1996

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameKaliopi Bukleska Born28 December 1966 Nationality🇲🇰 North Macedonian National SelectionInternal selection 2016Internal selection 2012Skopje Fest 20009Nacionalen Evrosong 2006Skopje Fest 2002Skopje Fest 1998Skopje Fest 1996Jugovizija 1987 In Eurovision2016 Stockholm2012 Baku1996 audio preselection Song2016 Dona2012 Crno i Belo1996 Samo Ti Biography Kaliopi Bukle (born as Kaliopi Bukleska) is a well-known and prominent Macedonian and Aromanian artist, a vocal performer, composer, and lyricist. In her homeland, she is often referred to as the Pop Diva or the Queen of Macedonian pop music. Kaliopi was born on December 28, 1966, in Ohrid, and spent her childhood in Kichevo. She will be remembered for her victory in one of the early editions of the children’s music festival Zlatno Slavejche (Golden Nightingale) in 1976, with the song “Mojata učitelka” (My Teacher). Afterwards, Kaliopi continued her path to fame by participating in the choir of Zapro Zaprov Razvigorche, with which she took part in numerous tours in Czechoslovakia, Slovenia, and Austria from 1978 to 1980. She studied solo singing for four years. In 1984, Kaliopi won third place in the Yugoslav competition in solo singing, where she performed as the youngest classical music vocalist.She began her serious music career in the band Kaliopi, together with her former husband, songwriter Romeo Grill. The band recorded their first two songs, “Tomi” and “Nemoj da me budiš,” for Macedonian Radio. Initially, the group focused on performing at various festivals to successfully promote themselves in the wide Yugoslav music market. Their first successful Yugoslav hit, “Leo,” was composed by the renowned Macedonian composer Grigor Koprov. With this song, Kaliopi won the award for the best interpretation at the Opatija Festival in 1985, as recognized by accredited Yugoslav journalists. That same year, the group won first place at the Video Spot Festival with the song “Leto e avantura” (Summer is an Adventure). They also represented Yugoslavia at the International Mediterranean Festival in Tunisia, where they won second place. The following year, the band released their first album titled “Kaliopi.” They also participated in the prestigious Split Festival with the song “Da more zna,” winning the award for the best debut performer at the festival. The song itself became one of the most listened to. In 1986, the group once again won the first prize at the Video Spot Festival with the song “Ostani vo mene” (Stay in Me). Their second album, “Rodjeni” (Born), was released in 1987. The album contained nine previously unreleased songs, including the Yugoslav mega-hit “Bato (Rodzeni). Other notable hits from the time of the band Kaliopi include “Kofer ljubavi” (Suitcase of Love), “Ostani u meni” (Stay in Me), “Nebo mi sja” (The Sky Shines for Me), and “Bolero Lora.” Following the album’s promotion, they performed extensively throughout the former Yugoslavia and embarked on a major concert tour in the Soviet Union. This period of Kaliopi’s career was marked by numerous awards, including the “Young Fighter” award (1986), the award for the most popular TV personality by “Večer” (1986), the award for the best performer by “Nova Makedonija” (1986), the award for the best pop singer in the SFRY and Macedonia by “Ekran” (1986), and others. After successful promotion at numerous festivals, the band announced that they would no longer participate in national festivals. The only exception was the Yugoslav Eurovision selection in 1987, where they performed the song “Emanuel” and finished in 10th place. During their peak of popularity, Kaliopi and her former husband and band founder, Romeo Grill, moved to Switzerland, resulting in the disbandment of the group. They took a 10-year hiatus and ceased their active music career. However, their previously recorded audio and video materials continued to be present in the electronic media in North Macedonia. Kaliopi made a triumphant return to the Macedonian music scene in 1996. Her performance at the Skopje Festival with the song “Samo ti” (Only You), for which she won the Grand Prix, marked the beginning of a major comeback for the music industry. That year, Kaliopi was selected as the winner of the festival that determined the Macedonian representative for the Eurovision Song Contest. However, her song did not survive the audio preselection that was held in 1996. In 1997, Kaliopi won the Grand Prix at the Eurofest, a festival for pop melodies, with the song “Ne plači” (Don’t Cry). The following year, she participated again in the Macedonian selection for Eurovision with the song “Ne zaboravaj” (Don’t Forget) and finished in 9th place. In December 1998, Kaliopi released her first solo album (and third overall) titled “Obi Me” (Color Me). This album managed to gain a diverse fan base for Kaliopi since it offered new and authentic songs that resonated with the audience. The song “Obi Me” became a huge hit, ranking high on all the music charts. Other notable hits from the album include “Daj da pijam” (Let Me Drink), “Ne plači” (Don’t Cry), “Čergi” (Dances), and “Azija” (Asia).  During this period, Kaliopi crowned her success with several awards, including Buba Mara for the best female singer in 1999 and 2000, as well as 12 Veličestveni awards for the best female singer and best album (“Obi Me”) in 1999 and 2000. In January 2000, Kaliopi started her promotional tour and released the new single “Daj da pijam” along with a music video. That same year, she founded her own production company, Kaliopi Music Production, which exclusively focuses on projects related to her work. In the remaining months of 2000, she embarked on a summer tour and began preparing for her second solo album. At the beginning of 2001, Kaliopi officially released her second album in collaboration with producer, arranger, and composer Darko Dimitrov. The album was titled “Ako denot mi e noќ” (If My Day Is Night) and contained 10 compositions with Kaliopi’s lyrics and music, as well as a bonus track – a reinterpretation of the old Macedonian folk song “Snošti minav pokraj vazi” (Last Night I Passed by the Vase). This album was a great success for Kaliopi. It