Margita Stefanović — life and tragic end of the "Black Princess" of Ekatarina Velika

Margita Stefanović — widely known as Magi — was the classically trained keyboardist whose playing helped define the sound of the Yugoslav rock band Ekatarina Velika. She was born on April 1, 1959 in Belgrade and died there on September 18, 2002 at the age of 43.

From conservatory to the forefront of rock

Stefanović studied piano from childhood and later enrolled in architecture at the University of Belgrade, but music became her primary path. In the early 1980s she joined the group Katarina II, which would evolve into Ekatarina Velika, and her keyboards quickly became a signature element of the band’s sound.

On stage her presence, distinctive image and reserved demeanour earned her a lasting public persona—often referred to by the nickname the "Black Princess"—and helped make Ekatarina Velika one of the most recognisable acts of that era. Alongside Milan Mladenović and the other band members, she contributed to albums and songs that later achieved cult status across the former Yugoslav republics.

After the death of frontman Milan Mladenović in 1994, Ekatarina Velika effectively ceased to exist. Stefanović continued to collaborate on other projects for a time, but the years that followed were marked by personal losses, growing dependence, financial difficulties and increasing isolation.

Accounts of her later life describe a harsh decline: she spent periods living in an abandoned garage in the Belgrade suburb of Borča and later stayed in a homeless shelter. Those last years stood in stark contrast to her earlier life of concerts, tours and public recognition; her health suffered and she withdrew from the public eye.

Stefanović’s musical contribution remained. Her keyboard parts are preserved on recordings that new generations continue to discover. Her life has been the subject of books and short films, and one biography was published under the title "Magi – As If It Were Once" while a short music film called "Angel on Keyboards" has also been made in her memory.

Photo: press material from the event