Željko Joksimović

Željko Joksimović (Serbian: Жељко Јоксимовић) is a Serbian singer, composer, arranger, producer and multi-instrumentalist who has composed music for films, television series and stage shows.

Career

Beginnings

Željko Joksimović was born on April 20, 1972 in Belgrade, in the former Yugoslavia. He grew up in the city of Valjevo. His first international success was at the age of 12, when he won the title of Europe's first accordion player at the prestigious music festival in Paris. He graduated from the Belgrade Music University in Philology and Music Pedagogy and launched his professional musical career in 1997. In 1998 he won a competition at the song festival Mediterránea with the song "Pesma Sirena", which led to opportunities to perform at more prestigious festivals in Belarus. The Serbian musician won the "Grand Prix" in two festivals in the country.

1999-2004: Amajlija, Vreteno and 111

In 1999, Joksimović signed with local label City Records, a record label owned by a Serbian private television station RTV Pink. The young singer was later promoted as a folk and pop artist. His first studio album, titled Amajlija, included "Pesma Sirena", along with seven more songs. His first big success was with the single 'Telo Vreteno', written by himself and Dragan Brajić. The song reached #1 on the Serbian pop music charts, and became very popular in other countries of the former Yugoslavia.

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

111 was released in 2002, rising to number 1 on the charts in Serbia and other countries in the region.

In 2003, Joksimović wrote the song "Čija Si" for the Macedonian singer Toše Proeski, which led him to win Beovizija - Serbia's festival for the election of a representative of the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 Eurovision. However, Toše Proeski did not go to the contest that year, he represented his country Macedonia with & # 34; Life & # 34; in 2004.

Eurovision Song Contest 2004

Joksimović performed "Lane Moje" for Serbia and Montenegro in Istanbul, Türkiye.

Serbia and Montenegro, sending a first-time participant to the Eurovision Song Contest 2004, was decided through the local Evropesma 2004, a music festival in Serbia and Montenegro. Joksimović won the competition with 'Lane Moje', composed by Željko himself, together with lyricist Leontina Vukomanovic.

In the semi-final, Joksimović was first. However, in the final he came in second place behind the Ukrainian singer Ruslana, but won The Macel Bezencon & # 34; Press Award & # 34; (Best Composer Award). "Lane Moje" It was the best-selling single in Serbia and Montenegro and other parts of Europe for many months. In 2010 "Lane Moje" It was chosen the third best song in the history of Eurovision.

2004-2007: After Eurovison, IV and Platinum Collection

After the success in the Competition, the same year, Zeljko Joksimovic founded MINACORD PRODUCTION. Since then, he works and composes in his own studio. In mid-tempo he composed and released the single 'Ledja o Ledja', which gained great popularity in the Balkan countries. In 2005, once again, he composed a song for Serbia and Montenegro's national pre-selection for Eurovision called Beovizija. Željko composed the ballad "Jutro" (Tomorrow), which was performed by Jelena Tomasevic. The song seemed well placed to make it to the 2005 Eurovision Song Contest in kyiv, having emerged as the highest qualifier in Serbia's pre-selection, but ultimately lost. 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 hit throughout Europe. At that time, Željko wrote his first film music. In cooperation with the production company Cobra he composed the music for the film Ivkova Slava. That same year he released his fourth studio album & # 34; IV & # 34; or "Ima nešto u tom što me nećes". In this album he changed the style of music that was typical of him. The songs on the album are pop ballads with some ethnic Serbian folk elements. The CD sold more than 800,000 copies in the countries of the former Yugoslavia. In 2006, he composed for the Eurovision Song Contest 2006, the song Lejla for Bosnia and Herzegovina, performed by Hari Mata Hari. The song reached third place, which is the best position achieved by Bosnia Herzegovina in the contest. He also won the prestigious Best Composer Award (COMPOSER AWARD 2006), awarded 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 did a concert where he sang all of his hits at the Belgrade Arena.

2008-2012: Eurovision and Ljubavi

In early 2008, Željko Joksimović composed a song, which was performed by Jelena Tomašević at the Serbian national final for the Eurovision song selection, Beovizija 2008, called "Gold". The song is a folk ballad with traditional Serbian elements. Because the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest has been won by Serbia, that year's contest was to be held in Belgrade. On March 24, 2008 RTS (Radio Television Serbia) announced that he, along with presenter Jovana Janković (whom he would marry in January 2012) would host the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest, giving him two roles in the contest. Tomašević's song reached 6th place out of 25 participating countries.

After a year of hiatus from music, she released her fifth studio album called Ljubavi (2009) with the production of Minacord and City Records. "Ljubavi" is the name of the first single from the album. The single has great success in Serbia and neighboring countries. In early 2010 she released the second single from the album called 'Zena Za Sva Vremena'.

On June 12, 2010 he held his biggest concert. It was held at the Asim Ferhatović Hase Stadium in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a capacity of 37,500, although attendance for the concerts may be expanded to reach around 80,000, down from more than 40,000 people.

The live album was released in 2011, taken from the "Ljubavi" tour, called, "Od srca na dar", containing 13 songs, taken in Sarajevo, the previous year., via Minarecord. She was supposed to compose a song for Irina Dorofejevu who represents Belarus at the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in Düsseldorf, but problems with the organization of Belarusian television put an end to the project.

In 2012 Željko represented his country in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 held in Baku after being chosen internally by RTS, performing the song "Nije Ljubav Stvar& #34;. He reaches third position. Upon his return to Belgrade he announces that he will no longer perform as a singer, although he leaves the door open to being able to do so as a composer.

He is currently finishing recording his next album. And he continues his performances throughout the ex-Yugoslav countries.

Personal life

On January 20, 2012, Željko married Jovana Janković in the Maldives. He has a daughter, Mina.

Joksimović is multilingual, speaking Greek, English, Russian, Polish and French, as well as Serbian, his native language.

Discography

Studio albums

• 1999 Željko Joksimović - Željko Joksimović [City Records]
• 2001 Željko Joksimović - Rintam [City Records]
• 2002 Željko Joksimović - III, album [City Records]
• 2003 Željko Joksimović - The Best Of (Najbolje pesme) [City Records]
• 2005 Željko Joksimović - Ima nešto u tom što me nećeš/IV/ [City Records]
• 2005 Željko Joksimović & Tamee Harrison -I live my life for you (City Records)
• 2007 Željko Joksimović - The Platinum Collection [City Records]
• 2009 Željko Joksimović - Ljubavi [City Records]

Live album + DVD

• 2008 Željko Joksimović - Beogradska Arena Live [Minacord Records
• 2011 Željko Joksimović - Od srca na dar Minarecord Records

Singles

• 2004 Željko Joksimović - Leđa or leđa [City Records]
• 2004 Željko Joksimović - Lane moje CD+DVD [PGP RTS]
• 2004 Željko Joksimović - Lane moje/Goodbye [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]

Duos

• 2002 Haris Džinović - Šta će meni više od toga
• 2005 Dino Merlin - Supermen
• 2005 Tamee Harrison - I Live My Life For You
• 2012 Samuel Cuenda - "Your Love Me Sold"

Soundtracks

• 2005 "Ivkova slava", (Željko Joksimović, Jelena Tomašević & Nikola Kojo) [Minacord - City Records]
• 2009 "Ranjeni Orao" [Minacord - City Records]

Compilations

• 2007 Balkan Ethno Expirience (Music to relax the soul)
• 2007 "Mediterranean" [Difference music]
• 2008 "Inspirations" [Compact Disc Club]

Collaborations

• 2005 Nava Medina - Song: Malah Shomer - Composer: Zeljko Joksimovic
• 2006 Hari Mata Hari - Song: Lejla - Composer: Zeljko Joksimovic, Album: Lejla [BiH]
• 2008 Jelena Tomašević - Song: Gold - Composer: Zeljko Joksimovic, Album: Gold [PGP -RTS]
• 2008 Eleftheria Arvanitáki - Song: To Telos More - Composer: Zeljko Joksimovic, Album: Look at me. Universal Music
• 2008 Melina Aslanidou - Song: Poso - Composer: Zeljko Joksimovic, Album: Best of - Sto dromo Sony BMG
• 2008 Song: Nikola Tesla (Instrumental)[1] - Composer: Zeljko Joksimovic feat. Jelena Tomašević Album: balkan Routes vol. 1:Nikola Tesla[Protasis]

2007