Onno Tunç facts for kids

Ohannes Tunçboyacıyan, known to many as Onno Tunç (born December 20, 1948 – died January 14, 1996), was a very famous musician from Turkey. He was of Armenian descent. Onno Tunç was a talented composer (someone who writes music), arranger (someone who adapts music for different instruments), and music producer (someone who oversees the recording of music).

He also played the bass guitar and sometimes the double bass. He helped create many albums for other musicians. Onno Tunç was a key figure in Turkish pop music during the 1980s and 1990s, especially known for his unique arrangements. His younger brother, Arto Tunçboyacıyan, is also a well-known musician.

Early Life

Onno Tunç was born in 1948 in Istanbul, Turkey. His family was of Armenian heritage. His journey into music began when he sang in the church choir called Harur Mangaz. When he was in middle school, he had to leave school to work and help his family.

His family didn't have much money, so he couldn't buy a musical instrument, even though he loved them. But then, his friend Arman's mother, Anush, bought a guitar for Arman and one for Onno too! Onno learned very quickly by himself and soon earned enough money to pay Anush back.

Music Career

Onno Tunç started his music career singing in church choirs. In high school, he formed a music group called Black Stones. In 1965, he began working professionally as a bass guitarist with the Üstün Poyraz Set Orchestra. He started playing jazz music in 1967 with Emin Fındıkoğlu's orchestra.

Over the years, he gained more experience by working with other orchestras. He became well-known in the 1970s for his amazing arrangements. During this time, he worked on albums for many famous singers like Özdemir Erdoğan, Nilüfer, Ajda Pekkan, and Nükhet Duru. In 1973, he released his own record called "The Bracelet / Melissa."

Onno Tunç also wrote many songs. One of his first compositions, "Söz Sevgilim Söz," was sung by Cömert Baykent. He often entered the Eurovision Song Contest Turkey Finals as a composer and arranger. In 1978 and 1981, he even represented Turkey in the contest as an arranger and conductor.

Working with Sezen Aksu

In 1981, the famous Turkish pop singer Sezen Aksu met Onno Tunç. She started taking lessons from him after hearing his song "Seninle," which he composed for Nükhet Duru. Later, they began working together closely.

After being the music director for Nilüfer'84 album, Onno Tunç worked mainly with Sezen Aksu and her band for many years. He composed and arranged many songs for her, especially those written by Sezen Aksu and Aysel Gürel. This included songs from the album Sen Ağlama in 1984 all the way to Gülümse in 1991.

The album Sen Ağlama was a huge success. It helped Turkish pop music become very popular and compete with other music styles at the time. Onno Tunç and Sezen Aksu had a close relationship, both professionally and personally. They created many groundbreaking songs together, like "Sen Ağlama" (Don't Cry) and "Git" (Go). Their album Gülümse was one of Sezen Aksu's best-selling albums. A song from that album, "Hadi Bakalım," became a hit in Turkey and Europe.

Later Work and Collaborations

In the 1990s, Onno Tunç was the music director for albums by many other artists. These included Aşkın Nur Yengi, Bülent Ortaçgil, Harun Kolçak, Nilüfer, and Zerrin Özer. Songs he composed or arranged also appeared on albums by Asya, Yeşim Salkım, and others. Before he passed away, he worked on Sezen Aksu's album Düş Bahçeleri and some of Levent Yüksel's last songs.

He also composed music for films like “Ah Belinda” and “Rumuz Goncagül.” Besides pop music, he wrote a classical piece called "Su" for a solo saxophone and orchestra. He played bass guitar on several albums, including Bülent Ortaçgil's Will You Play With Me? and MFÖ's Yalnızlık Omur Boyu.

Onno Tunç composed 175 songs in total. He represented Turkey in many European music contests. He was a very close friend and musical partner of Sezen Aksu. He co-wrote and composed many of her songs and arranged all her albums. Sezen Aksu dedicated her album Düş Bahçeleri to Onno after his death.

His symphony "Su" was performed by the Istanbul Symphony Orchestra. He also worked with Hulki Aktunç and Dağhan Baydur on the Turkish entry "Sevince" for the Eurovision Song Contest 1978. This song was performed by Nilüfer and Nazar.

Onno's younger brother, Arto Tunçboyacıyan, worked with him in music for 25 years. Arto was greatly inspired by his brother. He has dedicated many songs and an album called "Onno" (1996) to his brother. When Arto performs, you can often see the letters O N N O on his clothes.

Death

Onno Tunç died on January 14, 1996. He was piloting his private plane when it crashed near Armutlu, Turkey, while flying from Bursa to Istanbul. His friend, Hasan Kanık, who was also on board, died in the accident. Onno Tunç is buried in the Şişli Armenian Catholic Cemetery in Istanbul. He had two daughters, Selin and Ayda, from his first wife, Canan Ateş.

In 2002, a monument was built in his memory at the crash site and in the city center of Yalova. Over the years, the monument was sometimes damaged. In 2012, the Yalova City Hall decided to replace it with a new, more artistic bronze monument. The new monument is shaped like a G-clef, which is a musical symbol.

Tributes to Onno Tunç

In 1996, Sezen Aksu, his former partner in music, released a special album called “Düş Bahçeleri.” This album was a tribute to honor his important contributions to Turkish music.

In 2007, many famous Turkish singers and pop groups came together. They released a compilation album called Onno Tunç Şarkıları ("Onno Tunç Songs") to celebrate his music.

Some of His Songs

Onno Tunç composed or arranged many popular songs, including:

• Ah Mazi
• Alev Alev (sung by Ayşegül Aldinç)
• Ayrılık (sung by Zuhal Olcay)
• Ayrılıklar Bitmez (sung by Sezen Aksu)
• Bana Ellerini Ver (sung by Harun Kolçak)
• Beni Bırakın (sung by Levent Yüksel)
• Dokun Bana (sung by Nilüfer)
• Geçer (sung by Sezen Aksu)
• Git (sung by Sezen Aksu)
• Hadi Bakalım (sung by Sezen Aksu)
• Kış Masalı
• Ne Kavgam Bitti Ne Sevdam (sung by Sezen Aksu)
• Olay Olay (sung by Zerrin Özer)
• Sen Ağlama (sung by Sezen Aksu)
• Seninle (sung by Nükhet Duru)
• Şinanay
• Uçurtma Bayramları (sung by Levent Yüksel)
• Ünzile
• Yeniden Sev (sung by Nilüfer)

Collaborations on Albums

Onno Tunç worked on many albums, often as a producer, arranger, or songwriter. Here are some of them:

Arrangements

Onno Tunç was also known for his arrangements of other artists' songs, including:

• Bir Gün Mutlaka (for Zerrin Özer)
• Küçük Bir Aşk Masalı
• Vazgeçtim (originally by Ara Dinkjian)
• Dokunma Keyfine Yalan Dünyanın (originally by Aşık Mahzuni Şerif, for Gülden Karaböcek)
• Kır Çiçekleri (for Gülden Karaböcek)
• Bambaşka Biri, Haykıracak Nefesim, Dile Kolay, Ya Sonra (for Ajda Pekkan)
• Melankoli, Cambaz, Benimsin Diyemediğim, Çakır (for Nükhet Duru)