This small-town boy from a prestigious Muslim family shook the Yugoslav Neo-Folk music scene in the 1970s. But he had more than dark sunglasses and long hair to keep the Yugoslav showbiz columns busy.
That's an interesting story and career path! I really enjoyed reading it. I also found his music quite intriguing, some of his songs sound more Balkan to my ears, while some seems influenced by German folk music, perhaps? I'm not an expert in German folk tho, but I hear echoes of Swiss/German melodies. And his life story also reminded me a bit of Ahmet Özhan with his 'iconic' style—not in terms of music genre, though. These days, Özhan joined some religious cults and became involved with AKP political circles - he's busy ruining his legacy. But before becoming a singer and movie star, he was a muezzin as well.
With the urbanisation of this music and the introduction of the accordion and other western instruments in the late 19th/early 20th century, what would go on to be Yugoslav Neo-Folk was more influenced by other European urban music styles of the time such as French musette and chanson and Central European schlager and "gypsy" romance.
There are many more male Bosniak (and, interestingly, a handful of Bosnian Serb) singers who started off as young muezzins. This career progression of sorts explains why male Bosniak singers outnumber the female singers by far, even though many of Bosnia's music genres were originally sung by women only.
Ahmet Özhan sounds intriguing. I was thinking of the numerous occasions Bülent Ersoy has performed the ezan and other religious music, and the controversy that has caused.
I'm definitely interested in reading more about the evolution of the music industry in the region. Just letting you know, no pressure! With these details, it’s become even more intriguing. And yes, you're right, Bülent Ersoy did perform the ezan, which sparked a lot of debates. And she has also always been invited to Erdoğan's infamous iftar dinners and attends them.
That's perfectly fine. There's certainly a lot I can present there, particularly with the neverending battle between Central European and Eastern Mediterranean influences in the local music forms.
Wow, I didn't know that Bülent Ersoy was that close to Erdoğan and company. I've always been fascinated at how western perceptions and the somewhat superficial barometers they use to gauge LGBT+ acceptance go haywire when presented with the likes of Bülent Ersoy, Zeki Muren before her, and Balkan examples such as Azis in Bulgaria or Božo Vrećo in Bosnia. Such a complicated grey area.
Azis is very popular in Turkey as well. I agree that the topic is nuanced, but I would say that Turkish society tends to be more tolerant of LGBT+ individuals as long as they are outside the family. There was noticeable progress up until around 2015–2016, but the government’s increasingly exclusionary policies and rhetoric have slowed that trend. Still, you can see popular figures like Fatih Ürek performing at women-only matinee shows, even in more conservative rural areas, and he has a very large audience mostly conservative women & housewives.
Interesting. What you mentioned about Turkish society being more tolerant of LGBT+ individuals as long as they're outside the family is not the case in the Balkans, particularly in Orthodox and Catholic circles, more out of the suffocating legacy of the wholescale adoption of western European mores in the 19th century during the formation of nation states in the Balkans. Azis is interesting in that his popularity can be better explained from a more Ottoman/Turkish legacy, particularly as his core fan base is also conservative women and housewives, who will choose to ignore his obvious sexuality and dismiss his earlier drag period in his career as solely "an act". The fact that he's Roma also excuses him – had if someone ethnic Bulgarian were to do what he does, then I doubt there would be as much enthusiasm, to put it lightly.
Btw, Azis being banned from performing in Bursa at the Balkan Fair there in 2021 was big news in Bulgaria.
Estimated that around 30k people attended Istanbul Pride in 2014. Despite being banned in 15, turnout was still around 15k. Since then, Erdoğan and his circle gradually shifted from "staying silent/somewhat tolerant" on the issue to openly using hate speech. Oh, and you might find this piece also interesting - from 2016 - by a pro-Erdoğan outlet under the Turkuvaz media group. Look how they frame it.
Hvala Felix! To be honest, I didn't really know much about Hoki until recently, even though I was very familiar with some of his biggest hits, which are staple songs people would tip the singer big for in kafanas. It's also quite quaint now that long shaggy hair raised such shackles over 50 years ago... and then you look at the standard wardrobe for the current batch of turbofolk stars. Hoki paved the way for them! Hehe
Absolutely fascinating. This sociocultural knowledge is the glue between the historical facts
Thank you Jennie! That glue certainly is the grey matter that holds it all together.
Thanks Nick, as ever a fascinating insight into a part of the world I know very little about.
Thank you very much Christopher!
That's an interesting story and career path! I really enjoyed reading it. I also found his music quite intriguing, some of his songs sound more Balkan to my ears, while some seems influenced by German folk music, perhaps? I'm not an expert in German folk tho, but I hear echoes of Swiss/German melodies. And his life story also reminded me a bit of Ahmet Özhan with his 'iconic' style—not in terms of music genre, though. These days, Özhan joined some religious cults and became involved with AKP political circles - he's busy ruining his legacy. But before becoming a singer and movie star, he was a muezzin as well.
Thank you Fatma!
With the urbanisation of this music and the introduction of the accordion and other western instruments in the late 19th/early 20th century, what would go on to be Yugoslav Neo-Folk was more influenced by other European urban music styles of the time such as French musette and chanson and Central European schlager and "gypsy" romance.
There are many more male Bosniak (and, interestingly, a handful of Bosnian Serb) singers who started off as young muezzins. This career progression of sorts explains why male Bosniak singers outnumber the female singers by far, even though many of Bosnia's music genres were originally sung by women only.
Ahmet Özhan sounds intriguing. I was thinking of the numerous occasions Bülent Ersoy has performed the ezan and other religious music, and the controversy that has caused.
I'm definitely interested in reading more about the evolution of the music industry in the region. Just letting you know, no pressure! With these details, it’s become even more intriguing. And yes, you're right, Bülent Ersoy did perform the ezan, which sparked a lot of debates. And she has also always been invited to Erdoğan's infamous iftar dinners and attends them.
That's perfectly fine. There's certainly a lot I can present there, particularly with the neverending battle between Central European and Eastern Mediterranean influences in the local music forms.
Wow, I didn't know that Bülent Ersoy was that close to Erdoğan and company. I've always been fascinated at how western perceptions and the somewhat superficial barometers they use to gauge LGBT+ acceptance go haywire when presented with the likes of Bülent Ersoy, Zeki Muren before her, and Balkan examples such as Azis in Bulgaria or Božo Vrećo in Bosnia. Such a complicated grey area.
Azis is very popular in Turkey as well. I agree that the topic is nuanced, but I would say that Turkish society tends to be more tolerant of LGBT+ individuals as long as they are outside the family. There was noticeable progress up until around 2015–2016, but the government’s increasingly exclusionary policies and rhetoric have slowed that trend. Still, you can see popular figures like Fatih Ürek performing at women-only matinee shows, even in more conservative rural areas, and he has a very large audience mostly conservative women & housewives.
Interesting. What you mentioned about Turkish society being more tolerant of LGBT+ individuals as long as they're outside the family is not the case in the Balkans, particularly in Orthodox and Catholic circles, more out of the suffocating legacy of the wholescale adoption of western European mores in the 19th century during the formation of nation states in the Balkans. Azis is interesting in that his popularity can be better explained from a more Ottoman/Turkish legacy, particularly as his core fan base is also conservative women and housewives, who will choose to ignore his obvious sexuality and dismiss his earlier drag period in his career as solely "an act". The fact that he's Roma also excuses him – had if someone ethnic Bulgarian were to do what he does, then I doubt there would be as much enthusiasm, to put it lightly.
Btw, Azis being banned from performing in Bursa at the Balkan Fair there in 2021 was big news in Bulgaria.
Estimated that around 30k people attended Istanbul Pride in 2014. Despite being banned in 15, turnout was still around 15k. Since then, Erdoğan and his circle gradually shifted from "staying silent/somewhat tolerant" on the issue to openly using hate speech. Oh, and you might find this piece also interesting - from 2016 - by a pro-Erdoğan outlet under the Turkuvaz media group. Look how they frame it.
https://www.dailysabah.com/politics/2016/06/20/transsexual-singer-bulent-ersoy-attends-iftar-dinner-hosted-by-president-erdogan
That was a lot of fun to read. The long shaggy hair thing I had always been curious about. Thank you for another interesting article!
Hvala Felix! To be honest, I didn't really know much about Hoki until recently, even though I was very familiar with some of his biggest hits, which are staple songs people would tip the singer big for in kafanas. It's also quite quaint now that long shaggy hair raised such shackles over 50 years ago... and then you look at the standard wardrobe for the current batch of turbofolk stars. Hoki paved the way for them! Hehe
As always, fascinating! And a singer I've never heard of before. Not a very handsome man so it must have been his voice that seduced all those wives!
I'm sure he was a major sweet-talker. He certainly had a thing for the hyperbole, bragging once that his 'body count' was over 4000 women hehe
A busy chap!