Biography
In 1976, Esma Redzepova and her bandleader, mentor, and husband Stevo Teodosievski received the titles "Queen and King of Gypsy Music" at the first World Festival of Romany Songs and Music, an achievement that crowned her thriving musical path. Born into a Rom (Gypsy) Muslim and Jewish family as the daughter of a Serbian father and Turkish mother, Redzepova endured childhood racism while steadfastly honoring her Rom identity. Intent on building a life in music, she walked away from home with nothing more than one suitcase holding a single dress and one Cocek costume. Under Teodosievski's steady encouragement and backing, she rose to become one of the foremost voices in Rom music. The pair channeled their art into lifting Rom children out of poverty, and from 1970 onward they took in more than 40 musically gifted boys. In a late-'90s interview she observed, "Music is the only luxury of the poor...when you sing, you have no evil thoughts, and, when you are dancing, you feel less hungry."
Albums
