Dushan "Dule" Ljubisavljevic: music and a private battle

The grief over the premature death of the musician Dushan "Dule" Ljubisavljevic continues to live on through the songs he left behind. Generations in North Macedonia still sing hits such as "Violina i gitara", "Marama" and "Mene mesto ne me fakja".

Born on 29 May 1974 in Shtip, Dushan cut his teeth in music with the local rock band Aleksandrija before forming the duo that would make him a household name. Together with childhood friend and violinist Nikola Jankov – known as Koki, he moved to Skopje after finishing high school to pursue a larger stage.

The pair’s breakthrough came in 1996 when they won the Makfest festival with the song "Violina i gitara", credited to Aleksandar Mitevski and Valentino Skenderovski. The victory turned the track into an overnight megahit and launched Dule and Koki to the top of the national pop scene; across their career they recorded more than 50 songs, including "Marama", "Daj mi shansa" and "Jas sum za tebe".

Private battle, public shock

Despite the public image of a lively performer, only a few knew that Dule had been fighting cancer. His wife Ljupka later revealed that he hid a months-long illness to spare those closest to him. He died suddenly on 23 September 2013, at the age of 39, in a Skopje clinic—just four months after marrying Ljupka.

The news stunned family, colleagues and fans. His native Shtip observed a day of mourning, cafés were empty and flags flew at half-mast as the music community and the public said goodbye to a modest colleague with a great heart.

Nikola Jankov – Koki has often spoken with emotion about their shared past and the loss. In interviews and television appearances, including the programme "Kafe Muabeti", he said that people still call him "Dule"—a small but powerful reminder of the mark their partnership left on Macedonian music.

Photo: press material from the event