Ajri Demirovski
Encyclopedia
Ajri Demirovski (also known as Hayri Önder) was born in the Macedonia
n city of Bitola
(Manastir) into an impoverished family. He worked as an apprentice in a barber
shop until the end of WWII
, after which Ajri became the first student from Bitola to attend the Graphical School in Zagreb
to study the craft of printing
.
After his graduation, Ajri worked in the Zagreb printing houses of "Kermpuh" and "Rojamkovski". He also worked in Pula
, Rieka and Skopje
before returning to his native town of Bitola in 1949. Ajri was not accepted a role at the printing house in Bitola, "Kiro Dandaro" and so became a security guard
at the newly established "Radio Bitola" radio station
.
The opportunity to work alongside some of the greatest Macedonian singers and songs inspired Ajri to create his own Macedonian folk songs. It is believed that Ajri created over 80 folk songs in the Macedonian language
. Despite the fact that Ajri was an ethnic Turk, none of his songs were written in the Turkish language
.
During his time at Ratio Bitola, Ajri produced his most famous song to date "Bitola moj roden kraj" (Bitola, my birth place).
Due to mass emigration in 1955, Ajri Demirovski returned to Turkey
to spend the next 50 years of his life. He worked in publishing
and printing, making music in his free time. In 2000, Ajri returned to Bitola to be awarded the first ever honorary citizenship of Bitola for his contribution to Macedonian music and folklore, and also the bond created between Macedonian and Turkish culture. His song "Bitola Moj Roden Kraj" was voted the song of the century by the citizens of Bitola at the same time.
Ajri Demirovski died in 2009 in Turkey.
Picture of Ajri Demirovski by Bojan Mitkovski
Ajri Demirovski in Bitola, singing "Bitola Moj Roden Kraj"
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
n city of Bitola
Bitola
Bitola is a city in the southwestern part of the Republic of Macedonia. The city is an administrative, cultural, industrial, commercial, and educational centre. It is located in the southern part of the Pelagonia valley, surrounded by the Baba and Nidže mountains, 14 km north of the...
(Manastir) into an impoverished family. He worked as an apprentice in a barber
Barber
A barber is someone whose occupation is to cut any type of hair, and to shave or trim the beards of men. The place of work of a barber is generally called a barbershop....
shop until the end of WWII
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, after which Ajri became the first student from Bitola to attend the Graphical School in Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
to study the craft of printing
Printing
Printing is a process for reproducing text and image, typically with ink on paper using a printing press. It is often carried out as a large-scale industrial process, and is an essential part of publishing and transaction printing....
.
After his graduation, Ajri worked in the Zagreb printing houses of "Kermpuh" and "Rojamkovski". He also worked in Pula
Pula
Pula is the largest city in Istria County, Croatia, situated at the southern tip of the Istria peninsula, with a population of 62,080 .Like the rest of the region, it is known for its mild climate, smooth sea, and unspoiled nature. The city has a long tradition of winemaking, fishing,...
, Rieka and Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
before returning to his native town of Bitola in 1949. Ajri was not accepted a role at the printing house in Bitola, "Kiro Dandaro" and so became a security guard
Security guard
A security guard is a person who is paid to protect property, assets, or people. Security guards are usually privately and formally employed personnel...
at the newly established "Radio Bitola" radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
.
The opportunity to work alongside some of the greatest Macedonian singers and songs inspired Ajri to create his own Macedonian folk songs. It is believed that Ajri created over 80 folk songs in the Macedonian language
Macedonian language
Macedonian is a South Slavic language spoken as a first language by approximately 2–3 million people principally in the region of Macedonia but also in the Macedonian diaspora...
. Despite the fact that Ajri was an ethnic Turk, none of his songs were written in the Turkish language
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
.
During his time at Ratio Bitola, Ajri produced his most famous song to date "Bitola moj roden kraj" (Bitola, my birth place).
Due to mass emigration in 1955, Ajri Demirovski returned to Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
to spend the next 50 years of his life. He worked in publishing
Publishing
Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information—the activity of making information available to the general public...
and printing, making music in his free time. In 2000, Ajri returned to Bitola to be awarded the first ever honorary citizenship of Bitola for his contribution to Macedonian music and folklore, and also the bond created between Macedonian and Turkish culture. His song "Bitola Moj Roden Kraj" was voted the song of the century by the citizens of Bitola at the same time.
Ajri Demirovski died in 2009 in Turkey.
Picture of Ajri Demirovski by Bojan Mitkovski
Ajri Demirovski in Bitola, singing "Bitola Moj Roden Kraj"