Traditional music and dance
Common to all Balkan countries - with regional variations, of course - theoro is the great traditional practice of North Macedonia. This circle dance sees participants hold hands as the circle rotates, each participant following a sequence of three steps forward and one step back. The Macedonianoro is highly codified, with its own variant called Teshkoto - which translates as "difficult" - reserved for men, reflecting the sadness and atmosphere of war. That said,oro is mainly used for socializing and celebrating happy occasions such as weddings, christenings, national and religious holidays, anniversaries, etc.
Another very Macedonian tradition is starogradska muzika, which can be translated as "traditional urban music". Unlike rural folklore, which recounts village life, nature and the hardships of farming, the lyrics of this urban music tend to deal with love or famous tragic events and characters. A very important part of starogradska muzika is the musical genre called čalgija (or "tchalguia") played by a traditional Balkan band of the same name with saz (long-necked lute), violin, clarinet, qanûn (table zither) and tarabuka (tambourine). Although contemporary musicians have attempted to modernize čalgija by introducing new instruments and orienting it towards pop or variety (such as Blagica Pavlovska, Dragan Vučić or Zoran Vanev), traditional musicians, those attached to the roots, have remained very popular.
Rather than solo artists, starogradska muzika is most often embodied by male ensembles such as the Ansambl Biljana from Ohrid, still the emblem of this music, and to a lesser extent by groups such as Oktet Makedonija from Skopje, Oktet Kumanovo from Kumanovo and Raspeani Resenčani from Resen.
Extremely proud of its traditions and keen to preserve, collect and disseminate them, the government of the "People's Republic of Macedonia" founded Tanec, at the start of the socialist era, in 1949. Over the years, Tanec has become the country's best-known group, invited to folk festivals all over the world, with a reputation for excellence among musicians and dancers alike. After thousands of concerts and festivals across the globe (in the USA, Australia, Japan, Europe (including France), Israel, Nigeria, Mali and Senegal), Tanec has established itself as a natural ambassador for Macedonian culture. While its co-founder, Aleksandar Sarievski, is still one of the most important figures in Macedonian music today, it is another of its members who has achieved the status of eternal local music legend: Tale Ognenovski (1922-2012). A virtuoso clarinetist, equally adept on the bagpipes (the gajda) and the zurna (from the oboe family), he wrote some three hundred compositions ranging from Macedonian folk dances to jazz and classical. Although little-known outside Macedonia today, he has enjoyed an international career - performing on prestigious stages such as New York's Carnegie Hall - and has charmed audiences and critics wherever he has gone. In 2001, he released the album Jazz, Macedonian Folk Dances and Classical Music, a little gem that doesn't look like much, but sums up his work very well.
Also representative of Macedonian traditional music are the Selimova-Želčeski duo, one of the country's best-known groups, accordionist Goran Alachki and clarinettist Miroslav Businovski. In another genre, guitarist Vlatko Stefanovski became very popular in the country when he invented "ethno-rock", a style that blends rock with traditional Macedonian music. Now a composer for film and theater, he regularly collaborates with major international artists such as Goran Bregović and Manu Katché.
The country boasts a number of interesting summer folk festivals in Kruševo and Veles. The Balkan Music Square festival in Ohrid is undoubtedly the most worthwhile. Free of charge since 2001, it offers a wide range of traditional and folk music from the Balkans, Greece and Slovenia.
Popular music
As is the case throughout the Balkans, Northern Macedonia has a small turbo-folk scene. As a reminder, this typically Serbian genre is an explosive blend of traditional music with elements of electronic music, Eurodance and even hip-hop. Saccadic, synthetic and orientalizing, this aesthetic has made its mark in North Macedonia, which has introduced its own colors and inspirations from chalga (the Bulgarian equivalent of turbo-folk) and laiko (Greek pop from the 1960s). While stars come and go in this field, two have managed to establish themselves over time: Elena Velevska and Jasmina Mukaetova.
If there are two names to know in North Macedonia, it's Esma Redžepova (1943-2016) and Toše Proeski. The former is considered the "Queen of Roma Music". Born and died in Skopje, this world-renowned artist is known not only for her incomparable vibrato, but also for her extraordinary story. The first woman to sing in the Romani language on Yugoslav radio and television, she was spotted at an early age by Macedonian accordionist Stevo Teodosievski (1924-1997), whom she married years later and with whom she adopted 47 children! An ambassador for Roma music worldwide, she gave over twenty thousand concerts during her career, and was also a great humanitarian activist.
Toše Proeski (1981-2007) is the other emblem of Macedonian music. This big name in local pop is adored throughout the country, and was even dubbed the "Elvis Presley of the Balkans" by BBC News. Died at the age of 26 in a car accident while on tour in Croatia, this patriot, fervent Orthodox and renowned philanthropist has given his name to numerous streets and squares, renamed in his honor. In 2019, the government of Northern Macedonia even decided to name Skopje's national stadium after him, thus becoming the "Toše Proeski National Arena".
Classical music
The history of classical music is confined to the contemporary period, when a wave of post-war musicians attempted to build a purely Macedonian composition. Composer and conductor Todor Skalovski (1909-2004), who also wrote the national anthem, and Tomislav Zografski (1934-2000) created a Macedonian aesthetic through music inspired by national culture and mythology.
Today, North Macedonia shines on the world's best stages in the hands of pianist Simon Trpčevski, a virtuoso with deep, subtle playing totally at the service of his score. Born in Skopje in 1979, he began his international career at the age of 16, and has since collaborated with prestigious ensembles such as the London Symphony Orchestra and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. As a soloist, he captivates with Prokofiev and delights with Debussy.
The North Macedonian Philharmonic, whose architecture is very similar to that of Helsinki's Finlandia Palace, welcomes music lovers to its 300-seat hall with a program that's well worth a visit.
