Harun Kolçak (read Turkish version here | listen to music samples)
Introduction
Harun Kolçak has left his mark on memory as one of the versatile voices bridging rock and pop in Turkish music. Transcending the identity of being the son of cinema artist Eşref Kolçak, he proved his competence as a bass guitarist and vocalist in Onno Tunç Orchestra during his professional journey that began with Erkin Koray's "Tutku" album. When he stepped into a solo career in the 90s, he stood out with an original style formed by blending Turkish Pop, Jazz, and Synth Pop genres. With the "Beni Affet" album and tracks like "Gir Kanıma" and "Yanımda Kal", Kolçak became one of the most listened-to names of the era, drawing a multifaceted artist profile not only on the music stage but also with television projects and the book "Kahin Aziz Malachy'ye Göre Papalığın Sonu". Despite passing away in 2017, Kolçak maintained his connection with music lovers with the "Hatıra (Yarım Kalan Şarkılar)" album published in 2020, leaving behind a respected legacy based on the foundation of his vocalistship originating from rock bass guitar roots.
Biography
Harun Kolçak, born on the morning of July 15, 1955, in Istanbul, is a versatile musician and artist who passed away on July 19, 2017, at Maslak Acıbadem Hospital. Kolçak, who stepped into artistic circles as the only child of cinema artist Eşref Kolçak and Özcan Kolçak, left his education at Saint Benoit French High School halfway due to his passion for music.
His professional music career began in 1977 by appearing as a bass guitarist on Erkin Koray's "Tutku" album. After serving as a bass guitarist in Silahlıpoda Ritm 68 orchestra in 1978, he served as a bass guitarist, vocalist, and soloist for 7 years in Onno Tunç Orchestra between 1986 and 1990. Following this period, the artist made his solo debut in the music market with the "Beni Affet" album in 1991, standing out with tracks such as "Gir Kanıma" and "Beni Affet" in this release. In 1994, he also signed different collaborations by publishing the single "Biz" with Bendeniz (Deniz Çelik).
Kolçak, who showed his success internationally by being selected as the "Second Best Singer" at the "Müzikos Festivalis 96" event held in Lithuania in the mid-1990s, was awarded various prizes with duets he made with Zerrin Özer and Aşkın Nur Yengi at Kuşadası and Antalya Mediterranean Music Competitions. The artist, who blended Turkish Pop, Jazz, Rock, and Synth Pop genres, published the "Teslim Oldum", "Yaşasın", and "Müzisyen" albums in 1998, 2000, and 2006 respectively. In 2006, the same year the "Müzisyen" album was released, he also wrote a book titled "Kahin Aziz Malachy'ye Göre Papalığın Sonu".
In the later years of his career, Kolçak preferred to collaborate with artists from the new generation, releasing the solo album "Yeniden Doğuyorum" in 2012 and publishing an album containing duets with this generation with the "Çeyrek Asır" project in 2016. The artist underwent surgery for prostate cancer in 2014, but the disease relapsed in 2016. He passed away on July 19, 2017, which was only 4 days after the date he celebrated his 62nd birthday. His funeral was buried in Gemlik district of Bursa where the family cemetery is located.
Following his death, the musical legacy of Harun Kolçak continued to be commemorated, and the "Hatıra (Yarım Kalan Şarkılar)" album was released on digital platforms in 2020. In 2017, he was awarded the 44th Pantene Golden Butterfly Award posthumously after his death. Kolçak, who is engraved in memory with works such as "Ağlat Beni", "Müptelayım Sana", "En Büyük Aşk", and "Yanımda Kal", is remembered with a career embracing different periods of Turkish music.
Style and Musical Identity
Harun Kolçak's musical universe is built upon a foundation where the disciplined structure of rock and jazz intersects with the lyrical texture of Turkish Pop. In his professional journey starting as a bass guitarist, Erkin Koray's rock aesthetic and Onno Tunç Orchestra's jazz-pop arrangements were the fundamental elements that shaped the artist's vocal and interpretative world. Positioning himself as a vocalist and soloist, Kolçak exhibited a multi-layered style blending Turkish Pop, Synth Pop, Rock, and Jazz genres since his debut in 1991.
His interpretation power and musical personality are fueled by the emotional depth traceable from the song titles in his repertoire. While works like "Beni Affet", "Yanımda Kal", "Ağlat Beni" center on themes such as love, longing, and bonds; titles like "Yaşasın" or "Yeniden Doğuyorum" reflect the themes of life and transformation. Although technical features regarding vocal character (vocal range, tonality, etc.) are not detailed in sources, Kolçak's competence as a vocalist and soloist stands out especially with his appearances during the Onno Tunç Orchestra period and solo albums. With the "Müzisyen" album published in 2006, Kolçak brought his musical identity back to the agenda, and with the "Çeyrek Asır" project in 2016, he continued to update his musical stance by collaborating with new generation artists. During this process, his collaboration networks from Erkin Koray to contemporary generation artists show that his musical personality was not limited to a single period but had a structure bridging different periods of Turkish music.
Songs, Albums and Musical Works
Harun Kolçak's solo discography became official with his release in the music market with the "Beni Affet" album in 1991, although different information such as 1991 or 1992 is found in sources regarding the year of this release. Considering the ambiguities regarding the debut song, "Gir Kanıma" and "Beni Affet" are recorded as prominent tracks at the beginning of his career. Among the tracks that met with the listener by blending Turkish Pop, Jazz, and Synth Pop genres, songs such as "Yanımda Kal", "En Büyük Aşk", "Müptelayım Sana", "Teslim Oldum", "Yaşasın", "Deli Et Beni", "Korkuyorum", and "Ağlat Beni" can be counted.
Throughout the 90s, Kolçak continued album studies with intervals, publishing the "En Büyük Aşk" album in 1993, "Yanımda Kal" in 1995, and "Teslim Oldum" in 1998. Following the process with the "Yaşasın" (2000) towards the end of the 20th century and "Müzisyen" (2006) in the mid-2000s, the "Müzisyen" album was particularly notable. In later years of his career, the artist who released the solo album "Yeniden Doğuyorum" in 2012 signed duets with artists from the new generation in the album published with the "Çeyrek Asır" project in 2016.
Within the scope of collaborations, the "Biz" single published jointly with Bendeniz is also an important part of his career. After the artist passed away in 2017, the album titled "Hatıra (Yarım Kalan Şarkılar)" was published on digital platforms in 2020 and his musical legacy continued. This solo collection, carrying the reflections of his bass guitarist-origin vocalist identity, Erkin Koray's "Tutku" album and the years in Onno Tunç Orchestra, is a summary of the artist's versatile musical identity.
Context
Harun Kolçak, a versatile musician and vocalist, took the stage having witnessed different periods of Turkish music history. Kolçak, who began his professional career with Erkin Koray's "Tutku" album in 1977, strengthened his musical foundation and interpretative competence by serving in Onno Tunç Orchestra between 1986-1990. The studio discipline he gained during this period, the technical background containing rock and jazz elements, formed the basis of his solo career in subsequent years.
The artist who made his solo debut with the "Beni Affet" album in 1991 accompanied the rise of Turkish Pop music in the 90s and attracted attention internationally with the success he received at "Müzikos Festivalis 96" held in Lithuania. Kolçak, who blended synth pop and rock genres throughout his career, brought his musician identity back to the forefront with the "Müzisyen" album published in 2006, and continued to meet his musical legacy with the new generation with the "Yeniden Doğuyorum" in 2012 and "Çeyrek Asır" projects in 2016.
Attention is drawn to Harun Kolçak as the son of cinema artist Eşref Kolçak in terms of family structure, and he focused on this field by leaving his education at Saint Benoit French High School halfway due to his passion for music. The artist, known by a wide audience with television projects and cinema films, continues to be remembered on digital platforms with the "Hatıra (Yarım Kalan Şarkılar)" album published in 2020 after his death in 2017. Kolçak, who also touched on literature with the book titled "Kahin Aziz Malachy'ye Göre Papalığın Sonu" in addition to his musical career, passed away in 2017 and was awarded the 44th Pantene Golden Butterfly Award posthumously.
Legacy and Impact
Harun Kolçak's artistic life resembles a multi-layered adventure starting with his first professional step in Erkin Koray's "Tutku" album at the end of the 1970s and lasting until 2017. A musician who worked with names like Erkin Koray and Onno Tunç with his competence behind the scenes managed to meet the Turkish Pop listener with his solo career in the 1990s. In this period where he launched with the "Beni Affet" album, he added color to the musical atmosphere of that year with his vocalist identity originating from bass guitar and his preferences in the range between synth pop and rock.
The artist's legacy has a wide spectrum not limited to the pop sound of the 90s. While the "Müzisyen" album published in 2006 brought his name back to the agenda of music lovers, the "Yeniden Doğuyorum" work in 2012 laid bare the productivity in the late period of his career. The duets he performed with new generation artists with the "Çeyrek Asır" project in 2016 showed that he had an artist profile that adapted to the flow of time and did not lose its currency. In addition to his works in the musical field, touching on literature with the book titled "Kahin Aziz Malachy'ye Göre Papalığın Sonu" and being present in the cinema community with various cinema projects brought him to the fore as a multifaceted cultural figure.
His place in memory has not been erased even after his death. The 44th Pantene Golden Butterfly Award he received posthumously in 2017 is a reflection of the value given to his career. More importantly, the "Hatıra (Yarım Kalan Şarkılar)" album published on digital platforms in 2020 proved that he was one of the rare artists who could form a new connection with the listener even after his death. Kolçak, known as the son of cinema artist Eşref Kolçak, was an individual who charted his own path by choosing the artist identity by leaving his education at Saint Benoit French High School for his music passion. In this journey extending from the 1970s to the 2010s, the unique sound he created by blending Turkish Pop, Jazz, and Rock genres continues to be remembered by generations with tracks like "Beni Affet", "Yanımda Kal", and "Müptelayım Sana". The coincidence of his death only four days after his 62nd birthday has also become another memory of its tragedy.
Frequently Asked Questions
### When was Harun Kolçak born and when did he pass away? Harun Kolçak was born in Istanbul on July 15, 1955. The artist passed away on July 19, 2017, at Maslak Acıbadem Hospital, on a date that was only 4 days after the date he celebrated his 62nd birthday.
### How did he start his professional music career and in which orchestras did he serve? He started his career by appearing as a bass guitarist on Erkin Koray's "Tutku" album in 1977. After that, he served as a bass guitarist, vocalist, and soloist for 7 years in Onno Tunç Orchestra between 1986 and 1990.
### Which is his first solo album and is there an inconsistency in sources regarding the release year? He made his solo debut with the "Beni Affet" album. However, sources contain different information such as 1991 or 1992 regarding the year of this release. Although 1991 is generally accepted, there is a difference in the release year considering these ambiguities in sources.
### What is his musical style and the genres he blends? He exhibited a multi-layered style blending Turkish Pop, Jazz, Rock, and Synth Pop genres. He built a universe where the disciplined structure of rock and jazz intersects with the lyrical texture of Turkish Pop.
### In addition to his musical works, what are his contributions to literature and cinema? With the "Müzisyen" album published in 2006, he brought his musical identity to the forefront but also wrote a book titled "Kahin Aziz Malachy'ye Göre Papalığın Sonu" in the same year. He also expanded his artist identity with television projects and cinema films.
### How was his musical legacy remembered after his death and which works were published? He was awarded the 44th Pantene Golden Butterfly Award posthumously in 2017 after his death. In 2020, the album titled "Hatıra (Yarım Kalan Şarkılar)" was published on digital platforms and maintained his connection with music lovers.