Tereza Kesovija
Encyclopedia
Tereza Ana Kesovija (born 3 October 1938) is an internationally acclaimed Croatia
n singer, one of the most recognisable figures on the Balkan music scene, renowned for her wide vocal range and operatic style and one of the most important artists of the former Yugoslavia
. She also had a very successful career in France
. She has held many concerts around the world in some of the most famous Concert Halls and Opera Houses.
near Dubrovnik
where she got her early music education. She won a federal young Musicians Competition in Ljubljana
, Slovenia
. Afterwards, she graduated from the flute
program at the Zagreb Music Academy and as a student began appearing in amateur music events. In 1962, shortly after the start of her professional career, she won her first international contest at Saint-Vincent, Italy
. Later in her career, she performed at a number of other local music festivals in Yugoslavia, as well as international festivals in Rio de Janeiro
, Bratislava
, Bern and Sopot
. She represented Monaco
in the 1966 Eurovision Song Contest
, and she also represented Yugoslavia
in the 1972 edition
.
, Egypt
, Japan
, the United States
, etc.
In 1965, Kesovija moved to France
and began a recording career in French
. She was the only Croatian singer who sang at the Paris Olympia
several times. She received the French Knighthood of High Decoration of Arts and Culture
and was also bestowed with the Golden Chart of Humanism, on recommendation by the International Humanist League. She also participated in charity work, which included UNESCO
's gala concerts.
She recorded songs in 10 languages (Croatian, French, Italian, Slovenian, Russian, English, Spanish, Serbian, Portuguese and German) and her discography includes 12 records released for Columbia Records
and about 30 LPs, 70 singles, and 12 CDs for other labels.
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 ...
n singer, one of the most recognisable figures on the Balkan music scene, renowned for her wide vocal range and operatic style and one of the most important artists of the former Yugoslavia
Former Yugoslavia
The former Yugoslavia is a term used to describe the present day states which succeeded the collapse of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia....
. She also had a very successful career in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. She has held many concerts around the world in some of the most famous Concert Halls and Opera Houses.
Early years
Kesovija was born in KonavleKonavle
Konavle is a small region and municipality located southeast of Dubrovnik, Croatia.It is administratively part of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County and forms a municipality with its center at Gruda with a total population of 8,250 people split in 32 villages, in which 96.5% are Croats...
near Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its total population is 42,641...
where she got her early music education. She won a federal young Musicians Competition in Ljubljana
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
, Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
. Afterwards, she graduated from the flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
program at the Zagreb Music Academy and as a student began appearing in amateur music events. In 1962, shortly after the start of her professional career, she won her first international contest at Saint-Vincent, Italy
Saint-Vincent, Italy
Saint-Vincent is a town and comune in the Aosta Valley region of north-western Italy. Saint-Vincent , is a popular summer holiday resort with mineral springs .-Geography:...
. Later in her career, she performed at a number of other local music festivals in Yugoslavia, as well as international festivals in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, Bratislava
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
, Bern and Sopot
Sopot
Sopot is a seaside town in Eastern Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea in northern Poland, with a population of approximately 40,000....
. She represented Monaco
Monaco in the Eurovision Song Contest
Monaco first participated in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1959. The country's first and only win in the contest came in 1971, when Séverine performed "Un banc, un arbre, une rue". In 1972 Monaco was expected to host the contest, but declined...
in the 1966 Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1966
The Eurovision Song Contest 1966 was the 11th edition and was held on 5 March 1966 in Luxembourg, Luxembourg. The rule stating that a country could only sing in any of its national languages was originally created in this year. This was possibly created due to the 1965 Swedish entry, "Absent...
, and she also represented Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia in the Eurovision Song Contest
Yugoslavia participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 27 times, debuting in 1961 and competing every year until its last appearance in 1992, with the exceptions of 1977–1980, and 1985...
in the 1972 edition
Eurovision Song Contest 1972
The Eurovision Song Contest 1972 was the 17th edition series. Monaco was unable to host this year's Eurovision as they were unable to provide the resources. They approached French TV, who agreed to produce the contest, but only if the contest was staged in France and not the planned Monte Carlo...
.
Singing career
Her long-lasting career included a number of international tours in countries such as the USSR, MexicoMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, etc.
In 1965, Kesovija moved to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and began a recording career in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
. She was the only Croatian singer who sang at the Paris Olympia
Paris Olympia
The Olympia is a music hall in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. Located at No. 28, Boulevard des Capucines, its closest métro/RER stations are Madeleine, Opéra, Havre – Caumartin and Auber....
several times. She received the French Knighthood of High Decoration of Arts and Culture
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
and was also bestowed with the Golden Chart of Humanism, on recommendation by the International Humanist League. She also participated in charity work, which included UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
's gala concerts.
She recorded songs in 10 languages (Croatian, French, Italian, Slovenian, Russian, English, Spanish, Serbian, Portuguese and German) and her discography includes 12 records released for Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
and about 30 LPs, 70 singles, and 12 CDs for other labels.
Discography
- La Chanson de Lara (EMI, 1967)
- C´est ma chanson (EMI, 1969)
- Tereza (Jugoton, 1971)
- Tereza & Julio Iglesias Live in Bulgaria (Balkanton, 1973)
- Tereza (PGP RTB, 1974)
- Tereza & Miro Ungar (Amiga, 1974)
- Nježne strune mandoline (JugotonJugotonJugoton was the largest record label and chain record store in the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia based in Zagreb, Socialist Republic of Croatia. After the breakup of Yugoslavia the company continued to work in independent Republic of Croatia under the name Croatia...
, 1975) - Stare ljubavi(Jugoton, 1976)
- Tereza (Jugoton, 1978)
- Što je ostalo od ljubavi (Jugoton, 1978)
- Poljubi me (Jugoton, 1979)
- Moja splitska ljeta 1 (Jugoton, 1980)
- Sanjam(PGP RTB, 1981)
- Tereza (Jugoton, 1981)
- Sinoć, kad sklopih oči (ZKP RTLJZKP RTLJZaložba kaset in plošč RTV Ljubljana or Založba kaset in plošč Radiotelevizije Ljubljana , was a major record label based in Ljubljana, Socialist Republic of Slovenia, during the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia...
, 1982) - Ja sam pjesma (PGP RTB, 1982)
- Prijatelji stari gdje ste (Jugoton, 1982)
- Na kušinu (PGP RTB, 1983)
- Spomenar (PGP RTB, 1983)
- Ponovni susret (PGP RTB, 1984)
- Koncert v Cankarjevem domu (RTVLj, 1984)
- Pronađi put (Jugoton, 1985)
- Bokelji i Tereza (PGP RTB, 1985)
- Molim te, ostani (Jugoton, 1986)
- Moja posljednja i prva ljubavi (Jugoton, 1987)
- Moja splitska ljeta 2 (Jugoton, 1988)
- Live `a l'Olympia (Jugoton, 1988)
- Nezaboravne melodije (Orfej RTZ, 1989)
- Ljubav je moj grijeh (Croatia RecordsCroatia RecordsCroatia Records is the largest major record label in Croatia, based in Dubrava in Zagreb.-Summary:Croatia Records d.d. is a joint stock company currently led by the Chairman of the Board of directors Želimir Babogredac, a notable sound engineer...
, 1990) - To sam ja (Tutico/Croatia Records, 1995)
- Gold Mix Tereza (Melody, 1995)
- Kad jednog dana prisjetim se svega (Croatia Records, 1997)
- Gdje ima srca tu sam i ja (Croatia Records, 1999)
- Samo malo intime (Croatia Records, 1999)
- Spomenar (kompilacija) (Taped Pictures, 2000)
- Ja sam pjesma (kompilacija)(Taped Pictures, 2001)
- Kronologija (Perfect Music/Croatia Records, 2002)
- S druge strane sna (live with Michel Legrand) (Croatia Records, 2003)
- Mojih 45 skalina (Croatia Records) (2005)
- Platinum collection ( Croatia Records ) (2007)
- Zaustavi vrijeme ( Dallas Records )(2007)
- Live a l´Olympia ( Dallas Records ) (2008)
- Ja sam pjesma (PGP RTS) (2009)