Kayahan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kayahan
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Kayahan in his yacht at Bodrum in 1997
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Kayahan Açar |
| Born | 29 March 1949 Izmir, Turkey |
| Died | 3 April 2015 (aged 66) Istanbul, Turkey |
| Genres | Pop, Pop-Rock, Spoken word, Ethnic, Folk, Indie |
| Occupation(s) | Guitarist, singer-songwriter, record producer |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1975–2015 |
Kayahan Açar (born March 29, 1949 – died April 3, 2015) was a very popular Turkish pop music singer and songwriter. He was also a talented composer. Kayahan was one of the best-selling Turkish musicians ever. He wrote all his own songs and released more than eight top-selling albums over three decades. Kayahan had many hit songs and represented Turkey in the Eurovision Song Contest 1990 with his song "Gözlerinin Hapsindeyim".
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
Kayahan Açar was born in İzmir, Turkey on March 29, 1949. He spent his childhood and early adult years in Ankara. Later, he moved to Istanbul.
Music Career Highlights
Kayahan became famous for songs like "Geceler" (meaning "Nights"), "Kar Taneleri" ("Snow Flakes"), and "Esmer Günler" ("Brunette Days"). Another singer named Nilüfer sang these songs, and they all became classics.
His album Yemin Ettim (which means "I Swore"), released in 1991, was a huge hit. Kayahan had a special saying: "One day, we will meet everyone somewhere, whose path goes through love." He also wrote and composed songs for children and appeared on kids' TV shows.
In 1992, he released the album Odalarda Işıksızım ("Lightless in the Rooms"). Then, in 1993, his album Son Şarkılarım ("My Last Songs") had ten very successful songs. He continued his career with albums like Benim Penceremden ("From My Window") in 1995. The song "Allah'ım Neydi Günahım" ("God, What Was My Sin?") from this album was sung by many artists and brought him great success. With this album, he also introduced a new singer, İpek Tüter, who he later married.
Kayahan's 1996 album, Canımın Yaprakları ("Leaves of My Life"), had eight songs. It shared a message about love, saying, "May God not leave anyone without love." He believed that "Nothing can be done without love. The beginning of everything is love." The next year, he released Emrin Olur ("Your Call").
His ninth album, Beni Azad Et ("Set Me Free"), came out in 1999. It had nine songs, and some of them became big hits. One song was named "Gömeç", after a seaside town where he had a home and a music studio. He spent many summers there.
In 2000, he released Gönül Sayfam ("My Soul's Page"). This album included "17 Ağustos" (August 17), which remembered the big earthquake of 1999. It also had "Ninni" ("Lullaby") for his new baby daughter, Aslı Gönül. In 2002, his album Ne Oldu Can ("What Happened Dear") featured a song called "Bugün Aslında Bayram" ("Today Is Indeed, Feastday"). He wrote this song to honor other musicians and artists, especially the late singer-songwriter Barış Manço.
Awards and Recognition
Kayahan won his first important award, "Altın Portakal" (Golden Orange), for his song "Geceler" in 1986. He represented Turkey at the Eurovision Song Contest 1990 with his song "Gözlerinin Hapsindeyim" ("I'm captive in your eyes").
In 2003, he received the Altın Kelebek (Golden Butterfly) award. He also got an award from the Music Producers Association (MÜYAP) because his album Ne Oldu Can was a bestseller. He released Kelebeğin Şansı ("The Luck of the Butterfly") in 2005 and Biriciğime ("To My One and Only") in 2007.
Kayahan performed many concerts in Turkey and other countries. In 1992, about 160,000 people came to his outdoor concert in Ankara for Republic Day. He also performed many concerts to help raise awareness about protecting the environment.
Family Life
Kayahan was married three times. His first marriage was to Nur in 1973. They had a daughter named Beste, born in 1975. Beste later became runner-up for Miss Turkey in 1995. Kayahan married Lale Yılmaz in 1992, but they divorced in 1993. In 1999, when he was fifty, he married his third wife, İpek Tüter. In August 2000, İpek gave birth to their daughter, Aslı Gönül.
Later Years and Passing
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In 1990, Kayahan was diagnosed with a type of cancer. He faced the same illness again in 2005 and then in 2014. He was receiving treatment for it.
Kayahan passed away on April 3, 2015, at the age of 66, in a hospital in Istanbul. He had been battling lung cancer for about a year and a half. He had overcome the disease twice before. After a special concert he performed with Nilüfer on Valentine's Day in 2015, he said a public farewell to his fans.
He was buried in Kanlıca Cemetery, which overlooks the Bosphorus. Before his burial, there was a memorial ceremony and a religious funeral service. Many famous musicians and even the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, attended. He is remembered by his wife, İpek Açar, and his daughters, Aslı Gönül and Beste.
Tribute Album
After his passing, many Turkish musicians came together to create a tribute album called Kayahan'ın En İyileri No.1. They sang his songs to celebrate his music and his lasting impact. Famous artists like Tarkan, Sezen Aksu, Sıla, Nilüfer, Gülşen, Ajda Pekkan, Mustafa Ceceli, and Emre Aydın were part of this special project.
Albums Released
- 1975 – Bekle Gülüm – Ateş (Wait, My Rose – Fire!)
- 1978 – İstanbul Hatırası – Neden Olmasın (A Souvenir from Istanbul – Why Not?)
- 1981 – Canım Sıkılıyor Canım (I Get Bored)
- 1987 – Merhaba Çocuklar (Hello Kids)
- 1988 – Benim Şarkılarım (My Songs)
- 1989 – Benim Şarkılarım 2 (Siyah Işıklar) (My Songs Vol. 2: Black Lights)
- 1991 – Yemin Ettim (I Swore)
- 1992 – Odalarda Işıksızım (Lightless in the Rooms)
- 1993 – Son Şarkılarım (My Last Songs)
- 1995 – Benim Penceremden (From My Window)
- 1996 – Canımın Yaprakları (Leaves of My Life)
- 1997 – Emrin Olur (Your Call)
- 1999 – Beni Azad Et (Set Me Free)
- 2000 – Gönül Sayfam (My Soul's Page)
- 2002 – Ne Oldu Can? (What Happened? My Dear)
- 2004 – Kelebeğin Şansı (The Luck of the Butterfly)
- 2007 – Biriciğime (To My One and Only)
- 2011 – 365 Gün (365 Days)
See also
In Spanish: Kayahan para niños
- List of Turkish musicians
- Turkish music
