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Blogilkar exclusive: KALIOPI INTERVIEW


My flying reporter Robert had a very private interview with Kaliopi as the icing on his fantastic cake of work he did for me and for you readers in Baku. It is long, it is deep, it is fun. In one word: it's a treat! Sit back, have a cup of coffee and enjoy:
Thank you Kaliopi for this interview. I have been trying to get hold of you all week and finally I have you here, just in time before I leave back to Amsterdam!
I hope it's not because I'm such a big Diva! No, no... It has been so busy and you know now we have the pleasure to be alone! Without other people around :-) No journalists, just you and me here in my hotel having coffee and tea or chai... isn't this nice?
Yes indeed. But let's get to business. Maybe not all readers know you very well so how would you describe Kaliopi? What are your qualities? What do you find important in life?
Hmmm, it's always difficult to talk about yourself but I try to be honest. It's very heavy to be honest. I'm 45 now so maybe I have learned something in my life? I can only say that I'm always a little girl who has a dream about her life. I started by career when I was 9 years old and sung live with a big orchestra. That moment I knew it's my life. I'd like to do only this. And that never changed. And I'm one very happy woman! I'm living my dream. And I always try to be honest not only with other people but to myself, too. I can wake up every morning, look at myself in the mirror and say: Ok, this day can start becasue yesterday was a good day!
I also have a feeling that you are a very sensitive woman?
Yes, I am! I feel a lot. The best thing I ever did was when I stopped expecting things from myself of the others. The best thing is when you give without expecting nothing back. You are happier that way.
You have told before that in Macedonia everyone's musical and everybody sings. What makes you stand out of all those people?
It's true, Macedonians are very musical. We express everything in the music; happiness, sadness, everything. I was born in a very talented family musically even if no one is in the music business. My mother was a teacher, my grandfather also and he plays violin very well. I remember as a kid when I used to wake up to the sound of my grandfather playing violin.... And when we all sat in a lunch table and my father started to sing a traditional song and everybody joined him! I can tell my sister has the most beautiful voice I have ever heard but she's journalist! She didn't have the ambition to be on stage. I'm the one who has that ambition to be on stage and to give people something of myself. My sister tells me I said to her and my brother when I was small: One day I will be a popular star and you will be a journalist and write about me, and you my brother will be a famous photographer and take pictures of me. And that happened! Ha ha ha!
So you also a fortune teller! Ha ha ha You are a big star in Macedonia. How did you reach that position?
It has happened very naturally, slowly. In 1985 I was in the biggest music festival in Opatija, Yogoslavia for the first time with a band I was fronting back then. I was only 16 and I was there with all the biggest Yogoslavian stars! Nobody knew anything about us but we created a real media fuss. In the end I won the journalist's award for the best interpretation and the award for the best performance and for us it was like winning the first prize! That's how my career started in Yogoslavia! There were also people from the Sanremo festival and they were saying I'm the Yogoslavian Gigliola Cinquetti! Ha ha ha!
What is your career highlight so far?
The biggest hit of my career, which is already an evergreen to many generations, Bato. It means brother, Rodjeni in Serbo-Croatian but people now it as Bato. From 1988. It was from the best album we did with the band Kaliopi. It was the year before the war, before we left Yogoslavia and went to Switzerland. We had our last concert in Skopje in 1989 and then 1990-91 was the war. We felt the change coming but no one expected the war. It was so sad. Montenegro was not in the middle of it but I had many friends in Bosnia, Serbia... it was so sad. That was my country. I was born in Yogoslavia and now I can't tell anyone how beautiful country it was. The younger generations don't know it. And so much happened, we can't be together anymore as we used to. But we need each other still, we're connected in many ways, musically and culturally. We have so much to share with each other.... sigh... :-(
Let's go to the next question. Maybe not so easy one either. You tried to get to Eurovision already in 1996 but didn't get there and lost your voice and all. Now 16 years later... Why now and can you deal now if you don't reach the final? I don't want you to lose your voice again! :-)
I wasn't prepaired for so many bad things at the same time then. In 1996 I had a divorce, I was alone in Switzerland without my family and friends, I lived an anonymous life there and I wasn't singing. My sould was hungry for this touch with music and Macedonia. After all so many bad things and feeelings I entered the Skopje festival and won and it was like food for my soul. I believed in it so much and then... it was destroyed! So many people believed in me and my song and then.. nothing! I couldn't go to Eurovision. Sigh....
Did Macedonian people blame you for that?
Actually I don't know. I was still in Switzerland that time and I wasn't there to feel it. That was maybe good for my sensitive character. Everything happened so fast and I wasn't prepaired. For my new life, because I didn't learn to love myself. I lost myself in this story. And it effected first my voice. It took me eight years to get it back, thanks to one of the best doctors in this field in the world and he told me before my operation ”I can save your voice but I can't save your soul”. He gave me good tips for the future and now I'm prepaired for every good or bad thing! Also for not reaching the final on Thursday. Because I'm living my life without expecting things. Of course I would be very happy to see Macedonia in the final but if it doesn't happen I take it as my moment and make it count as well. I'm another Kaliopi now. :-)
And what are your plans after Eurovision?
We will record a new album, my ex-husband Romeo (Grill Ed.note) will write all the songs and it will be very interesting as this is the first time in 15 years we work together again. We have become friends again :-) It's very beautiful to work together again as we both have our own experiences here between in all those years.
I'm looking forward for hearing this album!
Me, too! Ha ha ha
I know that you also do some humanitarian work besides singing. Can you tell us a bit more about it?
I never really talk about my humanitarian work. I do it but I don't talk about it. If I sometimes make propaganda for it it's only because that way I can help more people. But I don't want any credit for it or use it to image purposes like ”Look at Kaliopi, she's such a saint!” I have even received Mother Theresa award but for me it's more important when I visit and help a Macedonian family with 16 children living in bad conditions in some remote village. I don't need to read about it in a paper the day after. It means much more when this mother says me ”You're my 17th child!” :-) I'm like a good fairy or the godmother to those 16 children. Sometimes it's enough to share a few words with someone for hope. The hope is the most important thing. Also here in Eurovision.
Who is your biggest support, your best friend?
My best friends and my closest family; my parents, my sister and brother, my son. He'll be 21 in June. Also my ex-husbands, first and second both. We have a very good relationships. They also help me a lot, even now for the Eurovision. My best friends are also prepaired to tell me the truth in my face always. I feel a very rich woman for that!
What's your favourite Macedonian Eurovision song?
Life by Tose Proeski. I was in love with Tose's voice. Also Elena Risteska, I think it was the best performance in Eurovision.
Ok, the last question: Can we expect you to be back in some 30 years with your girlfriends as the Macedonian grannies?
Ha ha ha ha! Never say never! I might be back in 2035! You never know what's going to happen! Ha ha ha! If I will look like Sophia Loren then, then why not?! I will come back one more time! Without the scream!
Thank you Kaliopi for this interview and good luck tomorrow for the semifinal and see you in final!
(Special thanks for the sung greeting, kisses and hugs. Made my day! Ed.note)

Comments

Johanna said…
This interview with Opi is so wonderful and lovely! i enjoyed it very much! ...and i was touched on heart! Kaliopi is such a great person! Greetings from Germany!

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