Elena Risteska

Elena Risteska is a famous Macedonian singer and songwriter born on April 27, 1986, in Skopje, North Macedonia. She is known for her strong voice, energetic performances, and pop/R&B music style. Her career began when she was young, and she has become a big name in the Balkans and beyond.

Elena grew up in Skopje with her parents, Acko and Desa. She loved music from a young age, thanks to her mother’s influence. As a child, she was also interested in drawing and drama. In 1994, at age 8, she joined the KUD “Kočo Racin” club, where she learned folk dances and songs. She also sang in school choirs and joined a drama club.

In 1996, when she was 10, Elena made her first TV appearance on the Mak-Karaoke Show, singing “Flamingo” on the A1 channel. That same year, she started learning English and French and went on a tour to Bulgaria with her folk dance club. She also won many awards for drawing in local and international competitions.

Elena became famous in 2002 when she competed on the music reality show “Play – Search for a Star” in Macedonia. She won the competition with her song “Ona Drugoto” (“The Other Thing”), which became a big hit. This led to her first album, Den i Nok (Day and Night), released in 2003. The album was a success and made her popular in Macedonia and other Balkan countries.

In 2006, Elena represented Macedonia at the Eurovision Song Contest in Athens with her song “Ninanajna.” The song, written by Darko Dimitrov and Rade Vrčakovski, was a mix of pop, R&B, and dance music. Elena reached the final and finished 12th, the highest place Macedonia had ever achieved at Eurovision until 2019. “Ninanajna” became a hit in Macedonia and even in Armenia, where it was a popular ringtone.

That same year, she performed “Ne Mogu” (“I Can’t”) at the Sunčane Skale festival, placing 10th. She also released her second album, 192, which included “Ninanajna,” “Ne Mogu,” and a new single, “Esen Vo Mene” (“Autumn in Me”).

Elena stayed active in music. She wrote the lyrics for “Belo e se” (“Everything is White”), a song performed by Lambe Alabakovski at Skopje Fest, which came third. She also announced the Macedonian votes at Eurovision 2007. That year, she performed at the Radijski Festival with “Kreveta dva” (a Serbian version of her song “Ima li kraj”) and won awards for best interpretation.

In 2008, Elena released her first English single, “Million Dollar Player,” with Leroy Chambers. She also released her first Serbian album, Milioner. On December 19, 2008, she held her first solo concert at the Metropolis Arena in Skopje, with guests like Lambe Alabakovski and Tuna.

In 2010, Elena covered Beyoncé’s “Halo” and performed “Hit the Road Jack” with Lambe Alabakovski. She often compared her style to Beyoncé and Christina Aguilera, who inspired her vocals and stage presence.

Elena and Lambe Alabakovski released a duet in 2011, “Najdobro do sega” (“The Best Till Now”), which became a summer hit. That year, she performed traditional Macedonian songs at a special concert in Ohrid. In 2012, she released a new single, “Opasni Vreminja” (“Dangerous Times”), with a video shot in Ohrid and other Macedonian cities.

In 2014, Elena competed in the Serbian version of Your Face Sounds Familiar. She imitated artists like Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Lopez, and Beyoncé, winning one episode as Jennifer Lopez with the song “Booty.” She finished second in the final as Beyoncé, singing “End of Time.”

It was in 2022 when Elena Risteska joined Macedonian singer Karolina Gočeva to perform their song “Dozivotno” during Gočeva’s New Year’s Eve show on Macedonian Radio Television (MRT). The video of the live performance was uploaded to Risteska’s official YouTube channel on July 26, 2023.