Macedonian singer Zarina Prvasevda won the award for “Best New Talent” on the European Upbeat platform. She won the award in a competition with 10 extremely talented candidates. Apart from Zarina, Perija was also part of the nominated representatives coming from Macedonia.
In addition to the Macedonian representatives, Deva – Hungary, Duo Ruut – Estonia, Erdőfű Band – Hungary, Júlia Kozáková – Slovakia, Lenhart Tapes – Serbia, Magalí Sare and Manel Fortià – Spain / Catalonia, Suonno D’Ajere – Italy and Wernyhora – Poland, were also nominated.
The choice for the best new talent was made by the audience, who chose Zarina Prvasevda by online voting.
We are thrilled to announce that Zarina Prvasevda, the upcoming Macedonian singer, receives UPBEAT’s Best New Talent award, based on a rundown of votes. Zarina’s soulful interpretation of her native folk heritage and openness to global influences has recently captured audiences at BALKAN:MOST, SHIP and Budapest’s A38.
She records with Blogotheque in their coveted Take Away Show as part of her prize as UPBEAT’s Best New Talent in 2023.
As a winner she will get the chance to perform at vibrant and vogue PIN Showcase & Conference in Skopje as well.
Zarina Prvasevda performs Macedonian and world traditional music. She has collaborated with musicians from all over the world, and her music has also been featured in various film projects. Balancing her vibrant cultural heritage with authentic self-expression, Zarina Prvasevda demonstrates her exceptional vocal talents on her debut and, for now, her only album, “Echo”.
Her vocal technique is rooted in Eastern European and Oriental traditions, which she combines with instrumental and rhythmic versatility. The songs on the album are a heartfelt and fresh look at the Macedonian heritage. The album “Echo” contains eleven traditional songs in four different languages. As an artist, she does not limit her involvement with music, in addition to cross-genre artistic collaborations and bringing the Macedonian heritage closer to a wider audience. Zarina is also known for joining the efforts to declare Shar Planina a national park.
“Coming from a small country, the road to visibility is undoubtedly more difficult, but my faith, effort, and hard work, thanks to the support of platforms like UPBEAT that manage to notice them, finally paid off. This award is a great achievement for me and for my country. Thanks to all the good people who voted, thanks to UPBEAT, we’re moving forward with even more soul-warming music, the kind that multiplies when I share it”.
said Zarina Prvasevda
Music lovers from Macedonia will have the opportunity to hear and see Zarina Prvasevda at the upcoming PIN Conference. The event is scheduled from 30/11/2023 to 02/12/2023 at the Youth Cultural Center (MKC) in Skopje.
What is UPBEAT?
UPBEAT is a European showcase platform for world music. The platform is a collaborative network of festivals dedicated to promoting emerging and talented musicians specializing in world music genres.
The initiative is an international platform project coordinated by Budapest-based Hangvető and co-financed by the Creative Europe program of the European Commission.
UPBEAT consists of 14 distinguished members, including renowned festivals like “AtoJazZ,” “Tallinn Music Week,” and “Budapest Ritmo“. It serves as a quality label and professional network, with a primary focus on assisting emerging artists. Through its members, UPBEAT provides guidance and support to upcoming artists, helping to showcase music rooted in cultural heritage, diverse languages, and unique styles that often remain outside the mainstream music scene.
