“Don’t need you to make myself a name.”

So says the lyric from Macedonian singer/songwriter Anja Veterova’s pop song “Without You.”

 

The only Macedonian to ever win Junior Sanremo, the most prestigious festival in Europe, Anja Veterova, known professionally as Annia, is a powerhouse singer/songwriter with contemporary attitude and something to say. 

 

Born and raised in Skopje, Macedonia, Anja has been singing and performing since early childhood: 

 

"I wanted to sing, dance and act since I was very small. I sang my first song "The Stork" at a popular children’s festival "Super Zvezda" ("Superstar") when I was only four.”

 

Her professional career kicked off at age 5 when she recorded “In Rhythm” written by Macedonian pop diva Kaliopi, which became a big radio hit, followed by her participation at the Children’s song Festival “Si-Do.” At age 6 she played the lead role of little Esmeralda in the ballet of the same name performing at the Macedonian Opera and Ballet Theater, and in 2006 her talent became recognized outside Macedonia when she took part in a children’s contest in Herceg Novi, Montenegro, called “Male Skale” (“Little Scales”). There she won the prize for best stage performance two years in a row. Additional performances at festivals including Super Zvezda and Charolija cemented her experience and talent and further broadened her audience appeal. International audiences took further note when in 2007 she won the Children’s festival “World of Talents” in Kiev, Ukraine with her rendition of the song “Za Scene Rodena Sum Jas” (I am born to be on stage) written by famous Macedonian pop and R&B singer Elena Risteska and Oliver Dimitrov. 

 

Anja reached one of her goals as an artist in 2008 with the participation on the Children’s festival “Zecchino d’Oro” (Golden Sequin) where she san “Vreme e za Nas” (It’s Time For Us). This participation gave her the title of the only Balkan child to ever perform on that stage.

 

"The world gets to know me and I get to know the world," the young singer explains when talking about Junior Eurovision Song Contest. The participation on this festival was another goal she managed to achieve and that was definitely the key that opened many doors in her career. Her song “Eoo, Eoo” (Magic Song) is in the Top 5 Most Popular songs in the history of this festival. 

 

She was titled as the only Macedonian to ever win the prestigious Junior Sanremo in 2013, which was another dream realization and an outstanding moment in her career. Anja was active as a performer until 2017 and throughout those years she released several singles and took participation on festivals around Europe. She had the opportunity to release a hit duet song featuring the famous Macedonian band Parketi, while the ballad “Bez Tebe” written by Darko Dimitrov and Elena Risteska was the start of the adult career. She’s been working with the producer Darko Dimitrov and his brother Oliver for 14 years.

“The winning team doesn’t change. It’s the standard Dimitrov production,” says Anja when asked about her team. 

 

In 2017 she signed a contract for a video production and digital distribution with the IDJTunes record label originating from Belgrade, Serbia.

Even though she had a busy childhood, she never neglected schooling. She managed to finish high school and enrolled in college. Apart from school, her schedule was busy as she was visiting the music school and had dance classes as extra activities. 

“I had a different childhood. I didn’t do much of the things my peers were doing. Instead of playing out on the streets and being a carefree child that will only care about toys and cartoons, I was traveling the world and performing in front of thousands of people. My everyday schedule was full of activities. I wasn’t going home after school. I even remember having lunch in the car while my parents were driving me from one place to the other. It was all sacrifice because I knew what I wanted at such a young age.”

 

If we see it from this perspective, her sacrifice was definitely worth it. Anja accomplished many goals and she is still persistent in realizing many more. However, she is always finding a way to thank her greatest support apart of her fans, and that’s her mother. She is her manager and support since day one, even in times when no one was believing in her talent. 

“I just knew this child is special. She was a star even as a baby. She was unique. We were lucky that she knew what she wants at the age of 3 and as parents, we just followed her. I was her support, I am her support now and I will be her support forever. The support from the family, especially parents is very important,” said Anja’s mom in one interview when asked about her daughter.

 

Currently, Anja is a scholarship student completing her studies at Berklee College of Music in Boston, where she is a Professional Music major with concentrations in performance, songwriting and music business. While at Berklee she participated in performances with the ensemble Balkan Choir “Pletenitsa” and staged her own Cafeteria show featuring original arrangements created with professor David Alexis. She has also performed frequently in the Berklee Performance Center including singing her original song “Without You” release in 2019, and inspired by a recent break-up from a toxic relationship. 

“Berklee changed my life and definitely my perspective of my career. I am honored to be part of the Berklee community and blessed to be a musically educated artist.”

 

Although due to Covid-19 her performances have been curtailed, Anja is currently in the studio working on more original music to be release soon.