Wednesday, May 22, 2013

ESMA THE QUEEN: PROPAGANDA AND REALITY

Following the article of Harald Schenker in the Balkan Insight
Xhabir Deralla
Well, legends and reality are two different things; more precisely: propaganda and reality. Esma Redzepova was self-proclaimed queen of Roma music. The former Yugoslav propaganda machinery has created and launched Esma's as one of the many agitprop products. What we see from Esma in times of independent Macedonia is YU inertia, as so many other things. Her music, frankly, is far from being so royal as she and the (post)Yugoslav prop machine claim; there are quite a few kings and queens of the Roma music. Her charitable work has a rather disputable background. She’s a small time and irrelevant politician. Altogether, she’s got a deserved position at the Eurovision contest to which she participated after a scandalous string of events back home – paid by the citizens of Macedonia.