Legend has it that during a trek along craggy trails on the Šar Mountains range in North Macedonia, exhilarated by the highland airs and dramatic scenery, Zarina Prvasevda was moved to sing traditional songs of her homeland. Unbeknownst to her, a fellow hiker recorded her impromptu performance and later uploaded the video online. The video quickly went viral in the country, marking the beginning of Zarina’s gradual and scenic ascent to fame. She quickly gained popularity at home and, over the following years, became a well-known artist throughout Eastern Europe, earning her the UPBEAT Best New Talent Award. Her debut album, Eho, released in April 2022 and featuring traditional songs in five different languages, has established her as one of the most inspired and inspiring voices of the Balkans. Her dedication to tradition, coupled with her ability to attract a new and younger audience to it through imaginative arrangements and dynamic performances, showcasing her unparalleled ability to command the stage, has made her a unique artist ready to spread her Balkan roots across Europe and, perhaps, the world.
Last November, we had the pleasure of attending the PIN Music Conference in Skopje, where the opening night created a truly unforgettable experience. In the packed Frosina Hall, Zarina and her outstanding band captivated the audience with a stunning 45-minute showcase that ranged from beloved local repertoire to jazzy arrangements and even some Latin rhythms. While her talent was already well-known within Macedonian and Balkan music circles, for many non-local attendees, this performance marked the emergence of a rising star.
The following morning, we met Zarina at the Youth Cultural Center, a vital hub for Skopje’s creative scene since 1972. The centre, which nurtures Macedonian young artists, was the perfect setting to discuss her artistic journey and her deep connection to her country’s culture.
Greeted by Zarina’s warm smile, it was clear she exuded both humility and excitement about her growing career and the opportunities the festival offered her. Reflecting on her performance the night before, she shared: “I’m truly grateful to be part of events like this, especially here in Macedonia, where such opportunities are rare. PIN is one of the few significant platforms that genuinely supports young musicians, particularly those ready to make an international impact.”
PIN Music Conference, launched in 2012 by the Association of Culture and Arts TAKSIRAT, is indeed Macedonia’s first and only international music conference and showcase festival. Its mission is to connect European music markets and boost the local industry by sharing knowledge, promoting diverse practices, and supporting Macedonian and Balkan artists on a global scale.
Zarina remarked on the value of the conference: “PIN is really helpful for people who know how to catch the vibe, who know how to work with this. I met some really important people who are now instrumental in the growth of my career. I’m so grateful for this event and for all showcases as a concept.”
She emphasised the unique opportunities that the platform provides for artists like herself: “Having the spot to present your music when you’re living in Macedonia and and aiming to reach an audience outside of its borders—such events are crucial”.
As mentioned, Zarina’s journey into professional music began in an unconventional way. Although she had been singing since childhood, her career took off just four years ago at the age of 25. She explained: “My real career, the professional story of Zarina Prvasevda, started three or four years ago and since then it went very well for me. I have a really successful story about growing the audience naturally, without any push and everything.”
She recalled the moment that unexpectedly launched her into the spotlight. While hiking in the mountains, a fellow hiker recorded her singing without her knowledge. “Let me tell you how it all started. I was hiking, just enjoying the climb and singing to the mountains, to the view I saw, to those magical things you can see at 2,000 meters above sea level. I was inspired, so I just started to sing. Without me knowing, someone recorded it from behind and posted it on Facebook a few weeks later. It went viral, and now it has one million views, which is half of Macedonia.”
This unexpected exposure marked a significant turning point in her career. “I created a Facebook fan page and all that stuff. Now it has 30,000 followers. I’m so grateful for that,” she expressed, her eyes reflecting genuine appreciation. “Since then, I have held more than 10 solo concerts in Macedonia, all of which were sold out. I am my own producer. I managed everything on my own, but of course, none of this would have been possible without the support of my audience, my colleagues, the musicians I work with, and events like the PIN conference.”
Zarina’s music is deeply rooted in Macedonian tradition but crosses cultural and political borders within the Balkans. She draws inspiration from nature and the everyday lives of rural people, contrasting these experiences with urban life. “I did one album where, besides the music, I’m sending a big message: that emotion is a universal language,” she explained. “That’s why I sing in five languages on my album—Albanian, Turkish, Bulgarian, Serbian, and Macedonian—and I include songs of Macedonian Muslims, known as Torbeshi.”
Her focus on unity stems from a response to regional divisions. For her, authenticity is essential when representing diverse cultures and traditions. “I’m exploring other people’s cultures, and I try to be as authentic as I can, both in theirs and in my own,” she explains. “This is a message in itself because we have so many issues here with politics and borders. I don’t even like to talk about it because it bothers me that people can make such divisions. For me, a person is a person. I don’t care about their ethnicity, political views, or sexuality. . What matters is that you’re an honest person, with a story to tell the world. That’s what’s important—the moment of now.”
This philosophy underpins her creative process and is the reason behind her decision to make her first album multilingual. “That’s why my debut album features multiple languages,” she says. “I wanted to spread that message of unity, but at the same time, I also wanted to honour my own traditional music. I know what my traditional music is—Macedonian music—and it’s important for me to stay true to that.”
Zarina’s passion for preserving and revitalising traditional music runs deep. “I’m exploring the songs of our old grannies. I visit their homes and record them,” she shares with enthusiasm. “That’s my starting point—taking these very old songs, ones my grandmothers never had the chance to perform publicly, and bringing them to audiences now, both in Macedonia and abroad.”
She is meticulous about maintaining authenticity in her performances. “In my vocal interpretation, I’m very strict and stick to the traditional way of singing,” she says. “I can improvise with the music, but I always make sure the audience can still feel the groove of Balkan rhythms and traditional Macedonian music.”
Zarina recognises the importance of sharing Macedonian music beyond its borders: “It’s really important because we are such a small country, and we don’t have many big opportunities to share and spread our music around the world. Some people don’t even know where Macedonia is, but we have very authentic, rich traditional music. We still have living traditions. When I go to my village, people are still singing while they work in the fields. It’s not a myth—it’s real. I grew up with that, and that’s why I want to share it with the world. My personality is so tied to that way of life.”
She takes great pride in representing her country: “I’m so happy and proud to represent my country. I really hope I’m doing it at the level I need to, because we have such a rich catalog of traditional songs from different regions in Macedonia. They are sung differently, with different vocal techniques, and I hope to one day work on all of those and share them with the world. That’s really important to me.”
Zarina’s debut album, Eho, exemplifies her ability to balance heritage with authentic self-expression. The album also takes deep inspiration from nature, collaborations with like-minded artists, and stories collected from Macedonian grandmothers. Critics have praised the album for its heartfelt and fresh take on Macedonian heritage.
“I’m very happy to say that my dream is coming true—Macedonian music is reaching more people, and now people are even translating the lyrics of traditional Macedonian songs. Everything is unfolding just as I envisioned during the studio sessions.”
Reflecting on her journey from a small village in Macedonia to performing on international stages, Zarina shared: “Today, I was talking about how important people acted as my bridge—from being a girl in a little village in Macedonia, dreaming big, to now singing in Veszprém, in front of Manu Chao, and performing for 2,000 people. And those people, if you were there, you would’ve heard them singing along.”
…and we were fortunate enough to witness that moment last September in Veszprém, Hungary, where Zarina performed in a packed Castle Square as part of the Balkan:MOST programme’s grand finale festival. Her set, on the same stage that would later host the headliner Manu Chao, helped build the energy and excitement for the night’s finale.
Discussing her instinctive and commanding stage presence, Zarina revealed that her confidence stems from a deep connection to her craft. Her first self-produced concert at the Macedonian Philharmonic sold out in seven days—a remarkable achievement for a debut performance.
“That was my first concert ever with my own band, with my own ensemble,” she said proudly. “When the music started, I just entered a room full of living my dream. I totally disconnected from my physical body. It was like stepping into a completely different world. I had no anxiety, nothing—just, ‘This is it,’ like déjà vu.”
She described the immense effort behind the scenes. “I was working a lot, like one month of work every day, not sleeping, not eating, and everything, because I was a one-woman show. I was thinking about everything. And one hour before the concert started, the carpet that was on the scene—I was bringing it by myself on the scene. So the people who are working in the Macedonian Philharmonic, they were like, ‘We haven’t seen this type of stuff ever in our life.’”
The exhilaration of performing fuels her passion. “Somehow, this feeling, this confidence came from there. And it is still there whenever I’m on the scene. That’s why I’m addicted to that,” she admitted. “Because it’s the most wonderful experience to see the content eyes in front of me when I’m doing the work, the thing that I live for.”
Her connection with her ensemble is a cornerstone of her success. Zarina collaborates with accomplished musicians who share her vision. “I’m so blessed to have these guys,” she said warmly. “They are the crème de la crème, in my opinion, concerning the music that I’m working on. They are educated musicians, and I’ve never had any musical education, so I’m just singing. That’s it. That’s my instrument. I use my intuition and my ears.”
She deeply values the unique synergy they share. “All those guys really know what they’re doing on stage, and they can understand my language, which isn’t musical but intuitive,” she explained. “One of my biggest successes in life is that my ensemble doesn’t feel like they are working for Zarina, but that they are working for all of us. You can feel our family energy inside.”
Despite her still burgeoning musical path, Zarina’s portfolio is already important, featuring collaborations with domestic and international artists like TANEC (National Ensemble for Macedonian Dances and Songs), Argentine jazz pianist Leo Genovese, and Mexico-based string ensemble Quareim Quartet. She has also contributed to films such as Pearl of the Sky and the documentary Via Dinarica – The Macedonian Adventure. Her involvement in environmental activism, notably supporting the declaration of Šar Mountain as a National Park, showcases her commitment to causes beyond music.
Looking forward, Zarina is optimistic and has ambitious plans. “For next year, we’ve already booked some dates like Balkan Trafik Festival in Brussels, which was one of my biggest wishes,” she shared excitedly, “And we’re now planning tours… I’m eager to perform in Spain, France, Portugal, Belgium, Germany, and perhaps even London. Why not?”
She acknowledged the challenges of navigating the industry independently. “I’ve been my own booker up to now—hopefully not for much longer,” she said with a chuckle. “It really takes more time because I’m not the most organised person. I’m still learning.”
Zarina is also working on new music and has grand plans for the future. “We will have a new album, hopefully, next year. We are working on it already,” she revealed. “We played two new songs yesterday, and we are working on other new materials. So, yes, I have some projects. I will have, for sure, one big concert as well—a promotional concert in the National Opera“.
“As we continue on this journey, please send some positive vibes and good thoughts my way; I truly believe in their power,” she earnestly requested. “Let’s see where this musical journey takes me.”
Before concluding our interview, Zarina shared some songs that are particularly meaningful to her. She began with “Ti Frlije Jano Eftirije”: “It’s the song that I did with Natasha Rogers. She’s a percussionist living in Paris from the Netherlands. I infused a shamanic vibe into a traditional Macedonian song that we perform together, accompanied by frame drums.”
Next, she mentioned “Blaze Tebe Fidan Velo“: “It’s part of my first album, a Macedonian traditional song with a new arrangement.”
Lastly, she talked about “Tumankuqe“: “An Albanian traditional song from my first album. We did a little bit of African beats into the traditional music of Albanians.”
As we neared the end of our time together, we asked Zarina how she would describe her music to someone who has never heard it. After a brief pause, she responded, “It’s an emotional journey. You need to close your eyes. And if you’re someone who travels through emotions, just close your eyes and come to my concert.”
You can keep up with Zarina by following her on Facebook and Instagram and you can stream and listen to her debut album Eho HERE