2013 Top 10.... better make that a Top 8

How about that? Yet another year has far too quickly passed us by, but at least in that time there have been a treasure trove of musical hits to entertain me. This year's top 5 has been stretched to a top 8 of sorts, though it could very easily had been a top 20! One major musical milestone for me this year is that I cleared my rather substantial music backlog (it was taking me up to 9 months from downloading until listening for some songs!) So off we go...

Coming in at number 10 this year was this amazing Mizrachi pop number by Israeli singer Shir Levi called 'Chof Zahav' (Gold Beach). This is the type of Israeli Mizrachi songs I like - very much fitting Israel's culture and geography as a Middle Eastern country.


At number 9 this year is Turkey's Emir with Tutuşmayan Kalmasın - very original! I do have to admit that the Uzbek cover version of this song is marginally better.

Number 8 this year is someone who often pops up in my top 10 songs of the year - Serbia's Dara Bubamara. She yet again excelled herself with this RnB-tinged Turbofolk number (again, originality) that was far superior to most of the shlock released from the Turbofolk labels. Here you are - Delete.

My number 7 this is year is by Ukrainian pop star MaSha Goya and her summer hit (in Russian) 'Devochka-lyubov' (Love Girl). Masha made her first flash by being a finalist in the Voice. The video clip has hardly any connection to the actual song, but great to hear Russian garmon mixed with modern sounds.


Coming in at number 6 is another Serbian song - past finalist from Zvezde Granda (Serbian Turbofolk) Mirjana Aleksić with 'Sladak rastanak' (Sweet Break Up)

Number 5 for me is yet another Serbian song - Tropico Band with 'Ciao Bella'. I must say that I was disappointed when I found out that the song has large parts of it stolen from 'Huligan', a 90s hit for the Turkish ska band Athena, but overlooking that, this song snuggly fits into the music taste of ex-Yugoslavia


Now this is where we have a break from our regular transmission. My 3rd and 4th best songs this year come from Uzbekistan (I absolutely love Uzbek pop) and are both sung by Rovshan, a singer from the ancient Khorezm region of western Uzbekistan. Unfortunately there are no clips for either Bilmadim (number 4) or Kuyov Bola (number 3).

So we move quickly on to... Number 2 this year comes from Russia. Georgian-born Valerii Meladze has been in the business for years, and this year he really drew my attention with this hit of hits - Svet ukhodyashchego solnca (The Light from the Setting Sun). Enjoy!

And now for my number 1... and this clearly goes to the queen of Macedonian (and ex-Yugoslav) pop - Kaliopi with her amazing hit 'Melem' (Antidote). No need to explain how good it is... I'll let Kaliopi and her 'Melem' do it for themselves. By the way, Kaliopi, 46, has the most amazing skin in the world!

Wishing you a fabulous 2014! С Новым годом!

Hit Parade for second half of 2013 Part 3

Israel - Shar-El - Ish Hacham Zaken (Old Wise Man)
Croatia - Slavonia Band - Hrabri jednom umiru (The Brave Die Once)
Serbia - Stefan Lukic - Merak mi je (I Feel Like It)
Macedonia - Tanja Jovanovska - Se zapali pile Treno odajcheto (The Room Went Up in Flames, dear Treno)

Bulgaria - Tatiana - Tvoya ot A do Ya (Yours from A to Z)
Russia - Tisha - Adrenalin

Serbia - Tropico Band - A ja ludujem (While I Go Crazy)
Macedonia - Vodolija - Radost i bol (Joy and Pain)
Kosovo - Xhide Morina - Kompliment (Compliment)
Turkey - Yıldız Tilbe - Bende Bir Anadan Doğdum
Turkey - Yıldız Tilbe - Çok Sevdim (I Loved A Lot)
Turkey - Yıldız Tilbe - Hiç Sevmedin ki (Never Loved)
Russia - Leonid Agutin - Pora domoy (Time To Go Home)
Serbia - Zorica Brunclik & Aco Pejović - Danas neću plakati (Today I Won't Cry)
Bosnia-Herzegovina - Kristina Ivanović - Molitva (Prayer)
Croatia - Mejaši - Bolji nego ikad (Better Than Ever)
Turkey - Tuğba Ekinci - Bi Kere Ara Be

Hit Parade for second half of 2013 - Part 2

Russia - Lena Dark - Dosvidos (Bye Bye)
Armenia Lilit Hovhannisyan - Gnchu
Israel - Li'or Narkis feat. Arnisa - Amalya
Serbia - Ljupka Stević - Etiketa (Label)
Bulgaria - Malina - Ako shte da zvynish (If You're Going To Ring)
Israel - Ma'or Edri - Hakol Katov (Everything Is Written)
Israel - Margalit Tzen'ani and Zehava Ben - Kul Ha'olam (The Sound of the World)
Serbia - Marko Mandić feat. Sara Jo - Ujutru (Mornings) Russia/Armenia - Mart Babayan - Holodno (Cold)
Croatia - Mejaši - Zorica
Cyprus - Mihalis Hatzigiannis - I agapi dynamonei (Love Strengthens)
Serbia - Milos Brkic - Sipaj, ne pitaj (Pour, Don't Ask)
DPR Korea - Moranbong - Udeungdul (Right Light)
Croatia - Moskva - Ne boli me (Don't Hurt Me)
Israel - Oshrit Malka - Takshivu Tov (Listen Carefully)
Uzbekistan - Oybek Yoqubov - Bir qorob qo'y
Bosnia-Herzegovina - Parole - Dosta, dosta, dosta (Enough, Enough, Enough)
Macedonia - Petar Nechovski - Zholto fustanche (Little Yellow Dress)
Ukraine - Real O - Gde zhe ty, lyubov (Where Are You Then, Love)
Kosovo - Remzije & Nexhat Osmani - Luj qyqek
Macedonia - Sanja Risteska - Me zabole (You Made Me Ill)

Hit Parade for second half 2013 Part 1

Some of the songs that have made my past six months...

Russia - Albert Ibraev - Rodina moya (My Homeland)
Serbia - Aleksandra Prijović - Još večeras plakaću za tobom (Again Tonight I'll Be Crying For You)
Lebanon - Assi el Hellani - Milli Bi Aabaki
Russia - Blestyashchie - Zelenye glaza (Green Eyes)
Montenegro - Bojan Rajović - Mus od čokolade (Chocolate Mousse)
Bulgaria - Ceci Ludata Glava feat. DJ Galka - Ludata kombina (Crazy Combination)
Russia - Chi-Li - Tolko bez paniki (Don't Panic)
Israel - David Levi - Malka Shel Gvarim (The Queen of Men)
Serbia - Dejan Matić - Još dugujem ti noć (I Still Owe You a Night)
Serbia - Dejan Matić - Sledeća (The Next One)
Serbia - Dejan Živić - Ada Ciganlija
Croatia - Denis & Denis - Alarm
Romania - Denisa - Am o poza de la tine (I Have a Picture of You)
Greece - Dimitris Liolios - Se thelo akoma (I Still Want You)
Israel - Elinor Grindish - Tagidi Li (Tell Me)
Macedonia - Eye Cue - Bobi, baš mi e gajle (Bobby, I Don't Care)
Uzbekistan - Farid Sulton - Malakimsan
Bulgaria - Grafa - Sedemte ezera (The Seven Lakes)
Russia - Ivan Smelik - Koroleva snezhnaya (Snow Queen)
Bulgaria - Carlos - Neka da poznaya (Let Me Guess) Croatia/Bosnia-Herzegovina - Kemal Monteno - Ubija me (It Kills Me)