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AzisАзис
Background information
Birth name	Vasil Troyanov Boyanov
Also known as	Azis
Born	(1978-03-07) 7 March 1978 (age 46) Sliven, Bulgaria
Genres	Chalga, pop-folk
Occupation(s)	Singer, musician, writer, activist, television show host
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1999–present

Vasil Troyanov Boyanov (Bulgarian: Васил Троянов Боянов; born 7 March 1978), professionally known as Azis (Bulgarian: Азис), is a Bulgarian recording artist . Azis initially rose to prominence in Eastern Europe performing songs mostly in chalga, a genre which can be described as the Bulgarian rendition of pop-folk. Azis has collaborated with other Bulgarian pop-folk singers, such as Gloria, Malina, Sofi Marinova, Toni Storaro, and with Bulgarian rap artists – Ustata and Vanko 1. Other than that, his repertoire includes duets with singers from the former Yugoslavia, including Indira Radić, Marta Savić, Jelena Karleuša, Severina and Tea Tairović.

Boyanov performed "Let Me Cry" at the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 with Mariana Popova, staying in the semi-finals.

Other than his acclaimed career as a vocalist, he competed unsuccessfully in the 2005 Bulgarian parliamentary election as a member of the Euroroma party.

Azis remains a prominent figure in the Bulgarian music scene.

Biography

Vasil Troyanov Boyanov was born into a modest Roma family in Sliven, Bulgaria. He spent his childhood was spent in Kostinbrod and Sofia. In 1989, after the fall of communism in Bulgaria, he moved with his family to Germany. There, his sister, Matilda, and brother Ryan were born. Azis married Nikolay "Niki Kitaetsa" Petrov Parvanov on 1 October 2006. Their marriage is not legally recognized under Bulgarian law. Azis' daughter was born on 5 August 2007 and was named Raya. Her mother is Azis' longtime friend, Gala. In 2008, Azis and Parvanov separated amicably.

Controversies

In late November 2007, Boyko Borisov, then mayor of Sofia, censored billboards of Azis kissing Niki Kitaetsa, which pictured both men shirtless on the basis they were too graphic in nature. The picture was then censored in other cities in Bulgaria.

In 2021, Azis was scheduled to perform at the Balkan Fair in Kestel, Bursa, Turkey, but the performance was cancelled after a campaign by Islamists targeting Azis' LGBT identity.

Appearances

• In 2007, Azis and Kitaetsa appeared in the VIP Brother 2 edition of Big Brother Bulgaria. Azis left the house voluntarily after nineteen days.
• Azis was interviewed in the second episode of Michael Palin's New Europe.
• In 2008 on PRO.BG, Azis co-hosted the talk show Azis' Late Night Show with actress Ekaterina Evro.
• In August 2012, Anonymous used the video clip to Azis' song "Mrazish" to deface the website of the Russian court Khamovnichesky, where the members of the band Pussy Riot were convicted.
• Azis was a contestant on the widely popular reality show Kato dve kapki voda, which is the Bulgarian version of Your Face Sounds Familiar. After twelve weeks and a wide specter of highly praised and enjoyed performances, he placed second. In early 2021, he was announced as one of the returning participants in the forthcoming ninth All Stars season of the show.

Covers

Greek laïko vocalist Panos Kiamos, made a cover of Azis' single "Sen Trope" entitled "Fotia me Fotia" (Fire to Fire). Serbian turbo-folk singer Dragan Kojić Keba covered the same song as "Ona to zna" (She Knows That), as well as the Romanian singer Florin Salam as "Saint Tropez".

In November 2012, the Greek singer Giorgos Tsalikis made a cover of Azis' song "Hop", entitled "Asto" (Let it).

Discography

Studio albums

Compilation albums

EPs (maxi singles)

Videography / songs

DVDs

• 2003: Шоу спектакъл
• 2004: Нищо лично
• 2004: The best videoclips
• 2004: Together with Desi Slava
• 2005: AZIS 2005
• 2005: Дуети (Duets)
• 2006: Аз, Азис ( I, Azis) (CD)
• 2007: Azis

Collaborations

Books

• Аз, Азис (Book and CD) (2006)

References

1. "Профилът на Азис" [Azis Profile]. Slava.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 4 January 2014.
2. ^ Silverman, Carol (24 May 2012). Romani Routes: Cultural Politics and Balkan Music in Diaspora. Oxford University Press. p. 189. ISBN 9780195300949. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
3. Samson, J. (2013). Music in the Balkans. BRILL. p. 610. ISBN 9789004250383. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
4. Kenrick, D. (2010). The A to Z of the Gypsies (Romanies). Scarecrow Press. p. 35. ISBN 9781461672272. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
5. Haj-Najafa, D. (12 May 2009). "Kitsch of the Day, Azis i Ustata's 'Tochno Sega'". The New York Times. Men's Fashion blog. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
6. Watkins, R.; Deliso, C. (2008). Bulgaria. Lonely Planet. p. 52. ISBN 9781741044744. Retrieved 1 January 2014 – via Internet Archive. azis bulgaria.
7. Taras, R (2008). Europe Old and New: Transnationalism, Belonging, Xenophobia. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 200. ISBN 9780742557345. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
8. Fricker, K; Gluhovic, M, eds. (2013). Performing the 'New' Europe: Identities, Feelings and Politics in the Eurovision Song Contest. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 9781137367976. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
9. ^ Imre, A (2009). Identity Games: Globalization and the Transformation of Media Cultures in the New Europe. MIT Press. p. 125. ISBN 9780262090452. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
10. 'They forgave me for being gay and Roma due to my voice' – DW – 10/17/2024. Retrieved 7 December 2024 – via www.dw.com.
11. ^ "Bulgaria's Gay Idol Becomes Father". Novinite.com. 5 August 2007. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
12. "Азис и Китаеца се разделиха без скандали" [Azis and a Chinese parted without scandals]. vsekiden.com (in Bulgarian). 29 April 2008. Archived from the original on 4 January 2014. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
13. Kourtova P; Attwood F; et al., eds. (2012). Controversial Images: Media Representations on the Edge. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 60. ISBN 9781137291998. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
14. Daskalova K, et al. (2012). Gendering Post-socialist Transition: Studies of Changing Gender Perspectives. LIT Verlag Münster. p. 85. ISBN 9783643902290. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
15. "Свалят скандални билбордове на Азис и Китаеца в София" [Download scandalous billboards Azis and Kitaetsa in Sofia]. news.bg (in Bulgarian). 20 November 2007.
16. Buyuk, Hamdi Firat (14 September 2021). "Islamist Backlash Cancels Bulgarian LGBT Star's Concert in Turkey". Balkan Insight. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
17. "Anonymous defaces website of court that convicted Pussy Riot". The Guardian. United Kingdom. 22 August 2012.

External links

• Azis on Instagram
• Azis at AllMusic

• 1978 births
• Living people
• Bulgarian expatriates in Germany
• Bulgarian pop singers
• Bulgarian folk-pop singers
• Bulgarian people of Romani descent
• Musicians from Sliven
• Romani musicians
• Romani singers
• Bisexual singers
• Romani LGBTQ people
• Bulgarian non-binary people
• Bulgarian LGBTQ singers
• Bulgarian television personalities
• Big Brother (Bulgarian TV series) contestants
• Non-binary singers
• 20th-century Bulgarian LGBTQ people
• 21st-century Bulgarian LGBTQ people
• English-language singers from Bulgaria