guest post by Al Ridenour
Time to rethink Bulgaria. Forget feta cheese, women’s choirs, and communist thuggery. Someone is rebooting Bulgaria, and his name is Azis. At one level, you could simply describe him as a performer of chalga, a commercially streamlined fusion of traditional Romani (“gypsy,” ok?) folk-music and pop. But that would hardly do. In truth, Azis is Bulgaria’s answer to Madonna, Michael Jackson, Boy George, Liberace, and Marilyn Manson all rolled into one colossal glitter-dusted, KY-oozing jelly roll.
A Romani outsider by birth, this Balkan Bear’s star rose quickly with his first release in 2003, an unsuccessful bid for Parliament in 2005, an unofficial but highly publicized gay marriage in 2006, and the birth, in 2007, of a daughter via artificial insemination. But all this is nothing compared to the visual spectacle of his music videos. Whether playing Bollywood in an Erte-inspired Ice Queen get-up or playing nasty with Tom-of-Finland-inspired gangsters, the stylistic audacity of this hefty and uncompromising man-diva clearly demonstrates: it’s not your father’s Bulgaria anymore.
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{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Ha! I love to see Azis getting the attention he so richly deserves. He’s so fantastically weird. I wouldn’t necessarily take his success to mean that queerness is very well-accepted in Bulgaria, though. I think that he gets away with a lot of stuff because he is Roma.
Here are a couple more of my favorite Azis songs:
Edno Mi (One Me), in which Azis dances kyuchek (traditional Roma bellydancing…but it doesn’t usually look quite like this).
Chernite Ochi (Black Eyes), a duet with Malina, another chalga singer.
-Kyla
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, Bulgaria, 2006-2008
those are great videos too! it’s so hard to pick! yes, i’ve seen some pretty hateful stuff posted about him from people who seem to be bulgarian also, but it must be different (and quite interesting) living with the phenomenon in its native country.
I keep wondering if that cat had been sedated…
I’ve been following Azis for a few years now. I adore his vocal range and power, and the fabulousness of his videos certainly doesn’t hurt!
Chalga do dupka!
i am from austria and i love AZIS. he is one of the best singers in the wordl and his voice goes under my skin. he should be known and famous around the world.
I’m Hungarian, we are the “border” for Chalga in West Balkan D) But if Azis would not exist I would hate Balkanic music by reflex”.. but Azis amazed me! We even went to one of his concert by car it’s not too far… but I must admitt that was my first but not last time in Bulgaria!
I absolutely love Azis. I’m not even from the Balkans and I love him so much. I introduced many of my friends from various backgrounds to him and they all love him too!
I Agree! I just love, love.love…Azis Even though can’t understand any of the lyrics!
Azis has a voice of the unseen,I am love
with all that and did for me is my man successful in the world
I want to meet one day!
I live in Kosovo (Pristina).
I want to come to Kosovo and to hold a concert :D
I will be happy man in the world will meet in person if Azis-in
for me is an angel
kiss
search
my angel AzIs KiSs
i am love azis ….
i love see azis …….
my sister love niki
Kitaetsa…..