Tamara Todevska: I am who I am and I am proud of that!

Photo: Cedopopovski

Hello everybody, time to post a new interview. We danced to her "Let me love you" in 2008, she joined (her sister) Tijana's team in 2014 and now she is back to sing us a song from her heart. Here are Tamara's answers:
Name: Tamara
Birthday: 1.6.1985
Height: Tall enough 😊
Favorite color: Hmm. Cannot decide 😊
Favorite food: Italian
Where are you right now? At home
3 things that make you happy: My two children, my incredible husband and music.
What’s your strangest talent? I sleep a lot 😊
What is the strangest thing you have in your room? A diaper 😊
What are you really good at? Singing.
What are you really bad at? Being on time.
Childhood idol: Sinead O’Connor.
Childhood memory: Telling my mom that I want to cut my hair like Sinead O’Connor.
Celebrity crush: Ashamed to say 😊
What were you afraid of when you were a child? Heights, and I still am.
Tell me something no one knows about you: I cry when I listen to Proud 😊
Favorite movie: Too many, so hard to choose.
Favorite TV series: Beverly Hills 90210 😊
Who would you cast to play you in a movie about your life? Scarlett Johansson maybe?
What would the title of that movie be? Never on time.
What is your guilty pleasure? Chocolate.
If you were a boy for a day, what would you do? I would pray to be a girl.
Name a song that never fails to make you happy: Masters At Work feat. India - I Can't Get No Sleep
Can you recommend us a song (old or new) from a Macedonian artist? So many great songs. Youtube Tose Proeski, Karolina Goceva, Kaliopi, Elena Risteska…all of them have amazing songs.
Can you teach us some interesting words in Macedonian? Gorda- means Proud

Photo: Cedopopovski

Hello Tamara, welcome back to Eurovision!
Thank you! It is so good to be back!

How would you describe yourself as an artist?
I just love music and I cannot imagine living my life without it. I mostly perform pop music but I also love house music. My best friend Zoki Baby who is a very famous DJ a couple of years ago played Masters At Work feat. India - I Can't Get No Sleep and from the first second I fell in love with it and started dreaming of becoming a house music diva. 😊 Little did I know that years later I would perform together with Little Louie Vega in New York. Talking about dreams coming true.

Can we go back to 2008 for a bit? What do you remember the most and what did you learn from that experience?
Being on that stage was the most magical moment in my life. Eurovision has been ever present in my life so to share that stage with some of the most amazing people in my life was a dream come true.

The only thing I am wondering myself is – why does my hair look like that and why did I choose that dress? 😊 Other than that, it was the most incredible experience of my professional life.

You were selected to represent your country again this year. How did it all begin?
I had just given birth to my son when I got the call from our national broadcaster and I said yes immediately. Mostly because I feel that at this point in my life, I am more mature, more experienced and I got much more to say.

Photo:  Bojan Stoikovski

I am living life on my terms now and  I do not allow the opinions of others to define me. I am who I am and I am proud of that!

“Proud” is the title of your song, it was written and composed by Kosta Petrov, Sanja Popovska, Robert Bilbilov, Lazar Cvetkoski and Darko Dimitrov. How was it to work with them?
We are the most incredible team – we are truly one and in sync all the time. They are the most amazing people and I feel so blessed to be working with them.

What’s the story behind the song?
I am a mother of two: a three-year-old girl and a three-month-old boy. I know it sounds like a cliché, but they truly changed my life and I feel, both, as a mother and as a parent, that it is my responsibility and OUR responsibility to bring positive change to our children's lives.

My whole life I have been told that I wasn’t girly enough, good enough, that I walked and acted like a man. Lower your head, put something sexy on, no one cares what you really think, they would say. You see, in their minds, I was just another lost girl.

Today, as I look at my daughter, I want her to grow up in a world where people will not judge her, tell her how to act, smile and move. I want her to know that she doesn’t have to follow the rules to be accepted. I want her to be whoever she wants to be and most importantly, be proud of who she is. That’s the least I can do for her.

I dedicate Proud to her and to everyone out there fighting for their dreams and living life to the fullest on their own terms. 

Although many call it a feminist anthem Proud is a song for everyone that has been told to put their head down, to follow society rules that make no sense in the 21st century and to everyone embracing their greatness and believing in themselves, no matter what people around them say. 

Through the song, I want to break these society rules and at least for one night in the year to show the world that I AM PROUD is always stronger than their YOU WILL NEVER BE GOOD ENOUGH!

Describe the song with 4 words:
Emotions
Goosebumps
Tears
Pride

Photo: Cedopopovski

I know you cant say much about it but can you give us a little hint about the performance?
I have a great team working with me on my Eurovision performance and I truly cannot wait for May 16th to come so you can see what we have prepared for you.

Tell me about the official video of “Proud”:
The video for PROUD includes cameos by some of the women that inspire me on daily basis. They are women that are changing the rules of what it means to be a woman in North Macedonia and they are a proof that a woman can be whatever she wants to be. And of course, my daughter is also featured in the video because the song is dedicated to her.

Have you heard any of the other songs in the competition? Any favorite?
There are so many great songs and artists and I cannot wait to meet all of them. They are all winners in my eyes.

What do you like about Eurovision?
You see, for me, Eurovision has never been about entering the finals, being in the top 10 or even winning. Eurovision, to me, has always been so much more than that!
Eurovision is about accepting the different, defying the norms and being proud of who you are, just the way you are. Eurovision is that one night in the year when the entire continent comes together to celebrate boldness, bravery and individuality! It is the place where being different means being PROUD.

What do you dislike about Eurovision?
That the performance lasts only 3 minutes. They go so fast. I wish we could be on that stage longer 😊

Photo: Cedopopovski

Tell me the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word:
Nightmare: My hair in 2008.
Tijana: The most incredible sister in the world.
Pancakes: My fitness trainer screaming at me 😊
Fear: Heights.
Music: Proud.

Is there anything you want to say to close the interview?
Be proud of yourself and never hide your greatness.

Thanks to Tamara for the interview, I loved her answers and I cannot wait to see her perform Proud on the ESC stage!

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