BIOGRAPHY

Rebeka Jankovska Risteski

Like all other human beings on this beautiful planet, I was once just a wish in the minds of my mom and dad. I was born in Skopje at the time when the ultrasonography was still science fiction, but my mom and dad must have had that feeling that tells you your child will be a girl, so even before birth I had a name. Now I have the most wonderful name, and because of Hitchcock - the most “horror-associated-name” – Rebeka.

I discovered music with the help of my father, and over time I realized that without music I cannot live, just like I cannot live without love. In that time, I dreamed about many things, the world seemed huge and pink, as it appears to almost every child. My parents say that I was never a typical child, so my life was different even then. Besides my engagements in the media, I was constantly in contact with people from the world of music, film, journalism, because both my parents worked in the Macedonian Radio Television. Since the age of seven I wanted to be in front of cameras. My first public appearance before the cameras was in RTS (now MRTV), in the children's show -TV Dictionary, then in the next six years I was speaking to a microphone in the Macedonian Radio Television, as a part of the Children's Drama Studio - Children's radio drama. I recorded countless radio shows, starred in several radio plays and all the time I was listening and learning.

The first song that I sang on TV was “Untouchable”, the band's name was Rebeka, and the leader was Duke Bojadjiev - 1986, February 3rd. At that time the band “Mizar” was on the top of their fame and one of our few live performances was during their concert when we played as intro-band. The band “Rebeka” existed for a very short time, about a year.
My next song was “What did you do to me”, in 1992, and it was a big hit, followed by a pause when I started to study journalism. I almost forgot to tell you that on the album of the band Peace Brothers I sing the hit “Skopje Girls” (we are smart and beautiful, sweet like candy ...).

As a child I thought a journalist is a vendor in a kiosk, but over time I realized it was better to be an honest vendor, than a dishonest journalist. I worked as journalist and presenter on several occasions and in various editions (1990 the TV quiz “Alo magija” MTV, in 1993 I wrote articles for the TV show “Pulsiranja”, in 1996 - Channel 3 - MRTV I was editing and I presented the show “Successful women”, then worked as a presenter for three radio stations: Pink, Top FM and Mega. In addition, my voice was used in many commercials for radio and television, and still is, until present time.

My big comeback to music was in 1996 with the song Macho, and the same year, thanks to MTV, one of my dreams came true- I played on the same stage with then the world's biggest names of pop music - Back Street Boys, The Kelly Family, Gina G, Take That, and the ones from ex-Yugoslav region: Parni Valjak, Anja Rupel and others, in Domzhale, Ljubljana. The same summer, because of my participation, the festival Sunchane Skale became an international festival, after which I appeared in several shows on RTS. That year the song “Macho” crash all the previous records of Macedonian pop charts, staying for 30 weeks on the top of the charts and appeared on the charts in Ljubljana and Belgrade.

1996 was a year when the new urban-pop sound of this region was born. It was extremely difficult to work, no sponsors, simply, no one believed that something serious will be done in this field. However, the fever began, and was led by Darko Dimitrov as a composer and me as a performer. My team firmly believed that we will set standards of excellence that will arouse interest among many other talents to follow us - and that very thing happened. The following year, 1997, few new songs were made. “I want something hot” is a remake of the famous hit of Donna Summer - Hot Stuff, again a new fever on the pop-charts, again many appearances. “Ecstasy”, a composition by Vlatko Kaevski Kiborg, which in the absence of universal erotic overtones of the Macedonian language is sung in English, was released in the same year and found its own place on the radio station 103 Ka.

The real fever began in the summer of 1998 with the song “Try”, the title track from the eponymous album, a masterpiece by Darko Dimitrov, with text by Princ. In cooperation with Dejan Milicevich we recorded a video that made a revolution of the videos in Macedonia. Again, many tours in discos across the state, but an even greater motive to proceed.

In 1998 I performed on the festival Makfest a song called “In anticipation”, which was awarded for best lyrics. After this it was time to release an album, expected by everyone. The promotion was on 21.12.1998, and after several months a multimedia CD version was released - first Macedonian musical multimedia, of which I am particularly proud.

The CD contains nine tracks:

• Macho: music and lyrics by Vlado Janevski arrangement: Valentino Skenderovski
• I want something hot: Music: Pete Bollote, Giorgio Moroder, lyrics: Rebeka, arrangement: Darko Dimitrov
• What did you do to me: music and lyrics: Zoran Ristovski, Arrangement: Darko Dimitrov
• Fantasy: Music: Daniel Popovic arrangement: Darko Dimitrov, text: Rebeka
• In anticipation: music: Zlatko Simonovski, arrangement: Kokan Dimushevski, text: Svetlana Aleksovska
• Show me: music & arrangement: Darko Dimitrov, text: Milan Risteski, Rebeka
• Extasy: Music and arrangement: Vlatko Kaevski, text: Nora
• Try: music & arrangement: Darko Dimitrov, text: Alexander Ristevski - Princ
• Alone: music & arrangement: Darko Dimitrov, text: Alexander Ristevski - Princ

During 1999 many good things happened: the videos for the songs “Fantasy” and “Show me” were released, the fever continued, the album was named for best debut album of the year and the song Try was the most listened by all parameters. All in all, the album “Try” reached the zenith – seven of nine songs reached the top of the charts. Fantasia was sung in Turkish language, there is a Turkish version of the video, and I sang it during the final night of the election of Miss Globe in Istanbul and the festival in Ayvalik, where I performed on the same stage with one of the biggest Turkish stars Hülya Avşar.

In 1999 I was a special guest at two concerts in the “Universal Hall” Skopje with the big star Oliver Dragoevikj from Croatia, with whom I sang “Vjeruj u ljubav” - one of his greatest hits. I was a guest at the concerts of the musician, actor and showman Igor Dzambazov. In this period I recorded the song “Our neighborhood” with Esma and Erzana, which was the title song of the series for children called “Our neighborhood”. We also recorded a video made by the production team “Our neighborhood”.

THE GREAT TURNING POINT

2000 was the year when many new singers appeared, very beautiful, and very bad songs. I didn’t want to release a new album, I needed a little rest, and to reconsider whether to continue with the urban pop style which is my favorite, or to start something new. My team concluded that it was better to start with a new sound, which would include a more picky audience. The experiment began with the song “One”, an urban-rock song which was immediately accepted by the audience. I will not enter into details about the video for this song, because a lot needs to be written. Then came Budva Festival 2000, with the song “Alone” and it felt like a vacation for me.

In the summer of 2001 I performed at the international festival in Zrenjanin MUF VOBAN, where I entered the finals and among hundred participants from all around the world I won the fourth place with the song “One” by Kristina Kovach.

A tour followed with the Macedonian Telecommunications, the biggest musical spectacle ever made in Macedonia, as well as a mini tour with Toshe, Karolina, Andrijana, Vojo Stojanovski and Vaska Ilieva in Australia in 2000. After that tour, we made two tours to Australia in 2002 along with Igor Dzhambazov, Toshe, Sintezis, Vaska Ilieva, Vojo Stojanovski and Suzana Spasovska and in 2003 with Toshe in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide.

From 2000 to 2005 despite continuous performances, concerts, tours around the country, I performed in Switzerland (Zurich and Cuk), England (London) as a guest with Toshe Proeski for the concert of Zeljko Joksimovich. I was a guest in the most famous show of Slavij Trifunov in Bulgaria where I also held a solo concert.

In 2001 I sang along with several other Macedonian performers for the remake of the song “Hotel California”, which had a new title “Welcome to the hotel Macedonia”, text by Igor Djambazov and arrangement by Valentino Skenderovski. The song was made in order to promote the idea of peace and coexistence of the Macedonians.

“Something nice” is a song for which we dedicated much time and effort. Garo and Diki Tavitjan made a fantastic arrangement, and it was time to make a video. With great help of my friends Dragan and Vesna funds were gathered, we recorded five days with a great team, but eventually we recorded a new video for reasons that should remain unexplained in this context. The author of the song, Igor Dzambazov, my team and Bane-Tomato Production decided to do a new video, and the video can still be seen on TV.
Then the hit “I do not want to know” followed, author and arrangement by Darko Dimitrov, with lyrics Rebeka & Ana Antovska, the video was made by Dejan Milicevich, with Dejan we made one more video for the hit “Until the next time”.

The Album “Something nice” includes the following compositions:

• One - recorded in Studio Zvezda Belgrade, music and arrangement: Kristina Kovac, text: Rebeka, guitars Igor Perovic / Playboy, Bass: Roman Gorshek / Playboy, drums Goran Milosevic / Playboy, vocals: Kristina and Aleksandra Kovach
• Sky blue - music by Igor Atanasoski-Hare arrangement: Darko Dimitrov, text: Svetlana Aleksovska, guitars Igor Atanasoski-Hare, bass: Trajko Simonovski, vocals: Ana, Ema, Caka
• My love is gone - Music: Nenad Stefanovic-Japanac, arrangement: Darko Dimitrov, text: Rebeka & M. Risteski, guitars Igor Atanasoski-Hare, vocals: Ana, Caka
• I do not want to know - Music: Darko Dimitrov, arrangement: Darko Dimitrov, text by Ana Antovska & Rebeka, vocals: Ana, Caka, Ema
• From dawn till dusk - Music: Robert Bilbilov, arrangement: Robert Bilbilov & Darko Dimitrov, text: Alexander Ristevski-Princ, vocals: Ana, Ema, Sara
• I only need love - music: Robert Bilbilov, arrangement: Robert Bilbilov & Darko Dimitrov, text: Alexander Ristevski-Prince, vocals: Ana, Ema, Caka
• Something nice - Music: Igor Dzhambazov, arrangement: Diki Tavitjan text: Igor Dzambazov, guitars: Garabet Tavitjan, bass: Diki Tavitjan, drums: Garo Tavitjan
• Take it or leave it - music by Igor Atanasoski-Hare arrangement: Hare-Igor Atanasoski & Darko Dimitrov, text: Igor Dzambazov, guitars Igor Atanasoski-Hare, bass: Trajko Simonovski, saxophone: Sale, percussion Igor Atanasoski-Hare vocals: Ana, Ema, Caka
• Babe - Music: Zoran Ristevski-Baby & Darko Dimitrov, arrangement: Darko Dimitrov
  Text: Zoran Ristevski-baby, vocals: Ana, Ema, Sara
• Until next time - music and arrangement: Darko Dimitrov, text: Alexander Ristevski-Princ, trumpet: Goce Dimitrovski vocals: Ana, Sara, Caka
• From the other side of love - music and arrangement: Robert Bilbilov
  Text: Miodrag Vrcakovski, guitars Igor Atanasoski-Hare, vocals: Ana, Ema, Caka

Out of 11 songs from the album “Something nice”, seven reached the top of the macedonian charts, and I made videos for each of the seven hits (One, Something Nice, On the Other Side of Love, Until Next Time, Sky Blue, Take It or Leave It, I Only Need Love, I Do Not Want To Know)

Meanwhile I sang on many humanitarian events, concerts (around fifty), corporative mini-tours, cocktails, various events, election campaigns, New Year celebrations, discos, clubs ... I sang for the children from the children's festival Super Zvezda the “Lullaby song”, and wrote three texts for the songs sung by my niece Kjara (Birthday, Strange World and Smarty ). Meanwhile, with Iskra Mishikj (Dzambazova in that time), we made the TV series “Who gave you a permission”.

By the end of 2003 we made the video (directed by Milan Risteski) for the song “Your list” by Robert Bilbilov with my text, and then in 2004 I recorded a duet with Gianni Rijavec (singer-author from Slovenia) for the song “Story about love and peace” and I was his guest at the concert in the Philharmonic Hall in Ljubljana. For this song we created a video in 3D production. In Slovenia I had several television appearances.

At the end of 2004 I recorded another video directed by Milan Ristovski and Vladimir Pavlovski – Tegla for the song “Lidudu” by Grigor Koprov. In 2005 the single “Summer” was released together with a video, produced by Art Street.

On invitation of the monthly magazine Forum, which generally treated political events, I became a columnist. I wrote columns based on my views on male-female relations, this lasted nearly two years, during which period my columns were always in the top 2 most read columns of the magazine.

In 2004, in collaboration with Production Award, I'm an author and producer of the series called “Different”, which began as a magazine with tips on beauty and styling, and turned into a medical-aesthetic education magazine. The series is in its fifth season, people in need of surgical intervention, but without financial assets are the target group, So far, thanks to the series, we realized surgical treatment of 90 patients, which has never been done in Macedonia before as pro-bono assistance.

In the 2006 the compilation “Best of Rebeka” was released which included all my number 1 hits. “Summer”, “Your list”, and the remake of Lidudu followed another big hit “Take me” – seen on many Balkan TV stations. I knew I had to do something that will dramatically change my musical conception. Began the long journey of collecting new material, and as Macedonian, I wanted to give my own contribution to preserve what our neighbors want to take, and it is our unique holiness - our cultural and spiritual heritage. Thanks to Toni Kitanovski and Nikola Kodzhobashija, we created a new album, which is my particular pride. “Smells like a dream” is an album conceptually different from my previous projects. “Try” and “Something nice” were the backbone of the Macedonian urban pop music, “Smells like a dream” embodies the spirit of ancestors through new views of traditional Macedonian songs and new works by Macedonian composers of the new generation. The songs contain basic ethno elements combined with byzantine and ancient Slavic patterns, with classical chamber instruments, and saz, traditional and oriental percussions, tamburica, gusle, kaval…

“Smells like a dream” contains 9 songs:

• Mori chupi Kosturchanki (Macedonian folk song arranged by Tony Kitanovski)
• Sugarking (author of the music, arrangement and lyrics Nikola Kodzhobashija)
• Gold wires (author of music- Gina Papas Dzoksi, author of arrangement Diran Tavitjan and author of text Ognen Nedelkovski)
• Honorary firing (authors of music Goran Trajkovski, Gorazd Chapovski, Vlatko Kaevski, author of the text Goran Trajkovski and Rebeka Jankovska Risteski authors of arrangement Gian Emin and Ivan Bejkov)
• Smells like a dream (author of the music, arrangement and lyrics Nikola Kodzhobashija)
• Desire (author of music Igor Atanasovski, author of arrangement Garo Tavitjan author of text Rebecca Jankovska Risteski)
• Clear water (Macedonian folk song arranged by Tony Kitanovski)
• Smells like anise (author of the music, arrangement and lyrics Nikola Kodzhobashija)
• Tell me, tell me dear Stana (Macedonian folk song arranged by Diran Tavitjan, a duet with Croatian opera baritone Ronald Braus)

Backing vocals:   

- Clear water: Elena Stevkovska, Frosina Marinoska, Gabriela Janushevska, Gordana Taseva, Merete Fjeldbo,

- Sugarking: Gian Emin, Ivan Bejkov, Vladimir Pop Hristov, Nikola Kodzhobashija and Jane Kodzhobashija, 

- Gold wires: Gabriela Janushevska, Theodora Gjorgieva,

- Smells like anise: Gavin Huck, Oliver Littleton, Paul Tippet, Robert Bennet.

Instrumentalists: Nicola Kodzhobashija, Gian Emin, Diran Tavitjan Toni Kitanovaki, Igor Atanasovski Hare, Stevce Stojkovski, Teodosij Spasov, Izet Kizil, Ivan Bejkov, Darko Bagevski, Garo Tavitjan, Sheazair, Gazmend Berisha, Goce Stevkovski, Gorancho Angelov, Hustref Said, Andy Gray, Gregorio Mankalgi, Gavin Huck, Oliver Littleton, Paul Tippet, Robert Bennet, Mastering: Markus Ingram, Publisher: Shpato

Already published a video of “Honorary Shooting”, my seventeenth music video, which is a record in Macedonia, and currently I’m working on videos for the songs Smells like a dream, Sugarking and Mori chupi Kosturchanki.

During 2010 I had two wonderful concerts with a band of 10 excellent musicians. We closed the Bitola Cultural Summer Fest or Bit Fest 2010 on 27th of August – Heraclea, where the album was performed for the first time, and other older songs in new arrangements, but also two new versions in a whole new arrangement of Macedonian folk songs. There was also the concert on the square in Kavadarci and opening of the Wine Festival. A concert in Skopje follows during 2011.

In November 2010 I was one of the initiators and founders of the association “Give us wings”.

Since March 2011 I started to work as a writer and producer of a new cycle of emissions on AB Channel, titled Give us wings, which aim to help people with disabilities, dysfunctions, special needs and rare diseases.