2012 Top 5

As another year draws to a close, here are my top 5 songs from the past 12 months.

Coming in at number 5, my guilty musical pleasure for the year is this sweet little Macedonian pop-folk number by Tajči and Kinezi with 'Tajno moja' (My Secret)

Number 4 was a surprise for me. Marina Alieva was born in Kazakhstan but has made a career for herself as a pop singer in the southern Russian republic of Dagestan, though her popularity extends beyond the Causcasus. This song, 'Igray s ognyom' (Play With Fire), successfully combines Caucasian, Turkic and Latin melodies to make a rather original style.

My number 3 for this year was this pop song by Bulgarian starlet Joanna. Bulgaria is not that big on pop these days (pop-folk has made sure of that), but in the few occasions its pop composers do make an attempt, they often shine through with some fantastic numbers, such as this one - 'Nishto sluchaino' (Not By Chance). The song came out in an English version too, though it's heavy on the autotune to disguise Joanna's otherwise heavy accent. The Bulgarian original sounds much better.

Number 2 has special (drunken) memories. When this song popped up on my mp3 player, I was taken to another world. So moved I was to the pop genius of this song that I listened to it more than ten times in a row. A touch of Kylie Minogue camp electronica with some 2012 lyrics such as 'I hate it when they lie that I have lost weight'. This song reminds me just how cool Skopje can be. Macedonian pop diva Orhideja with 'Odvedi me' (Take Me Away)

And now, my number one song of the year. I only first heard this song about three weeks ago, but as soon as I heard it, I knew it was special - so special that I spent a whole two-hour commute just pressing 'repeat'. Macedonian pop-folk has been playing something less than second fiddle to the same product produced from its bigger neighbours, but judging by the impressive songs at this year's Prilep Fest song pop-folk song festival, it looks like that things are changing. So it brings a tingle to my skin to present to you hit of the year, from Macedonia, Gonče Gogova with her brilliant pop-folk ballad 'Moj galebe' (My Seagull).

Have a great new year! May 2013 bring you good health, wisdom, goodwill, peace and justice!