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Harun Kolçak lives on through the songs that defined Turkish pop
Harun Kolçak, who left his mark on the 1990s, became one of the strongest names in Turkish pop music with hits like 'Gir Kanıma' and 'Müptelayım Sana'. Born in Istanbul on July 15, 1955, the artist began his professional career playing bass guitar on Erkin Koray's album.
The Artist's Roots and Start in Music
Harun Kolçak was born on July 15, 1955 in Istanbul, the only child of cinema artist Eşref Kolçak and Özcan Kolçak. He started playing bass guitar while studying at Saint Benoit French High School.
In an interview, he described his interest in music: "I was born into music. My grandmother played the oud. My mother was into classical Turkish music. There were always musical gatherings at home, you know..."
Kolçak said his father always supported him, expressing his gratitude with the words: "My father was the one who bought me my first guitar and always supported me. In fact, when I said in the 1980s that I didn't want to continue studying after high school, he was accepting of it, and I'm very lucky because he wasn't like the authoritarian, stifling fathers of our country."
First Steps in His Career
Kolçak began his professional music life in 1977 playing bass guitar on Erkin Koray's album "Tutku", and the same year he also took part in studio recordings for Ferdi Özbeğen and Zülfü Livaneli. After performing for a while at Galata Tower, he joined Rıza Silahlıpoda and Nükhet Duru's "Ritm 68" orchestra in 1978.
After his military service, the artist turned to jazz, working with names like Aydın Esen, Neşet and Nükhet Ruacan, and Erol Pekcan to develop his musical knowledge. He later joined the Onno Tunç orchestra and, with Sezen Aksu's encouragement, began singing. He spent seven years in the orchestra as bass guitarist, vocalist and soloist.
He became widely known in the 1986 Eurovision Turkey qualifiers, performing the song "Haydi Söyle" with Aşkın Nur Yengi and Grup Periyod. In 1987, he won awards at the Kuşadası Golden Pigeon Music Competition and the Mediterranean Music Competition with a duet featuring Zerrin Özer and Aşkın Nur Yengi.
Big Breakthrough and Unforgettable Songs
Kolçak made his big breakthrough with the song "Gir Kanıma" from his first album "Beni Affet", released in 1991. This was followed by the album "En Büyük Aşk" in 1993. The artist, who wrote most of his own lyrics and music, released the albums "Biz" with Bendeniz in 1994 and "Yanımda Kal" in 1995. After Onno Tunç's death, he continued his work with İskender Paydaş.
In 1996, Kolçak was chosen as "Best Second Singer" with the song "Müptelayım Sana" at the "Müzikos Festivalis 96" held in Lithuania, and in 1998 he released the pop-rock album "Teslim Oldum".
Hiatus from Music and Acting Experience
After releasing the album "Yaşasın" in 2000, Kolçak took a break from music and turned to acting. He appeared in productions such as "Aile Bağları", "Reyting Hamdi", "Kurşun Asker" and "Pis Yedili". In 2006, he released the album "Müzisyen" and the book "Kahin Aziz Malachy'ye Göre Papalığın Sonu".
The artist lost his mother in 2010 and was diagnosed with prostate cancer the same year. After successfully overcoming treatment, he released the album "Yeniden Doğuyorum" in 2012.
Final Years and Death
In 2016, on the album "Çeyrek Asır", he reinterpreted his beloved songs with names like Işın Karaca, İrem Derici, Tan Taşçı, Yaşar, Bedük, Kubat, Aşkın Nur Yengi, Tuğba Yurt, Umut Kuzey, Hakan Kahraman, Gülçin Ergül, Alişan Göksu, Gökhan Türkmen and Zara. Harun Kolçak's cancer recurred in June 2016, and he died on July 19, 2017 at the age of 62 in the hospital where he was being treated. He was buried in the family cemetery in the Gemlik district of Bursa.
After his death, the album "Hatıra" was released on digital platforms; the album included the artist's new songs "Deliyim" and "Haberin Bile Yok" as well as the tracks "Deli Et Beni" and "Elimde Değil".
Harun Kolçak's Albums
- Beni Affet (1991)
- En Büyük Aşk (1993)
- Biz (Bendeniz and Harun Kolçak) (1994)
- Yanımda Kal (1995)
- Teslim Oldum (1998)
- Yaşasın (2000)
- Müzisyen (2006)
- Aşk Beni Hep Değiştirecek (2007)
- Yeniden Doğuyorum (2012)
- Çeyrek Asır (2016)
- Hatıra (2020) (posthumous)
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