Eurovision Song Contest Wiki
Advertisement
Eurovision Song Contest Wiki

Kayahan Açar, better known by his first name only, was a Turkish singer-songwriter.

He was born in  İzmir, Turkey; however, he spent most of his youth in Ankara before moving to Istanbul. Kayahan released his debut single in 1971; due to a lack of commercial success, he took a hiatus until 1978, releasing one album at the time. Then, he submitted a song in Turkey's national final for the chance to participate at the Eurovision Song Contest 1978 in Paris, but it didn't make it to the final five. He also submitted songs in 1980, 1984, and 1987, to no avail.

Despite this, Kayahan became a big name due to his composing skills. His songs "Geceler" ("Nights"), "Kar Taneleri" ("Snow Flakes"), "Esmer Günler" ("Brunette Days"), which were sung by Nilüfer, became well-known classics in Turkey, with the former winning the Altın Portokal at the 1986 International Mediterranean Music Contest.

He finally got his chance to represent Turkey at the Eurovision Song Contest 1990 in Zagreb with the self-penned Gözlerinin Hapsindeyim, which placed 17th on the night. Despite this, his album, Yemin Ettim, which was released the following year, was a major success. A number of successful albums followed, with the 1995 Allah'ım Neydi Günahım ("God, what was my sin") becoming a highly-covered song in the country. In addition, he won a number of awards and toured across Turkey and abroad.

Along with his success as a singer-songwriter, he also sung for a number of children's shows beginning in 1986.

Kayahan survived cancer twice, in 1990 and 2005. In 2014, he was afflicted with the disease for the third time; he died a year later on April 3, a few days after his 66th birthday.

Eurovision Song Contest 1990
Participants
Flag of SpainAzúcar MorenoFlag of GreeceChristos Callow & WaveFlag of BelgiumPhilippe LafontaineFlag of TurkeyKayahan ft. Demet SağıroğluFlag of The NetherlandsMaywoodFlag of LuxembourgCéline CarzoFlag of United KingdomEmma BoothFlag of IcelandStjórninFlag of NorwayKetil StokkanFlag of IsraelRitaFlag of DenmarkLonnie DevantierFlag of SwitzerlandEgon EgemannFlag of GermanyChris Kempers & Daniel KovacFlag of FranceJoëlle UrsullFlag of YugoslaviaTajčiFlag of PortugalNuchaFlag of IrelandLiam ReillyFlag of SwedenEdin-ÅdahlFlag of ItalyToto CutugnoFlag of AustriaSimoneFlag of CyprusHaris AnastasiouFlag of FinlandBeat
Songs
Flag of SpainBandidoFlag of GreeceHoris SkopoFlag of BelgiumMacédomienneFlag of TurkeyGözlerinin HapsindeyimFlag of The NetherlandsIk wil alles met je delenFlag of LuxembourgQuand je te rêveFlag of United KingdomGive a Little Love Back To The WorldFlag of IcelandEitt lag ennFlag of NorwayBrandenburger TorFlag of IsraelShara BarkhovotFlag of DenmarkHallo HalloFlag of SwitzerlandMusik klingt in die Welt hinausFlag of GermanyFrei zu lebenFlag of FranceWhite and Black BluesFlag of YugoslaviaHajde da ludujemoFlag of PortugalHá sempre alguémFlag of IrelandSomewhere In EuropeFlag of SwedenSom en vindFlag of ItalyInsieme: 1992Flag of AustriaKeine Mauern mehrFlag of CyprusMilas PoliFlag of FinlandFri?
Advertisement