We have the first artist of 2023! Tamara Grujeska will be the flag bearer for North Macedonia at the 21st edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. The Macedonian public broadcaster has announced her selection following internal auditions held in the broadcaster’s studios.
The soloist is supported by a team of renowned artists in composing and choosing the song with which she will take the stage at the Palais Nikaïa in Nice on Sunday 26 November. Her song will be released at a later date.
Tamara Grujeska was born in 2010 in Gostivar. She started in the world of music when she was only five years old, and since then she has participated in numerous national and international children’s festivals. She is unique and brave. She is known for her powerful performances and her incredible voice that conquers and leaves no one indifferent. Proof of this is the large number of awards she has won in international competitions.
Tamara studies at the Goce Delchev school in Gostivar and also continues her musical training at the conservatory conservatory “Todor Skalovski”. She also attends online courses with the renowned singing teacher Cheryl Porter from the USA.
In 2021, she took part in the international competition “Ezerski Biseri in the Macedonian town of Struga, where she won the First Place Laureate I. In the same year, she took part in the International Festival “Zvezdichki” in Prilep, where she won first prize with her song “Muzikata Vo Mene Ima Dom“. She also won the first prize at the International Festival “Skoljkice” in Novi Sad (Serbia).
In 2022, Tamara competed in the competition “Golden Stars Rain” competitionwhere she won the first prize among 150 competitors from various countries. She also ranked at the top of the International Festival “Angel Voice” in Belgrade (Serbia).
This will be North Macedonia’s 18th participation in Junior Eurovision. The young artist will have the challenge of succeeding Lara, Jovan & Irina who represented the country with “Životot E Pred Mene”at Yerevan 2022.
NORTH MACEDONIA AT JUNIOR EUROVISION
North Macedonia is one of the countries that participated in Junior Eurovision 2003, the inaugural edition, and since then it has maintained its presence on a regular basis, despite small absences during these 20 years.
It is also very remarkable that Macedonian television has withdrawn from the Eurovision Song Contest, but continues to attend the children’s contest.
North Macedonia’ s record is somewhat discreet, with three last-place finishes in 2011, 2013 and 2015. In addition, the country’s worst-ever result was achieved in Bucharest in 2006 with Zana Aliu and her “Vljubenaanother last place with only 14 points, their lowest score.
On the other hand, their best ranking is a 5th place, which they achieved in Rotterdam 2007 with Dimitar Stojmenovski & Rosica Kulakova with their “Ding Ding Dong and in Limasol 2008, with Bobi Andonov and “Prati mi SMS”.
However, its highest historical score (with a different voting system than in the first years of the festival) was achieved by Mila Moskov with “Fire in Gliwice-Silesia 2019, with a total of 150 points (6th place).
In Yerevan 2022, Lara, Jovan & Irina performed “Životot E Pred Mene”. However, the final result was rather discreet, reaching 14th place with only 54 points.
JUNIOR EUROVISION SONG CONTEST 2023
The Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2023 will take place on Sunday, 26 November under the slogan “Heroes and is expected to with many new features. France is preparing to host the 21st edition of the children’s contest in the coastal city of Nice. On this occasion, the Palais Nikaïa has been chosen as the venue. Young artists from all over Europe will shine in a festival that returns to the month of November, after two editions held during the Christmas festivities.
As the main novelty of this year’s edition, the logo of the event incorporates the mythical Eurovision heart, just like in the Eurovision Song Contest. Since the generic logo was introduced, this is the first time in the history of the children’s contest that the flag of the host country has been included. Thus, in Nice 2023, the French flag flies inside the heart, which is already a globally recognised icon. For its part, the slogan and the theme art of the 21st edition will be unveiled at a later date.
French television is counting on the great experience of Paris 2021 and will spare no effort and resources to offer us a high-level event that lives up to the format. All of this with the aim of making this 21st edition of the festival “unique and unrepeatable”. Once again, France Télévisions aims to organise Junior Eurovision at the highest level.
France will once again host the contest which will have at its heart a celebration of music, friendship and diversity, where Europe’s young talents will take centre stage.
With two victories to its name, the French country will host the 21st edition of a children’s festival that year after year consolidates itself among young audiences and acquires greater potential and popularity to give visibility to new talents in the world of music.
In 2022, in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, the Karen Demirchyan Complex hosted the competition for the second time in its history, as it did in 2011. There, France was the winning country with the young singer Lissandro and his song “Oh Maman!”. With her charisma and energy in abundance, she managed to win the coveted crystal microphone thanks to 203 points from the national juries and the viewers through online voting.