Biography: Esma/Ansambl Teodosievski

ESMA REDZEPOVA (ESS-mah Reh-JEP-oh-vah) is internationally acclaimed as "the Queen of Romany Songs". Known to her devoted audiences simply as "Esma", she was born in Skopje, Republic of Macedonia, in Shutka, the largest Romani (Gypsy) neighborhood in Europe, to a Rom- Jewish family, in which song, music and folklore are part of everyday life and family tradition. Esma began her long professional career in Macedonia at the age of 13. She was the first Balkan performer to make Romani music popular with non-Rom audiences with her hit song "Chaje shukarije" (CHA-yeh shoo-kah-REE-yeh) (Beautiful Girl) in the early 1960's. Esma, who sings in 16 languages, earned the title "Queen of Romani Songs" at the First World Festival of Romani Music in India in 1976. At the "Festival of Roma Experiences" in Moscow in the year 2000, Esma was proclaimed Laureate and Roma Singer of the Century. Esma/Ansambl Teodosievski have performed for many heads of state, including Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Overall, Esma has toured more than four decades with Ansambl Teodosievski, performing in excess of 8,000 concerts in over 30 countries.

"Esma Redzepova is the most brilliant exponent of Gypsy (Roma) vocal music in Macedonia today, and one of the historically most important artists in this unique and powerful tradition. She has hundreds of recordings to her credit, and is heard every day on radio and TV in her native country. However, her recordings have made her famous far beyond the borders of Macedonia. She is enormously popular in the other countries of the former Yugoslavia, and she is well-known and loved in the neighboring countries of Greece, Bulgaria, and Albania."
--Timothy Rice, Chair and Professor, Department of Ethnomusicology, UCLA, April 1997.

In addition to her work on stage, Esma Redzepova Teodosievska is a world-renowned humanitarian. In the past thirty years she and her late husband Stevo Teodosievski have fostered forty-seven children and educated them in music and cultural traditions before he died in 1997. Esma's humanitarian activities continue today through the "Home of Humanity and Museum of Music Esma and Stevo Teodosievski" institution which she founded and later donated to the city of Skopje and the Republic of Macedonia as an institute of cultural heritage. She has also been a major contributor to countless advocacy and assistance programs for Macedonia's underprivileged Roma and recent refugees from Kosovo.

Esma Red_epova is honorary president of the Macedonian Red Cross, and has been a Red Cross activist since early childhood. During her career she has given more than one thousand concerts to benefit humanitarian programs. In the year 2000, the American Biographical Institute awarded Esma the "Medal of Honor", and the Sorority of Roma Women proclaimed Esma "Woman of the Millennium". In 2002 Esma received the Mother Teresa Award, was nominated as United Nations Ambassador for Refugees in Macedonia, and was nominated a second time for the Nobel Peace Prize.

ANSAMBL TEODOSIEVSKI (Esma's instrumental band) (tay-oh-doh-SEE-yev-skee) performs songs of Macedonia, Romania, Slovenia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Albania, Turkey, Greece, Spain, and Israel, as well as western jazz and pop. Their specialty is the virtuoso dynamic musical traditions of the Macedonian Roma (Gypsies). All of the musicians in Ansambl Teodosievski today are members of the Teodosievski family and have become professional musicians under Esma and Stevo's tutelage. The members of Ansambl Teodosievski grew up playing music together, and each is skilled on more than one instrument. They are very successful not only as Ansambl Teodosievski musicians, but also as composers, arrangers, and leaders of their own bands, making Ansambl Teodosievski an all-star super-group. Several of the Teodosievski band members have won international prizes, including the Grand Prize at the First World Romany Music Festival held in Skopje in 1988.

Simeon Atanasov (SEE-myon ah-TAH-nah-sov), accordion, born in Ko_ani, Macedonia, he has toured with Esma throughout Europe, America and Australia. Simeon plays Stevo Teodosievski's accordion and is now Ansambl Teodosievski's primary arranger. As composer-arranger, Simeon won a prize for his song "_aje, _aje" (CHA-yeh CHA-yeh) at SutkaFest '93.
Zahir Ramadanov (ZAH-heer rah-MAD-dah-nov), trumpet, from Ko_ani, Macedonia. Zahir, is also a solo vocalist and a member of a well-know Ko_ani hereditary musical family specializing in brass. He has played with Esma since 1975.
Sami "Buco" Zekiroski (SAH-me "BOOT-so" zeh-KEE-ro-skee), clarinet and saxophone, from Prilip, Macedonia, was Esma and Stevo's first student and foster family member. Sami appears on the cover of Esma's recording Songs of a Macedonian Gypsy (Monitor MCD 71496) in a photo taken soon after beginning his drumming career as a child. His vocal duet recordings with Esma have been very successful.
Elvis Huna (EL-vis HOO-nah), keyboards and synthesizer, from Skopje Macedonia. He owes his name to his birthdate, the year of Elvis Presley's death.
Eljam Ra_idov (EL-yahm RAH-shee-dov), tarabuka (doumbek or hand drum) and traps, from Ko_ani, Macedonia. Eljam and Zahir joined Ansambl Teodosievski at the same time, and by now have played over 1,500 concerts with Esma.

During the more than four decades of work, Esma/Ansambl Teodosievski recorded more than 100 singles, 20 albums, 20 cassettes, and 15 CDs; including several gold records. Among their latest recordings are Esma Queen of the Gypsies (World Connection Times Square Records TSQD 9028), Chaje Shukarije (World Connection Times Square Records TSQD 9020), Road of the Gypsies (Network 24756), Gypsy Queens (Network 32843), and Nasvali So Uljum (E/AT).

Esma/Ansambl Teodosievski's international tours have included all of Europe, the former Soviet Union, Canada, the United States, Mexico, India, the Middle East, and Australia. Esma/Ansambl Teodosievski have made five films, and appear regularly on television and radio throughout Europe and the Middle East. The city of Skopje, Macedonia celebrated Esma in 2002 with an ESMA 45 Year Jubilee Concert, and the presentation of many awards honoring her distinguished career. Spring 2003 Esma/Ansambl Teodosievski will be sponsored by Voice Of Roma for a fifth USA tour. They will also be making a third appearance [previously in 1997 and 1998] teaching and performing at the East European Folklife Center's weeklong Balkan Music and Dance Workshop in California while on the Voice Of Roma sponsored ESMA 2003 USA Tour.