Darko Dimitrov
Encyclopedia
Darko Dimitrov is a Macedonian
record producer
, songwriter
, arranger
and record executive. Highly acclaimed for revitalising the Macedonian mainstream pop music
scene, which also influenced the surrounding Balkan countries, he also received international recognition for working with many popular foreign artists.
, SFR Yugoslavia (present-day Republic of Macedonia
), to prominent Macedonian singer and composer, Slave Dimitrov. His family has a rich musical history — his grandfather was the prominent opera
and traditional music
singer, Blagoja Petrov Karagjule. Darko Dimitrov graduated at the Academy of Music in Skopje and he works in his family recording studio
called "Studio Dimitrovi" along with his father and his brother Oliver, the latter being notable for producing the debut album of the ska-punk band, Superhiks
.
One of his first production hits was "Otvori go Pendžerčeto", performed by the rap group Nulta Pozitiv and featuring the popular folk singer, Mitre Mitrevski.
After producing for mostly hip hop
and pop rap oriented artists during the early 90s, Darko Dimitrov moved on to work in the pop
music industry. From 1996 onwards, he produced several chart-topping hits for artists such as Karolina Gočeva
, Toše Proeski
, Kaliopi
, Jovan Jovanov
, Martin Vučić
, Tamara Todevska
, Tijana Dapčević, Vlado Janevski
, Vrčak, Darko Pančev
's wife Maja Grozdanovska Pančeva, Gentiana Ismajli, Anjeza Shahini
, Ledina Çelo
, Leonora Jakupi
, Rafet El Roman
, Aleksandra Radović
, 2007 Eurovision Song Contest winner Marija Šerifović
among many other domestic and foreign pop star
s.
In 1999, Dimitrov released compilation album
featuring music from various artists which he has produced. The album, 100% Hits: The Best of Darko Dimitrov broke national sales records.
His songs have participated in many notable pop music festivals such as Skopje Fest
, MakFest
, Ohrid Fest
, Sunčane Skale
and the Budva Music Festival
in Montenegro
, the FERAS Radio Festival in Serbia
, Croatian Radio Festival
, the Split Festival in Croatia
, the Pamukkale
Festival in Turkey
, the Golden Stag in Romania
, Kënga Magjike
in Albania
and the 2006 European Song Festival for Children with Special Needs
, Junior Eurovision Song 2011.
Dimitrov produced "Ninanajna
", the Macedonian entry in the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest. The song was performed in both the Macedonian
and English language
s by Elena Risteska
and received 56 points, placing 12th, which is the biggest success for the country thus far.
Darko Dimitrov has won over 30 awards in the "best producer", "best composer" and "best arranger" categories. He co-founded the M2 Productions record label
along with Ivo Jankovski, the former manager of the eminent Macedonian groups Leb i Sol
, Arhangel
and Anastazija
.
M2 Productions organised several talent show
s, from which several current Macedonian pop stars emerged. Among these: Elena Risteska
, Lambe Alabakoski
, Aleksandra Pileva
, 4play, Emil Arsov, Tuna, Dimitar Andonovski, Bojana Atansovska....
As an eminent songwriter, Darko Dimitrov is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Macedonia.
Macedonians (ethnic group)
The Macedonians also referred to as Macedonian Slavs: "... the term Slavomacedonian was introduced and was accepted by the community itself, which at the time had a much more widespread non-Greek Macedonian ethnic consciousness...
record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, arranger
Arranger
In investment banking, an arranger is a provider of funds in the syndication of a debt. They are entitled to syndicate the loan or bond issue, and may be referred to as the "lead underwriter". This is because this entity bears the risk of being able to sell the underlying securities/debt or the...
and record executive. Highly acclaimed for revitalising the Macedonian mainstream pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
scene, which also influenced the surrounding Balkan countries, he also received international recognition for working with many popular foreign artists.
Biography
Darko Dimitrov was born on 21 January 1973, in SkopjeSkopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
, SFR Yugoslavia (present-day Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
), to prominent Macedonian singer and composer, Slave Dimitrov. His family has a rich musical history — his grandfather was the prominent opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
and traditional music
Traditional music
Traditional music is the term increasingly used for folk music that is not contemporary folk music. More on this is at the terminology section of the World music article...
singer, Blagoja Petrov Karagjule. Darko Dimitrov graduated at the Academy of Music in Skopje and he works in his family recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
called "Studio Dimitrovi" along with his father and his brother Oliver, the latter being notable for producing the debut album of the ska-punk band, Superhiks
Superhiks
Superhiks is a Macedonian ska-punk and reggae band with occasional swing, Latin and Balkan folk music elements from Skopje, Republic of Macedonia. They gained international prominence after appearing on MTV France, MTV Israel and MTV Adria...
.
One of his first production hits was "Otvori go Pendžerčeto", performed by the rap group Nulta Pozitiv and featuring the popular folk singer, Mitre Mitrevski.
After producing for mostly hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
and pop rap oriented artists during the early 90s, Darko Dimitrov moved on to work in the pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
music industry. From 1996 onwards, he produced several chart-topping hits for artists such as Karolina Gočeva
Karolina Goceva
Karolina Gočeva, often credited as Karolina Gocheva is a Macedonian singer. She represented Macedonia in the 2002 and 2007 Eurovision Song Contests, ranking 19th and 14th, respectively...
, Toše Proeski
Toše Proeski
Todor Toše Proeski was a Macedonian multi-genre singer, songwriter and actor. He was popular across the entire Balkan area and all around Eastern Europe, and locally he was considered a top act of the Macedonian music scene...
, Kaliopi
Kaliopi
Kaliopi Bukle , more simply known as Kaliopi, is a popular Macedonian singer and song-writer. Kaliopi will represent Macedonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Baku, Azerbaijan.-Early life and education:...
, Jovan Jovanov
Jovan Jovanov
Jovan Jovanov is one of the Macedonian most successful composers, arrangers and producers of POP, R&B, POP-ROCK, HOUSE, HIP-HOP music in Macedonia. As Bachelor of Music in Education, he is currently enroled on the postgraduate studies at the Faculty of Music in Skopje.He is born on 27th of May 1981...
, Martin Vučić
Martin Vucic
Martin Vučić is a Macedonian Pop musician. He is the son of Macedonian-born Serb performer, Dragan Vučić.-Biography:...
, Tamara Todevska
Tamara Todevska
Tamara Todevska , known as Tamara, is a Macedonian pop singer. She was born to a Macedonian father and a Serbian mother from Turkey. Her sister is the well known Macedonian pop singer Tijana Todevska-Dapčević.-Early life:...
, Tijana Dapčević, Vlado Janevski
Vlado Janevski
Vladimir Vlado Janevski is a popular Macedonian singer. He was Macedonia's first Eurovision contestant, finishing 19th in Birmingham at the 1998 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Ne Zori, Zoro".-Biography:...
, Vrčak, Darko Pančev
Darko Pancev
Darko Pančev is a retired Yugoslav and Macedonian footballer, and winner of the Golden Boot award in 1991.-Club career:Pančev was the highest scorer in top-division European football in the 1990–91 season with 34 goals, and should have won the European Golden Boot award...
's wife Maja Grozdanovska Pančeva, Gentiana Ismajli, Anjeza Shahini
Anjeza Shahini
Anjeza Shahini is an Albanian singer. She represented Albania at the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "The Image of You" in the country's debut year in the ESC.-Eurovision 2004:...
, Ledina Çelo
Ledina Çelo
Ledina Çelo is an Albanian singer and model.In December 2003 she hosted the Albanian national Final for the Eurovision Song Contest. One year later she participated herself and won with Nesër Shkoj, on the Eurovision she decided to sing in English with Tomorrow I Go...
, Leonora Jakupi
Leonora Jakupi
-Hits:* 1997 - "O Bo Bo" * 1997 - "Nuk me Duhet Gjermania" * 1998- "A vritet pafajsia?" * 1999 - "Ne Zemer te me Ndjesh" * 2001 - "Sahara"...
, Rafet El Roman
Rafet El Roman
Rafet El Roman , is a pop star in his home country. He got his name from a fictional character named "El Romano".-Biography:...
, Aleksandra Radović
Aleksandra Radovic
Aleksandra Radović is a Serbian singer and songwriter, one of the most popular pop and R&B singers in Serbia.- Early life :...
, 2007 Eurovision Song Contest winner Marija Šerifović
Marija Šerifovic
Marija Šerifović is a singer from Serbia. She won the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 with the song "Molitva". Šerifović was born in Kragujevac, Socialist Republic of Serbia, Yugoslavia and is the daughter of Verica Šerifović, also a notable singer...
among many other domestic and foreign pop star
Pop Star
"Pop Star" is a 2005 single from Japanese singer Ken Hirai. The single went on to top the 2005 Oricon Charts and is known for its remarkable music video, featuring Ken in seven different personas, including a raccoon and his own manager. The Video also helped Ken break into the US and Canadian...
s.
In 1999, Dimitrov released compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
featuring music from various artists which he has produced. The album, 100% Hits: The Best of Darko Dimitrov broke national sales records.
His songs have participated in many notable pop music festivals such as Skopje Fest
Skopje Fest
Skopje Fest or Festival na zabavni melodii Skopje is one of the main musical events in the Republic of Macedonia....
, MakFest
MakFest
MakFest founded in 1986, is the largest festival of Macedonian popular music. It is held every year in November, in Štip, Republic of Macedonia, at the Cultural Center "Aco Šopov" . MakFest is a member of FIDOF with headquarters in Los Angeles, CA, USA. In 1997, MakFest was awarded the "Festival...
, Ohrid Fest
Ohrid Fest
Ohridski Trubaduri - Ohrid Fest is an annual music festival that takes place in Ohrid, Republic of Macedonia every summer. The festival began in 1994 as a showcase for Macedonian summer folklore. In 1997, a pop evening was introduced to motivate Macedonian lyricists and composers, as well as artists...
, Sunčane Skale
Suncane Skale
Sunčane Skale is a pop music festival held every summer in Herceg Novi, Montenegro. The festival first began in 1994. ProMonte has been the sponsor of Sunčane Skale for 10 years so far.-The Festival:...
and the Budva Music Festival
Montenegrin music festivals
Montenegrin music festivals are a series of music festivals which showcase the top Montenegrin and all Ex-Yugoslavian musical acts, in different types of music. They usually involve live performances as well as awards given by festival jurors and those awarded by the fans...
in Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
, the FERAS Radio Festival in Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, Croatian Radio Festival
Croatian Radio Festival
The Croatian Radio Festival is a music festival held annually in Croatia. The festival was first held in 1997 in Vodice. It remained in Vodice until 2002, when it was held in Šibenik. After two years in Šibenik, Rijeka and Požega were co-hosts for the 2004 festival...
, the Split Festival in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, the Pamukkale
Pamukkale
Pamukkale, meaning "cotton castle" in Turkish, is a natural site in Denizli Province in southwestern Turkey. The city contains hot springs and travertines, terraces of carbonate minerals left by the flowing water...
Festival in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, the Golden Stag in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, Kënga Magjike
Kënga Magjike
Kënga Magjike is one of the main musical events in Albania.Throughout its history, different broadcasters have been credited with the production and airing of this event, including RTSH, Klan TV, TVA, RTV NRG and RTV21, RTK , as well as many radio stations.Kënga Magjike was created by singer,...
in Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
and the 2006 European Song Festival for Children with Special Needs
Disability
A disability may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these.Many people would rather be referred to as a person with a disability instead of handicapped...
, Junior Eurovision Song 2011.
Dimitrov produced "Ninanajna
Ninanajna
"Ninanajna" was the Macedonian entry in the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest, performed in Macedonian and English by Elena Risteska, composed and produced by Darko Dimitrov and with lyrics by Rade Vrčakovski. Versions were also recorded entirely in each of the two languages...
", the Macedonian entry in the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest. The song was performed in both the Macedonian
Macedonian language
Macedonian is a South Slavic language spoken as a first language by approximately 2–3 million people principally in the region of Macedonia but also in the Macedonian diaspora...
and English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
s by Elena Risteska
Elena Risteska
Elena Risteska is a Macedonian singer and song-writer. She represented Macedonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006, held in Athens with the song "Ninanajna" and finished on the 12th place. That is the best result made by Macedonia in the Eurovision Song Contest ever...
and received 56 points, placing 12th, which is the biggest success for the country thus far.
Darko Dimitrov has won over 30 awards in the "best producer", "best composer" and "best arranger" categories. He co-founded the M2 Productions record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
along with Ivo Jankovski, the former manager of the eminent Macedonian groups Leb i Sol
Leb i sol
Leb i sol is a Macedonian rock group founded in the 1970s by Vlatko Stefanovski , Bodan Arsovski , Nikola Kokan Dimuševski and Garabet Tavitjan . Tavitjan ceded the drumwork to Dragoljub Đuričić for some of the albums, while Kiril Džajkovski replaced Kokan on Kao Kakao and Putujemo...
, Arhangel
Arhangel
Arhangel is an Macedonian alternative rock band formed in 1987. The frontman is Risto Vrtev who has also been part of such rock bands as Mizar and Inola X. The original line-up is: Panta Dzambazoski, Risto Vrtev, Dragan Ginovski, Petar Jankov...
and Anastazija
Anastasia (band)
Anastasia is a Macedonian music group.Formed in 1990, their members are:*Goran Trajkoski *Zlatko Origjanski Anastasia is a Macedonian music group.Formed in 1990, their members are:*Goran Trajkoski (ex Saraceni, Padot na Vizantija, Mizar, Aporea)*Zlatko Origjanski Anastasia is a Macedonian music...
.
M2 Productions organised several talent show
Talent show
A talent show is an event where participants perform their talent or talents of acting, singing, dancing, acrobatics, drumming, martial arts, playing an instrument, and other activities to showcase a unique form of talent, sometimes for a reward, trophy or prize...
s, from which several current Macedonian pop stars emerged. Among these: Elena Risteska
Elena Risteska
Elena Risteska is a Macedonian singer and song-writer. She represented Macedonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006, held in Athens with the song "Ninanajna" and finished on the 12th place. That is the best result made by Macedonia in the Eurovision Song Contest ever...
, Lambe Alabakoski
Lambe Alabakoski
Lambe Alabakovski is a Macedonian singer.-Biography:...
, Aleksandra Pileva
Aleksandra Pileva
Aleksandra Pileva is a rock / pop-rock singer and songwriter from the Republic of Macedonia. Pileva's music contains elements of modern rock, pop rock, blues / rock ballads and alternative rock.-Biography:...
, 4play, Emil Arsov, Tuna, Dimitar Andonovski, Bojana Atansovska....
As an eminent songwriter, Darko Dimitrov is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Macedonia.
See also
- Music of the Republic of MacedoniaMusic of the Republic of MacedoniaMusic of the Republic of Macedonia and the Macedonians has many things in common with the music of neighbouring Balkan countries, but maintains its own distinctive sound.-Folk music:...
- Republic of Macedonia in the Eurovision Song ContestRepublic of Macedonia in the Eurovision Song ContestMacedonia, presented in the contest as FYR Macedonia debuted at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1998. However, the country first took part in Eurovision at the 1996 pre-selection contest...
- Macedonian hip hopMacedonian hip hopMacedonian hip hop covers the Macedonian hip hop culture and the Macedonian language hip hop music primarily created in the Republic of Macedonia, but also in the Macedonian diaspora.-Overview:...