Kâzim Koyuncu
Encyclopedia
Kâzım Koyuncu was a Turk
folk-rock singer, song writer, and activist of Laz
ethnicity.
Koyuncu recorded songs in a number of languages spoken along the northeastern Black Sea
coast of Turkey, as well as the language of Laz. He was the founder and singer of Zuğaşi Berepe ("The Children of the Sea"), a folk rock group founded in 1993. Following the group's break-up in 2000, Koyuncu went on to record two solo albums, Viya! in 2001 and Hayde in 2004, which proved to be popular across Turkey and also in Georgia
.
He died during treatment for lung cancer
in 2005. Although strongly denied by Health Minister Recep Akdag
, it is popularly thought that the Chernobyl disaster
was the cause of Koyuncu's cancer, a sentiment shared by many locals on Turkey's Black Sea coast.
Although he primarily sang in Turkish, he is most famous for having sung in Lazuri
. His albums also contain several songs in Armenian
, Homshetsi, Georgian
and Megrelian.
He fought for nature and was against the construction of a nuclear reactor
at Sinop
on the northern Black Sea coast of Turkey. He was a well-known activist in environmental and cultural issues.
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
folk-rock singer, song writer, and activist of Laz
Laz people
The Laz are an ethnic group native to the Black Sea coastal regions of Turkey and Georgia...
ethnicity.
Koyuncu recorded songs in a number of languages spoken along the northeastern Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
coast of Turkey, as well as the language of Laz. He was the founder and singer of Zuğaşi Berepe ("The Children of the Sea"), a folk rock group founded in 1993. Following the group's break-up in 2000, Koyuncu went on to record two solo albums, Viya! in 2001 and Hayde in 2004, which proved to be popular across Turkey and also in Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
.
He died during treatment for lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
in 2005. Although strongly denied by Health Minister Recep Akdag
Recep Akdag
Recep Akdağ is the minister of health of Turkey, a position he has held since 2002, and Member of Parliament for Erzurum.-Biography:Dr. Akdağ was born in Erzurum on 8 May, 1960. His father's name is Yahya and his mother's name is Zekiye. He completed his primary and secondary education in Erzurum...
, it is popularly thought that the Chernobyl disaster
Chernobyl disaster
The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear accident that occurred on 26 April 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine , which was under the direct jurisdiction of the central authorities in Moscow...
was the cause of Koyuncu's cancer, a sentiment shared by many locals on Turkey's Black Sea coast.
Although he primarily sang in Turkish, he is most famous for having sung in Lazuri
Laz language
The Laz language is a South Caucasian language spoken by the Laz people on the Southeast shore of the Black Sea...
. His albums also contain several songs in Armenian
Armenian language
The Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...
, Homshetsi, Georgian
Georgian language
Georgian is the native language of the Georgians and the official language of Georgia, a country in the Caucasus.Georgian is the primary language of about 4 million people in Georgia itself, and of another 500,000 abroad...
and Megrelian.
He fought for nature and was against the construction of a nuclear reactor
Nuclear reactor
A nuclear reactor is a device to initiate and control a sustained nuclear chain reaction. Most commonly they are used for generating electricity and for the propulsion of ships. Usually heat from nuclear fission is passed to a working fluid , which runs through turbines that power either ship's...
at Sinop
Sinop, Turkey
Sinop is a city with a population of 36,734 on İnce Burun , by its Cape Sinop which is situated on the most northern edge of the Turkish side of Black Sea coast, in the ancient region of Paphlagonia, in modern-day northern Turkey, historically known as Sinope...
on the northern Black Sea coast of Turkey. He was a well-known activist in environmental and cultural issues.
with Zuğaşi Berepe
- 1995 Va Mişkunan ("We Don't Know" in Laz)
- 1998 İgzas ("You Are Leaving" in Laz)
- 1998 Bruxel Live
solo albums
- 2001 Viya
- 2004 Hayde
- 2006 Dünyada Bir Yerdeyim (posthumously released)
External links
- Kazım Koyuncu
- Kazım Koyuncu: Anılar Düştü Peşime
- Kazım Koyuncu: İşte Gidiyorum
- Kazım Koyuncu: Didou Nana
- Kazım Koyuncu: Ella Ella
- Kazım Koyuncu & Şevval Sam: Gelevera Deresi
- Kazım Koyuncu & Şevval Sam
- Kazım Koyuncu Sarıgazi Festivali 2002 RapAtma&Koçari
- Kazım Koyuncu Sarıgazi Festivali 2003 RapAtma&Koçari