Esma was born on August 8, 1943, in Skopje, now the capital of Macedonia.During her life she has performed in more than 8000 concerts in 30 countries, with her late husband Stevo Teodosievski she has fostered forty-seven children, and she has received numerous accolades for her humanitarian work. By her own account she has created more than 500 works of art.These include 108 singles, 20 albums, and 6 movies.