He made a big expectation in Balkans at the beginning of his Eurovision journey, he reached the trophy of X Factor Adria with his mentor and old representative of Serbia, Željko Joksimović. Yes, we are talking about the representative of Macedonia, Daniel Kajmakoski. We got a chance to do a special interview with him.
-How do you feel for representing your country on the biggest stage in Europe?
-I didn’t believe what happened to me at first, I’m proud and I hope to the best success. It’s a great honour that I’ll be the representative of my country on ESC.
-Did you speak with Željko Joksimović after Skopje fest? What he thinks about your song and performance? And did he suggest you something for there?
-I’m so grateful that I had the opportunity to work with him, I really learned a lot from him, especially the most important thing in this work- that it’s really hard and that you have to stay focused and to trust yourself. We’re both very busy. He lives in Serbia, I travel all the time, so unfortunately we don’t have a lot of time to see each other.
-You are big star after X Factor Adria, and people in Macedonia, even the other parts of Balkan, everybody trust you and your song. Are you under stress because of the responsibility?
-Responsibility is definitely huge and I’m learning to fight with stress, and I’m trying to win it. I’m better in it and I’m more and more sure in myself. Stress is a thing common for this job.
-Are you happy because they call you: “New Toše” in your country, or you want to be mentioned by your own style?
-It’s a great honour to be called like that, and compare me with such a big star from the same area where I’m coming. Still, I’m Danijel Kajmakoski and I hope that I’ll make my style and that I’ll leave my mark in the job I do. Toše is one and only.
-X Factor Adria is a competition held on whole Balkan, but competitors were mostly from Serbia.
How you felt when you were on the stage with Macedonian flag?
I can’t compare that feeling with anything, maybe with a feeling when I jumped out from a plane, or bungee jump, a feeling of completely freedom but in the same time and fullness, pride and pleasure. Undescribable.
-How Željko affected on you and your career?
-Željko is a great man and he always tries to help me whenever I need help. I’m really grateful to him, first of all for being my mentor and then on the cooperation after X Factor.
-What advantages life in Vienna brings you?
-Vienna is my city, I grew up there, educated myself, I lived everything what every young man lives. I love Vienna and I love to live there, first of all, because all of my family is there and man feels the best when he is with his family.
-In which language will you record your Eurovision song? What’s your goal on that stage: “to be in final or among first 10, etc?
-I’ll perform song in English, but of course that it will be recorded in a couple more languages. It wouldn’t be modest if I would say that I hope that I’ll win, but I can say that I hope that it will be how it’s supposed to be. The best one should win.
-I followed whole season X Factor Adria even from Turkey. So, what’s your favourite performance, except yours? And beside you, who’s your winner?
-All of my friends who I performed with are favourite to me, because we really became close friends during these couple months of common work. That’s why I wouldn’t separate anyone.
-Is this your final version of the song or you’ll make new arrangement?
-We’re working on new version of the song, I can’t say anything else for now… 🙂
-What kind of surprises are waiting for us in Vienna? Did you plan to do something on the stage?
-Because it’s a surprise, it should stay like that, but there will definitely be (surprises). When I would describe my performance in forward, no one would be surprised.
Here is the song which Daniel Kajmakoski will perform on the stage in Vienna:
Translated by: Bojana Marković
**A big thanks to Nataša Davčeva for helping us to contact and for this beautiful images.