Željko Joksimović

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Željko Joksimović
Жељко Јоксимовић

Željko Joksimović (2008)
Background information
Born 20 April 1972 (1972-04-20) (age 39)
Belgrade, SR Serbia, Yugoslavia
present day Serbia
Origin Valjevo
Genres Pop,Rock
Occupations Singer, Composer, Musician
Labels Minacord/City Records
Website www.zeljkojoksimovic.com

Željko Joksimović or often credited Zeljko Joksimovic (Serbian: Жељко Јоксимовић, pronounced [ʒěːʎko jôksimoʋitɕ]; born 20 April 1972 in Belgrade, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia) is a Serbian singer, songwriter and producer. He is also well known in Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Croatia, Slovenia, Greece, Germany, Austria and other European countries. He represented Serbia and Montenegro in the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Lane moje", placing 2nd behind Ukrainian singer Ruslana.[1] He will represent Serbia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Contents

[edit] Career

[edit] Early beginnings

Željko Joksimović was born on 20 April 1972 in Belgrade and grew up in the city of Valjevo.[2] Željko’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 from the Music University in 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.[3] Joksimović can play 11 different musical instruments including accordion, piano, guitar, drums.

Željko is multi-lingual, being fluent in Greek, English, Russian, Polish and French as well as his native Serbian.[4]

[edit] 1999-2004: Amajlija, Vreteno and 111

In 1999, Joksimović signed with City Records, a music label owned by a private Serbian television station RTV Pink. The young singer was promoted then 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 "Telo Vreteno", written by himself and Dragan Brajić - Braja. The song went to #1 on the Serbian pop music charts, and became very popular in other former Yugoslav countries.

In 2000 Joksimović released his second studio album Vreteno named after a song on the album. Other tracks on the album included "Rintam", "Gadura" and "Petak na subotu". Two music videos were produced for songs on this album.

111 was released in 2002, soaring to #1 on the pop charts of Serbia and other countries of the region.

In 2003, Joksimović wrote the song "Čija Si" for Macedonian music legend Toše Proeski which led him to win Beovizija - The Serbian festival for choosing a representative for the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest. However, Proeski did not go to the contest that year, instead representing his home country Macedonia with "Life".

[edit] 2004: Eurovision Song Contest 2004

Joksimović performing "Lane Moje" for Serbia and Montenegro in 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 did win "The Macel Bezencon Press award" (Best Composer Award). "Lane Moje" was the best selling single in Serbia and Montenegro and other parts of Europe for many months.

[edit] 2004-2007: After Eurovison, IV and Platinum Collection

Željko Joksimović performing in a night club.

After the success in the Contest, the same year, Željko Joksimović founded MINACORD PRODUCTION. Since then, he works and composes in his own studio. In middle time he composed and released the single "Ledja o Ledja" which gained a large popularity over the countries where Željko usually performs. 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. The song seemed well-placed to make it to the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 contest in Kiev, after it emerged as the highest-scoring qualifier from the Serbian pre-selection, but ultimately missed out to win. 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. 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 nećes". In this album he changed the music style that was typical about him. The songs in the album are pop ballads with some ethnic Serbian folk elements. The CD sold over 800,000 copies over former Yugoslavia. 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. The same year, in front of 18,000 people Joksimović made a concert where he sang all of his hits in the Belgrade Arena.

[edit] 2008-2011: Eurovision hosting and Ljubavi

Željko Joksimović together with Jovana Janković during the first semi-final.

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 organisers RTS that together with Jovana Janković he would host the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Belgrade, giving him two roles in the contest.[5] Tomašević's song finished on the 6th place over 25 countries in the whole contest.

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 from the pilot single from the album too. The single has a large success in Serbia and the neighboring countries. In early 2010 he released the second single from the album called "Žena Za Sva Vremena".

On June 12, 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.

[edit] 2012: Eurovision return

On 18 November 2011, it was announced that Joksimović will represent Serbia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Baku, Azerbaijan. He has not chosen his song yet but will do soon. He wants as much sucess as the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 and he probably will.[6]

[edit] Discography

[edit] Studio albums

[edit] Live albums

[edit] Compilations

[edit] Singles

  • 2004 Željko Joksimović - Leđa o leđa [City Records]
  • 2004 Željko Joksimović - Lane moje CD+DVD [PGP RTS]
  • 2004 Željko Joksimović - Lane moje/Goodbye (maxi-single) [Warner Music Group]
  • 2005 Željko Joksimović & Tamee Harrison - I live my life for you [Warner Music]
  • 2007 Željko Joksimović - Devojka [Minacord]
  • 2007 Željko Joksimović - Nije do mene [Minacord]
  • 2008 Željko Joksimović - Ono nase sto nekad bejase [Minacord]

[edit] Duets

[edit] Soundtracks

[edit] Other works

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://artists.letssingit.com/zeljko-joksimovic-23nqm/biography
  2. ^ http://www.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=3920143569
  3. ^ http://www.zeljkojoksimovic.com/
  4. ^ http://dnevnik.hr/showbizz/glazba/najzgodniji-pjevac-na-balkanu-zeljko-joksimovic-zapalio-arenu.html
  5. ^ http://www.oikotimes.com/v2/index.php?file=articles&id=2793
  6. ^ Busa, Alexandru (18 November 2011). "Zeljko Joksimovic to represent Serbia in Baku". ESCToday.com. http://www.esctoday.com/news/read/17838. Retrieved 18 November 2011. 

[edit] External links

[edit] See also

Preceded by
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Extra Nena		 Serbia and Montenegro in the Eurovision Song Contest
2004		 Succeeded by
No Name
Preceded by
Finland Mikko Leppilampi & Jaana Pelkonen		 Eurovision Song Contest presenter
(with Jovana Janković)
2008		 Succeeded by
Russia Semi-Finals:
Natalia Vodianova & Andrey Malahov
Russia Final:
Alsou & Ivan Urgant
Preceded by
Nina		 Serbia in the Eurovision Song Contest
2012		 Succeeded by
Incubment
Željko Joksimović
Studio albums

Amajlija (1999) · Vreteno (2001) · 111 (2002) · IV (2005) · Ljubavi (2009)
Compilation albums

The Best Of (2003) · Platinum Collection (2007)
Live albums
Singles

"Vreteno" · "Šta Će Meni Više Od Toga" (feat Haris Dzinović) · "Zaboravljaš" · "Varnice" · "Drska Ženo Plava" · Ledja O Ledja · Lane Moje · "Ima Nešto U Tom Što Me Nećes" · "Michelle" · "Crnokosa" · "Devojka" · "Nije Do Mene" · "Ljubavi" · "Žena Za Sva Vremena"
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