, surrounded by the Baba, Nidže, and Kajmakčalan mountain ranges, north of the Medžitlija-Níki border crossing ...
, in then
Socialist Republic of Macedonia
The Socialist Republic of Macedonia (), or SR Macedonia, commonly referred to as Socialist Macedonia, Yugoslav Macedonia or simply Macedonia, was one of the six constituent republics of the post-World War II Socialist Federal Republic of Y ...
, part of the
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (commonly abbreviated as SFRY or SFR Yugoslavia), known from 1945 to 1963 as the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as Socialist Yugoslavia or simply Yugoslavia, was a country ...
to an
anesthesiologist
Anesthesiology, anaesthesiology or anaesthesia is the medical specialty concerned with the total perioperative medicine, perioperative care of patients before, during and after surgery. It encompasses anesthesia, intensive care medicine, critica ...
father and a technologist mother. She also has a younger sister, Aleksandra, who is an
ophthalmologist
Ophthalmology (, ) is the branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis, treatment, and surgery of eye diseases and disorders.
An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in medical and surgical eye care. Following a ...
. Gočeva finished her primary school in Bitola, where she also performed in a child choir. After that, she went to the high school Josip Broz-Tito in Bitola. As she had an interest in learning foreign languages, she finished her studies in the
English language
English is a West Germanic language that developed in early medieval England and has since become a English as a lingua franca, global lingua franca. The namesake of the language is the Angles (tribe), Angles, one of the Germanic peoples th ...
at the Blaže Koneski Faculty of Philology, part of
Ss. Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje
The Saints Cyril and Methodius University () is a public university, public research university in Skopje, North Macedonia. It is the oldest and largest public university in the country. It is named after the Byzantine Empire, Byzantine Christ ...
.
Gočeva first entered the music field at the age of 9, when she performed
Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
's " Like a Prayer" at the popular Šaram Baram show at the Pionerski dom in Bitola. She got her first breakthrough in the music industry in 1990, at the age of 10 when she performed at the first broadcast of the children's festival " Si-Do" in Bitola. A few months later, she participated with another ballad where she won the prize for Best Interpretation. She also participated in the annual festival "Makfest 91" in
Štip
Štip ( ) is the largest urban agglomeration in the eastern part of North Macedonia, serving as the economic, industrial, entertainment and educational focal point for the surrounding municipalities.
As of the 2021 census, the city of Štip had ...
with the song "Mamo, pušti me" ("Mum, let me go"), written by Tode Novačevski, where she won the award for Most Successful Debut. As her music career was still in its bud, she used national festivals to promote her voice and talent. In 1992, she released her first children studio album under MRT, which contained 11 other songs in addition to "Mamo, pušti me", including "Stefane" (), "Sekade si ti" (), "Prviot baknež" (), "Dojdi vo školo" (), "Volšebni sonuvanja" (), "Čujte sega" (), "Dzvezdo moja" (), "Nasmevni se narode" () and "Strašni planovi" ().
In 1993, Gočeva performed the song "Zamrznato srce" () at Makfest which was broadcast on MTV. The music was written by D. Kocev, the lyrics by V. Nejasmić while the arrangement was finalized by V. Skenderovski. For the performance, Gočeva appeared dressed in a green shirt. Gočeva became a regular participant at Skopje Fest, a contest for the selection of the Macedonian entry for the Eurovision Song Contest, debuting in 1994 with a performance of the song "Koj da ti kaže" (). In 1995, she performed the song "Kako da te otkačam" (). In the following years, she continued participating successfully including in 1996, with the song "Ma, ajde kaži mi" ("Come on, tell me"), music by T. Cvetanovski, lyrics by Ž. Micevski and arrangement by Lj. Konstantinov which reached 9th place. In 1997, she performed the song "Tonovi tajni" (), written by Kire Kostov, at Skopje '97 which was broadcast on MTV. In 1998, she participated with "Ukradeni noќi" ("Stolen nights") which was successful, reaching fourth place with 10,454 televotes. In hindsight of her early career during a 2023 interview, the singer revealed that gaining traction was something that took place in a stepwise fashion through festival performances that the Macedonian discography had to offer at the time.
2000–2002: ''Jas Imam Pesna'', ''Zošto Sonot Ima Kraj'' and Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) 2002
In 2000, she signed a deal with the record label Avalon Production. Shortly afterwards, her debut studio album '' Jas Imam Pesna'' () was released through the label. Three singles were released off the first album, including "Sakaj me" (), "Bez ogled na se" () and "Nemir" (), the latter of which she sang in a duet with Macedonian pop singer
Toše Proeski
Todor "Toše" Proeski (, ; 25 January 1981 – 16 October 2007) was a Macedonian singer and songwriter. Considered a top act of the local Music of North Macedonia, Macedonian and Balkan music, Balkan music scene, Proeski's music was popular acro ...
. Following the release of her first studio album, she took part in the Macedonian Eurovision Song Contest. Gočeva's entry "Za nas" () written and composed by
Darko Dimitrov
Darko Dimitrov ( ; born 21 January 1973) is a Macedonian songwriter, record producer, arranger and record executive. Highly acclaimed for revitalising the Yugoslav mainstream pop music scene, which also influenced the surrounding Balkan countries ...
, landed at second place, with 916 points.
After promotion through concerts and festivals, she released her second studio album ''Zošto Sonot Ima Kraj'' () in 2002. The album contained 11 new songs in Macedonian and 3 songs in English. In 2001, she gained wider regional popularity in the countries of former-
Yugoslavia
, common_name = Yugoslavia
, life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation
, p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia
, flag_p ...
, by placing third at the
Sunčane Skale
Sunčane Skale was a pop music festival held every summer in Herceg Novi, Montenegro
, image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg
, coa_size = 80
, national_ ...
festival held on 12, 13 and 14 July in
Herceg Novi
Herceg Novi (Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Херцег Нови, ) is a town in Coastal Montenegro, Coastal region of Montenegro located at the Western entrance to the Bay of Kotor and at the foot of Mount Orjen. It is the administrative center of ...
with the song "Kaži mi" (), written by Peri and Franc from the band Nokaut. She released "Ti možeš" () and "Ke bide se vo red" () as singles from the album in Macedonia. On her album, she included three English versions of her songs titled "I'm looking for Jamaica", "You could", and "Tell me". In 2002, Gočeva was crowned the winner of Skopje Fest 2002 with her entry " Od nas zavisi" (), which allowed her to represent the Republic of Macedonia to a European audience. At the
Eurovision Song Contest 2002
The Eurovision Song Contest 2002 was the 47th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Tallinn, Estonia, following the country's victory at the with the song Everybody (Tanel Padar and Dave Benton song), "Everybody" by Tanel Pada ...
, she placed 19th. During the performance, she appeared donning a red dress and a golden corsette designed by Aleksandar Nošpal which gained popularity through the years. She was also nominated for Miss Eurovision 2002.
2003–2007: ''Znaeš Kolku Vredam'', ''Vo Zaborav'' and ESC 2007
In March 2003, Gočeva released her third studio album '' Znaeš Kolku Vredam'' (). She released music videos for her songs "Hipokrit" (), "Ljubov pod oblacite" (), and "Sreščemo se opet" (). After 2003, her career expanded to former Yugoslav countries
Serbia
, image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg
, national_motto =
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg
, national_anthem = ()
, image_map =
, map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
,
Montenegro
, image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg
, coa_size = 80
, national_motto =
, national_anthem = ()
, image_map = Europe-Mont ...
,
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
,
Croatia
Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
, and
Slovenia
Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...
, where her albums started being released. To appeal to the wider audience from those countries, Gočeva recorded songs from her third album in
Serbian
Serbian may refer to:
* Pertaining to Serbia in Southeast Europe; in particular
**Serbs, a South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans
** Serbian language
** Serbian culture
**Demographics of Serbia, includes other ethnic groups within the co ...
. Her first Serbian language album and fifth overall was titled ''Kad zvezde nam se sklope... kao nekada'' (); the title song became a success in both Serbia and North Macedonia.
In 2005, Gočeva participated once again in
Herceg Novi
Herceg Novi (Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Херцег Нови, ) is a town in Coastal Montenegro, Coastal region of Montenegro located at the Western entrance to the Bay of Kotor and at the foot of Mount Orjen. It is the administrative center of ...
at the Sunčane Skale festival. Her song "Ruža Ružica" () became an instant hit placing her 4th in the festival. She also released her new song "Se lažam sebe" (), written by
Kaliopi
Kaliopi Bukle (, ; born 28 December 1966 as Kaljopa Bukleska (Macedonian: Каљопа Буклеска)), known professionally as Kaliopi, is a Macedonian singer-songwriter. In her career, Kaliopi has progressed from singing lead vocal with ...
. At the end of 2005, she released her fifth studio album titled '' Vo Zaborav'' in Macedonian () and '' U Zaboravu'' in Serbian; the album included a total of nine new songs. The Serbian language version produced numerous singles which gained popularity in many former Yugoslav countries; these included "Teško srcu pada" () and "Gorka pilula" () as well as "Kad mi nebo bude dom" () and "Kao malo vode" () written by Zlatan Stipišić Džiboni and
Vlatko Stefanovski
Vladimir "Vlatko" Stefanovski ( ; born January 24, 1957) is a Macedonians (ethnic group), Macedonian folk rock, ethno-rock jazz fusion guitar virtuoso.
Biography
Vlatko was born into a typical theatrical family. His parents, as artists, often ...
.
In 2006, Gočeva recorded a cover of the song "Radost za cel svet" () for the Christmas album ''Tanja i Prijatelite Vi Pejat Božikni Pesni'' ().
On 24 February 2007, Gočeva participated in, and won, the Skopje Fest competition, held at the Universal Hall in
Skopje
Skopje ( , ; ; , sq-definite, Shkupi) is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia. It lies in the northern part of the country, in the Skopje Basin, Skopje Valley along the Vardar River, and is the political, economic, and cultura ...
Grigor Koprov
Grigor Koprov (; born September 30, 1943, Ohrid, Kingdom of Bulgaria) is a Macedonian pop music composer, who also had an important impact on the Yugoslav music scene. He has worked with many stars like Toše Proeski, Vlado Janevski, Marjan Sto ...
and composed by Ognen Nedelkovski. Musically, "Mojot svet" is a
power ballad
A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner. Balla ...
that eulogizes the power of music to "transcend religion and borders". Gočeva obtained a total of 144 points with a maximum of twelve points from every voting district, procuring her a landslide victory. With this feat, she became the first artist to represent Macedonia twice at the Eurovision Song Contest. She competed in the semi-final in
Helsinki
Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...
,
Finland
Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
on 10 May 2007, performing at number 18. She qualified for the final and performed in the sixth slot on 12 May 2007, where she placed fourteenth in a field of 24 contestants with a score of 73 points.
2007–2014: ''Makedonsko Devojče 1'', ''Kapka Pod Neboto'' and ''Makedonsko Devojče 2''
On 15 December 2007, she participated on ''Radijski festival'' with the song "Kad te nema", and finished in 2nd place, winning the award for best composition given by the jury. That same year, she also participated at the
Croatian Radio Festival {{Short description, Annual Croatian festival from 1997 to 2009
The Croatian Radio Festival ( Croatian: Hrvatski Radijski Festival, abbreviated as HRF) was a music festival held annually in Croatia from 1997 to 2009. The festival was first held in 1 ...
with the song "Jedan Dan". On 26 June 2008, Gočeva released her fifth studio album '' Makedonsko Devojče'', in cooperation with composer Zlatko Origjanski, musician and member of the band
Anastasia
Anastasia (from ) is a feminine given name of Greek and Slavic origin, derived from the Greek word (), meaning "resurrection". It is a popular name in Eastern Europe.
Origin
The name Anastasia originated during the Early Christianity, early d ...
. As an experimental album arranged and influenced by Nikola Micevski, the project marked a shift in the musical style of the singer as all songs were influenced by local traditional music. "Ptico malečka" was released as the album's first
single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
in North Macedonia and became widely popular. The album was a big critical and commercial success; it won in the category for Best Ethno Album at the 2008 Sunčane skale festival and emerged as the best-selling album of that year in Macedonia. In December 2008, the album was released in Serbia and other ex-Yugoslav countries by
City Records
City Records (full legal name in Serbian: Предузеће за издавачко-пропагандну делатност City Records д.о.о. Београд/''Preduzeće za izdavačko-propagandnu delatnost City Records d.o.o. Beograd'' ...
. In 2008, Gočeva performed the song "Dafino vino crveno" together with the Tavitjan Brothers during their concert at Universal Hall accompanied by Damjan Pejčinovski on guitar.
In May 2009, Karolina announced her single "
Kraj
A '' Kraj'' ( ''kraje'') is the highest-level administrative unit in the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic. For lack of other English expressions, the Slavic term is often translated as "province", "region", or "territory", although it ...
" with
Serbian
Serbian may refer to:
* Pertaining to Serbia in Southeast Europe; in particular
**Serbs, a South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans
** Serbian language
** Serbian culture
**Demographics of Serbia, includes other ethnic groups within the co ...
R&B/hip-hop artist
Wikluh Sky
Đorđe Miljenović ( sr-Cyrl, Ђорђе Миљеновић; born 10 December 1980) better known by his stage name Wikluh Sky (, ) is a Serbian musician, rapper, singer, DJ, and producer.
Best known for being a member of Bad Copy hip-hop trio, h ...
. The single was atop many charts in
Republic of Macedonia
North Macedonia, officially the Republic of North Macedonia, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe. It shares land borders with Greece to the south, Albania to the west, Bulgaria to the east, Kosovo to the northwest and Serbia to the n ...
and other former Yugoslav republics. She also performed the single at the opening ceremony of '' Big Brother Serbia''. The second single, titled "Za Godina, Dve" (
Serbian
Serbian may refer to:
* Pertaining to Serbia in Southeast Europe; in particular
**Serbs, a South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans
** Serbian language
** Serbian culture
**Demographics of Serbia, includes other ethnic groups within the co ...
version: "Uspomene na tebe") is a power ballad about ending a relationship and was released in December 2009. The song became an instant radio hit in the Republic of Macedonia and was further promoted on the Serbian TV show ''Sve Za Ljubav'' and on the semi-final of ''Veliki Brat''. In 2010, Gočeva's sixth studio album ''
Kapka Pod Neboto
''Kapka Pod Neboto'' (, ) is the sixth studio album by Macedonian singer Karolina Gočeva released in North Macedonia on 29 November 2010 through Avalon Production. The Serbian language edition of the album, titled ''Kap Ispod Neba'' was release ...
'' was released on 29 November 2010 along with a Serbian language edition titled ''Kap Ispod Neba''.
On 25 February 2014, Gočeva released the album '' Makedonsko Devojče 2'' as a sequel to the 2008 record; both of them were known under the collective name ''Makedonsko Devojče'' due to their distinctive sound. Three singles were released from the album: "Čalgiska" as the lead single on 6 December 2013, "Dve liri (ne ni bilo pišano)" on 13 January 2014 and "Koj da mi zapee" in April 2015. As the first album of the project, ''Makedonsko Devojče 2'' was equally successful and well received by both the public and music critics who appreciated the combination of traditional folk music with pop elements. Songs from the project were composed and arranged by pianist Nikola Micevski and most lyrics were written by Valentin Skoleski and Vesna Malinova.
The promotion of the album started at a concert broadcast by MRT with a performance of the song "Dve liri". As part of the promotional tour of the album in Macedonia, the singer gave five subsequent performances at the from 20 to 24 February 2014, a sold-out concert at the Boris Trajkovski Area; in total around 15.000 tickets were sold to her concerts. Other cities across the country where she performed as part of the album's promotion included Bitola, Ohrid and Prilep. A wider tour in promotion of the album took place in Serbia at the Ilija M. Kolarac Endowment in
Belgrade
Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...
and at the
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...
in New York together with Macedonian composer Duke Bojadziev. The following years after the release of the album were spent on wide promotion through live appearances and regional performances. ''Makedonsko Devojče 2'' emerged as the best-selling album of 2014 in North Macedonia. Additionally, Gočeva broke the record for most held concerts that year with seven. In October 2016, English singer
Joss Stone
Joscelyn Eve Stoker (born 11 April 1987), known professionally as Joss Stone, is an English singer, songwriter and actress. She rose to prominence in late 2003 with her multi-platinum debut album, ''The Soul Sessions'', which made the 2004 Merc ...
sang "Koj da mi zapee" together with Gočeva at a park in Skopje as part of a series of videos filmed during her visits to various countries as part of her Total World Tour. A professionally recorded video of the performance was published on the official YouTube accounts of both Stone and Gočeva on 18 October 2016.
In 2017, Gočeva worked on a rework of the song "Fenix" () originally written by Montenegrin musician Momčilo Zeković for the album ''Džep sa tajnama'' (). The song was recorded in the studios Musicland in Podgorica and Momirovski in Skopje under the guidance of Aleksandar Saša Gajić and Dejan Momirovski. The arrangement was finalized by Gajić, while the mastering by James Cruz at Zeitgeist Sound Studios in New York in 2017. She further promoted it through a live performance in Podgorica.
2018–2020: ''Izvor''
On 23 February 2018, Gočeva released '' Izvor'', her ninth studio album in North Macedonia. The album was produced by Micevski while Vesna Malinova served as the main songwriter along with Vesna "Bejbi" Petrushevska. The album was preceded by the
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...
-themed song, "Dzvona" () released along with a music video on 19 December 2017. The music and the arrangement were by Nikola Micevski, the lyrics by Vesma Malinova and Ognen Šapkovski from Melem Produkcija made the music video. "Dzvona" was dedicated to "people who are not among us, but are present in our hearts". Immediately after its release, "Dzvona" was very well received by the singer's fanbase and music critics. Writing for Crno i Belo, a journalist noted, "With a melody that takes you to a magical place... 'Dzvona' will be pleasant to the ears and eyes during this festive season." The uptempo track "Beli cvetovi" () was released as the album's second single on 31 October 2018. A writer for Crno i Belo praised it as "dynamic" while calling Gočeva "cheerful" and "entertaining" in the music video for the "spot-on song".
In April 2019, the album was also released in Croatia through
Croatia Records
Croatia Records is a record label in Croatia owned by AUTOR d.o.o., based in Zagreb.
Summary
Croatia Records d.d. is a joint-stock company currently led by the chief executive officer Želimir Babogredac, a sound engineer. It releases mostly (but ...
, marking the singer's first release in that country. In line with her previous two musical projects, the album is predominantly a pop record with elements of swing, jazz and ethno music. "Ti ne dojde", one of the songs featured on the album, received the accolade for Ethno/World Music Song of the Year at the
2019 Music Awards Ceremony
The 2019 Music Awards Ceremony (often simply called the MAC) is the first edition of the annual awards presented by Belgrade-based company, Sky Music to recognize achievements in the regional music industry of former Yugoslavia of the eligibilit ...
in Belgrade. Promotion of the album took place with a local tour and festival performances across North Macedonia. After successfully promoting the album, the singer took a brief hiatus from the music industry in 2019.
2020–2022: ''Pesni za Ljubov i Kopnež''
From 2020 to 2021, Gočeva started working on her tenth studio album which would include 11 Macedonian songs, mostly "neglected during the years", from the 1950s, '60s, and '70s from authors such as Dragan Gjakonovski Shpato, Dimitar Masevski, Todor Bojadzhiev and Ljubomir Brangjolica among others. The conception of the album was made following her collaboration with Bojadzhiev in 2016, when they sang "Prazno e bez ovaa ljubov", written by Todor Bojadzhiev, at the Metropolis Arena. In 2019, Gočeva moved to
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
where she spent time singing and playing the piano with Bojadzhiev and Lumanovski. Despite their initial plans to release the album in 2020, the project had to be postponed due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. Most of the album was recorded at the Macedonian Philharmonic in January 2021; the trio spent two days rehearsing and two days recording due to time constraints and other pandemic-related restrictions.
The first song of the album, titled "Idila" was released with an accompanying music video on 2 June 2021 in collaboration with Duke Bojadzhiev and Ismail Lumanovski. On 11 June 2021, she appeared on the Bosnian show ''Konačno petak'' where she briefly spoke about the song and the upcoming album as well as her participation in the ESC. On 5 November 2021, Gočeva released "Krv da ni se stori" in collaboration with Bojadzhiev and Branislav Nikolov, a member of the band Foltin who was featured under the pseudonym Pijan Slavej. On 21 September 2021, Gočeva gave a concert at the
Pelister National Park
Pelister National Park is a national park in the Municipality of Bitola, North Macedonia. The park is located in the Baba Mountain massif and covers an area of . Established in 1948 as Yugoslavia's first national park and North Macedonia's ol ...
, as part of the project titled "30 Years of Cultural Beauty" which was part of a celebration of 30 years of independence of the country, supported by the
Government of North Macedonia
Politics in North Macedonia occur within the framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Le ...
. On 4 September 2022, Gočeva appeared on Macedonian YouTuber Steffonator's show ''90 Seconds'' where she answered questions about her private life. On 21 October 2022, Gočeva appeared on the Bosnian talk show ''Konačno petak'' where she gave an interview and performed her Serbian-language songs "Više se ne vraćaš" and "Uspomene na tebe" as well as the Macedonian "Koj da mi zapee" accompanied by the band MP BHRT. On 8 November 2022, it was announced through a press release on Avalon Production, that the album titled '' Pesni za Ljubov i Kopnež'', would be promoted through a concert at the Macedonian Philharmony on 23 December 2022. The following day, the album was released through all digital platforms in North Macedonia.
2022–2023: "Od nebo do dno" and MRT performance
On 25 August 2022, Gočeva released "Od nebo do dno" (), a pop dance song produced by Robert Bilbilov and written by Vladimir Danilovikj and Vesna Malinova. The song marked her first return to the genre after 12 years and it was the singer's intention to make it in line with the trends in music across the world. A dance-inspired music video was also simultaneously released with the song. Music critics and the singer's fanbase were pleased with the song which they saw as a refreshment following her year-long hiatus of making new music. The same day, a Serbian-language version of the song, titled "Ti si moj" () was released through
Magic Records
Magic Records Sp. z o.o., is a Polish record label founded in 1994 in Warsaw. Since 1998 label is a subsidiary of Universal Music Poland. Company CEO is Jan Kubicki.
In 1990s label specialized in dance, techno and electronic music releasing album ...
. On 25 January 2023, Gočeva performed "Ti si moj" at the first evening of the
2023 Music Awards Ceremony
Music Awards Ceremony (MAC) 2023, presented by Sky Music, was held on 25 and 26 January 2023 to recognize the best in the music of former Yugoslav countries. The ceremony took place at Štark Arena in Belgrade. Following a two-year break due to th ...
held in Belgrade. Her performance and fashion style received very positive comments from a journalist of ''Sloboden pechat'' who deemed them to be "perfect". In addition, Gočeva served as the show's presenter together with Croatian singer
Petar Grašo
Petar Grašo (born 19 March 1976) is a Croatian pop singer and songwriter. In the course of his career, he has released three studio albums. In 2011, he worked on the album ''Ka Hashish'' together with Tonči Huljić & Madre Badessa Band.
He at ...
while handing the award for Best Rap/Hip-Hop Song of the Year.
On 31 December 2022, Gočeva appeared on MRT1 where she gave a 90-minute long show for
New Year's Eve
In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve refers to the evening, or commonly the entire day, of the last day of the year, 31 December, also known as Old Year's Day. In many countries, New Year's Eve is celebrated with dancing, eating, drinkin ...
. In addition to her own songs "I Ke Bide Se Vo Red", "Za Nas", "Od Nebo Do Dno", "Sakaj Me", "Milenium so Tebe" and "Kazi Mi", the singer also gave four collaborative performances: "Krv Da Ni Se Stori" with Pijan Slavej, "Kilometri" with Vlatko Lozanovski, "Nekogas ke Pomine" with Lara Ivanova and "Doživotno" with
Elena Risteska
Elena Risteska (, ; born 27 April 1986), sometimes known as simply Elena, is a Macedonian singer. She represented Macedonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 in Athens with the song " Ninanajna", and finished in 12th place; this was the highes ...
. Live performances of all songs were released on the singer's official YouTube channel on 26 July 2023.
2023–present: Upcoming tenth studio album
In March 2023, Gočeva gave an interview for the ''Žilet'' show on the Macedonian Radio Television. On 13 December 2023, Gočeva released the song "Daj na Sunce" () written by Dino Muharemović and arranged by Dino Šukalo alongside a black-and-white music video directed by Miomir Milić. The song had its premiere at the Serbian radio station "Naxi" where the singer briefly revealed that the title serves as a call for the female protagonist to show her beautiful face to the sun. She recorded the song two months prior its release. The clip was filmed in November at a cold temperature of - 5°C on two locations on the Macedonian
Bistra Mountain
The Bistra () is a massif in North Macedonia. The massif has several summits higher than 2,000 metres, with the highest being Medenica at 2,163 metres above sea level.
Limestone erosion on the mountain has created limestone fields. In the limes ...
, including
Galičnik
Galičnik () is a mountain village in North Macedonia and along with Lazaropole is one of the two biggest and oldest Mijak villages in the region. Galičnik has well-preserved traditional architecture, including an amphitheater in the village sq ...
and Mavrovo.
In promotion of the song, she appeared on the show ''Među Nama'' on the Serbian channel
Tirana
Tirana ( , ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in Albania, largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills, with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest ov ...
,
Albania
Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...
where she gave a performance at the
National Theatre of Opera and Ballet of Albania
The National Theatre of Opera and Ballet of Albania ( Albanian: ''Teatri Kombëtar i Operas dhe Baletit - TKOB'') is a theatre in Tirana, Albania. It is the largest theatre in the country and hosts music and dance performances year-round.
Histor ...
. On 24 March 2024, Gočeva held her first concert in the town of
Kriva Palanka
Kriva Palanka ( ) is a town located in the northeastern part of North Macedonia. It has 13,481 inhabitants. The town of Kriva Palanka is the seat of Kriva Palanka Municipality which has 18,059 inhabitants.
The town lies near the ''Deve Bair'' ...
where she predominantly performed songs from ''Makedonsko Devojče'' and ''Izvor'' in addition to her older hits. During an interview with Macedonian radio station Play Radio on 15 April 2024, Gočeva revealed that the tenth studii album would feature songs written by her and that a third single would also precede its release. On 4 July 2024, Gočeva gave a concert at the "Dzvezdena Simfonija" () event in Bitola. On 4 September 2024, Gočeva appeared in a commercial in celebration of telecommunication operator
A1 Macedonia
A1 Macedonia DOOEL Skopje is a telecommunications company in North Macedonia owned by A1 Telekom Austria Group. A1 offers broadband internet, cable and terrestrial television, mobile telephony and landline.
History
Vip Macedonia (then known a ...
's 5-year anniversary celebration with a newly recorded version of her song "Sakaj me". The commercial' s motto was the line "Life is wonderful with you" (original: "Životot e prekrasen so tebe") taken from the song. In early September, she also announced six shows in
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
as part of her Best of Tour in late 2024 including
Stuttgart
Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...
on 23 November,
Nuremberg
Nuremberg (, ; ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the Franconia#Towns and cities, largest city in Franconia, the List of cities in Bavaria by population, second-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Bav ...
on 25 November,
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in the state after Cologne and the List of cities in Germany with more than 100,000 inhabitants, seventh-largest city ...
on 29 November,
Mainz
Mainz (; #Names and etymology, see below) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, and with around 223,000 inhabitants, it is List of cities in Germany by population, Germany's 35th-largest city. It lies in ...
on 1 December,
Hamburg
Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...
on 13 December and
Berlin
Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
on 16 December.
Artistry
Gočeva's music is regarded primarily as pop. She has additionally ventured in many other musical styles of Macedonian ethno music, predominantly incorporating elements of
čalgija
Čalgija or Chalgiya (Bulgarian language: Чалгия) is a Bulgarian music genre, which also is a subgenre of the old urban traditional folk music ( starogradska muzika) of Bulgaria.
Čalgija is performed by ensembles called ''Čalgii'' (Чал ...
. According to Dave Wilson, a music critic of the
New Zealand School of Music
The New Zealand School of Music—Te Kōkī (NZSM) at Victoria University of Wellington is located in Wellington, New Zealand. It provides a tertiary teaching faculty with programmes in classical and jazz performance, music studies, composition, ...
, she can be classified in the so-called "second wave of ethno music" along with other performers such as Ljubojna and . With her later projects, Gočeva has also managed to create her own distinctive sound where "all her technical capabilities are on display" and several genres amalgamate. The music released by the singer in the period between 2008 and 2018 involved traditional arrangements mixed with
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
,
funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...
and
soul
The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
. The modern lyrics of her songs often reflected the positive and negative love experiences of the female protagonist.
During interviews, Gočeva has shared that some of her music influences include Madonna and contemporary artists such as
Dua Lipa
Dua Lipa ( ; born22 August 1995) is an English and Albanian singer, songwriter and actress. List of awards and nominations received by Dua Lipa, Her accolades include seven Brit Awards and three Grammy Awards.
Lipa worked as a model before v ...
,
Cardi B
Belcalis Marlenis Cephus (; born October 11, 1992), known professionally as Cardi B, is an American rapper. Noted for her unfiltered public image and lyrics, Cardi B is one of the most successful female rappers. From 2015 to early 2017, she ga ...
,
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, film producer, model, and philanthropist. Commonly referred to as "Honorific nicknames in popular music, the Voice", she is List of awards and no ...
,
Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper ( ; born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Known for her distinctive image, featuring a variety of hair colors and eccentric clothing, and for her powerful four-octave vocal range;Jerome, ...
,
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer and percussionist Will Champion, and manager Phil Harvey (band m ...
and
Hurts Hurts may refer to:
* Pain, injury or suffering
* Hurts (duo), British musical duo
* Hurts (song), "Hurts" (song), by Emeli Sandé, 2016
* "Hurts", a song by Lany from ''LANY (album), LANY'', 2017
* "Hurts", a song by Mika from ''No Place in Heaven ...
. Additionally, while she was young, her parents frequently took her to concerts held by Yugoslav pop stars in Bitola. Since 2003, she is accompanied by an 8-member band. During an interview, Gočeva revealed that she has always taken part of the creative process and takes part in compiling set lists, discussing the set-up of concerts and song arrangements.
Gočeva has covered
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey ( ; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Songbird Supreme" by ''Guinness World Records'', Carey is known for her five-octave voc ...
's "My All" and Toše Proeski's "Tvoite bakneži na moite beli košuli" during live performances.
Legacy
Upon her first entry in the Serbian pop market, Gočeva achieved high popularity at a very fast rate. One of the "obstacles" she encountered at the beginning of the career was the opinions of others as she could easily fall under the musical influence or suggestions of her surroundings instead of staying genuine to her own musical style. Through the years, she decided that in addition to venturing in pop music, she also likes to experiment with different musical styles, something she sees as essential in an artist.
Gočeva is widely known as the most famous Macedonian female pop singer. For her popularity, she has received the labels "Macedonian pop princess/queen" and "pop diva" among others.
Private life and activism
Despite widespread media speculations about the singer's love life, she has successfully managed to hide it from the press. In September, 2017, Gočeva married Mihail Korubin, a Macedonian artist, after approximately 2 years of dating. During an interview, Gočeva briefly revealed that the two had met during the photo-shooting for the promotional material of the singer's ninth studio album ''Izvor''. The singer's fashion style is created by the stylist Caci Pakovska with whom she has collaborated for more than 20 years as of 2024. During an interview, she revealed that she prefers her style to be loose and casual, especially when performing on stage. Gočeva is also physically active by jogging and performing exercises. One of her hobbies includes traveling and during an interview she revealed that she has the custom of traveling to a new place every year as a form of enrichment of her life and spirit.
Gočeva has been part of several activist movements, predominantly in
Croatia
Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
. In 2006, she released the song "Bela pesna" with
Aki Rahimovski
Aleksandar "Aki" Rahimovski (5 June 1955 – 22 January 2022) was a Croatian and Yugoslav rock musician of Macedonian descent. Best known as the vocalist of the highly popular band Parni Valjak, Rahimovski is widely considered one of the mos ...
Maya Sar
Maja Sarihodžić (; ; born 12 July 1981), known by her stage name Maya Sar, is a Bosnian singer-songwriter. She represented Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest with the song " Korake ti znam". Her debut album '' Krive ri ...
,
Aleksandra Radović
Aleksandra Radović ( sr-cyr, Александра Радовић, born 10 September 1974) is a Serbian singer-songwriter from Bogatić. She made her recording debut in 2003 and has since collectively released five studio albums. Radović has won ...
and
Nina Badrić
Nina Badrić (; born 4 July 1972) is a Croatian pop singer and songwriter. She began performing in the early 1990s, and competed in " Dora" – the Croatian selection for Eurovision Song Contest 4 times. She won 7th place in 1993 with "Ostavljam ...
on the song "Moj je život moja pjesma" which was part of a campaign against
uterine cancer
Uterine cancer, also known as womb cancer, includes two types of cancer that develop from the tissues of the uterus. Endometrial cancer forms from the lining of the uterus, and uterine sarcoma forms from the muscles or support tissue of the ute ...
. In 2016 and 2017, she participated in the campaign titled "16 days activism against gender-based violence".
Kapka Pod Neboto
''Kapka Pod Neboto'' (, ) is the sixth studio album by Macedonian singer Karolina Gočeva released in North Macedonia on 29 November 2010 through Avalon Production. The Serbian language edition of the album, titled ''Kap Ispod Neba'' was release ...
Music of North Macedonia
The Macedonian music refers to all forms of music associated with ethnic Macedonians. It shares similarities with the music of neighbouring Balkan countries, yet it remains overall distinctive in its rhythm and sound.
Folk music
The ethnic Ma ...
*
North Macedonia in the Eurovision Song Contest
North Macedonia has been represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 21 times since its official debut in . The country had attempted to participate in 1996, but failed to qualify from the audio-only qualifying round. The Macedonian participating ...