Vasil Troyanov Boyanov (; born 7 March 1978), professionally known as Azis (), is a

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...

n recording artist of

Romani Romani may refer to: Ethnicities * Romani people, an ethnic group of Northern Indian origin, living dispersed in Europe, the Americas and Asia ** Romani genocide, under Nazi rule * Romani language, any of several Indo-Aryan languages of the Roma ...

ethnicity. Azis initially rose to prominence in

Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russ ...

performing songs mostly in

chalga Chalga (; often referred to as pop-folk, short for "popular folk" or ethno-pop, short for "ethnic pop") is a Bulgarian music genre. Chalga or pop-folk is essentially a folk-inspired dance music genre, with a blend of Bulgarian music (Bulgarian ...

, a genre which can be described as the Bulgarian rendition of

pop-folk Turbo-folk (sometimes referred as pop-folk or popular folk) is subgenre of contemporary pop music with its origins in Serbia, that initially developed during the 1980s and 1990s, with similar music styles in Bulgaria (chalga), Romania (manele ...

. Azis has collaborated with other Bulgarian pop-folk singers, such as

Gloria Gloria may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Christian liturgy and music * Gloria in excelsis Deo, the Greater Doxology, a hymn of praise * Gloria Patri, the Lesser Doxology, a short hymn of praise ** Gloria (Handel) ** Gloria (Jenkins) ...

, Malina,

Sofi Marinova Sofiya "Sofi" Marinova Kamenova ( bg, София "Софи" Маринова Каменова, is a Bulgarian Romani pop-folk and ethno-pop singer. She has won multiple music awards and contests. She is often called "the Romani pearl" and "the ...

Toni Storaro Toni Storaro ( bg, Тони Стораро; born Tuncher Fikret Ali, bg, Тунчер Фикрет Али, tr, Tunçer Fikret Ali; on 2 August 1976)rap artist Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

s – Ustata and Vanko 1. Other than that, his repertoire includes duets with singers from the

former Yugoslavia The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yu ...

, including

Indira Radić Indira Radić (; ; born 14 June 1966) is a Bosnian Serb pop-folk singer. She has established herself on the music scene of the former Yugoslavia and Bulgaria and sings almost exclusively in her native tongue. In the period from 1992 to 2015 she r ...

Marta Savić Marta Savić (; born 7 May 1966) is a Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnian-born Serbian turbo-folk singer. Early life Marta Savić was born to Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnian Serb parents in Vranjak, Modriča, Vranjak, a village nea ...

Jelena Karleuša Jelena Karleuša ( sr-cyr, Јелена Карлеуша; born 17 August 1978) is a Serbian singer and media personality. Born and raised in Belgrade, she rose to prominence upon the release of her debut album ''Ogledalce'' in 1995, which was su ...

and Severina. Boyanov performed "

Let Me Cry Bulgaria participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 with the song "Let Me Cry" written by Dani Milev and Elina Gavrilova. The song was performed by Mariana Popova. The Bulgarian broadcaster Bulgarian National Television (BNT) organised th ...

" at the

Eurovision Song Contest 2006 The Eurovision Song Contest 2006 was the 51st edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Athens, Greece, following the country's victory at the with the song "My Number One" by Helena Paparizou. Organised by the European Broadcasti ...

with

Mariana Popova Mariana Popova ( bg, Мариана Попова) (born 6 June 1978) is a Bulgarian singer. She is known for representing Bulgaria at the Eurovision Song Contest 2006, trainer on The Voice of Bulgaria 2011 and from Vip Brother 2012 – Bulgaria ...

, staying in the semi-finals. Other than his acclaimed career as a vocalist, he competed unsuccessfully in the

2005 Bulgarian parliamentary election Parliamentary elections were held in Bulgaria on 25 June 2005, for the 240 members of the National Assembly. According to exit polls, the Socialists had a lead with around 31%, but without a majority, necessitating the creation of a coalition. Th ...

as a member of the

Euroroma Euroroma ( bg, Евророма) is the biggest political party representing the interests of the Romani people in Bulgaria. Established on 12 December 1998, Euroroma is not strictly an ethnic party, as it is open to everybody who shares its id ...

party. Azis remains a prominent figure in the

Bulgarian music The music of Bulgaria refers to all forms of music associated with the country of Bulgaria, including classical, folk, popular music, and other forms. Classical music, opera, and ballet are represented by composers Emanuil Manolov, Pancho Vladig ...

scene.

Biography

Azis was born Vasil Troyanov Boyanov in

Sliven Sliven ( bg, Сливен ) is the eighth-largest city in Bulgaria and the administrative and industrial centre of Sliven Province and municipality in Northern Thrace. Sliven is famous for its heroic Haiduts who fought against the Ottoman Turk ...

, although his childhood was spent in

Kostinbrod Kostinbrod ( bg, Костинброд ) is a town in western Bulgaria. It is the seat of Kostinbrod Municipality. It is located 15 km west of the capital city of Sofia. It is located on two important transport corridors: Lom — Sofia — T ...

and

Sofia Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and ha ...

. In 1989, after the

fall of communism in Bulgaria The People's Republic of Bulgaria (PRB; bg, Народна Република България (НРБ), ''Narodna Republika Balgariya, NRB'') was the official name of Bulgaria, when it was a socialist republic from 1946 to 1990, ruled by the ...

, he moved with his family to

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. 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 Boyko Metodiev Borisov ( bg, Бойко Методиев Борисов, ; born 13 June 1959) is a Bulgarian politician who served as the prime minister of Bulgaria from 2009 to 2013, 2014 to 2017, and 2017 to 2021, making him Bulgaria's secon ...

, then

mayor of Sofia This is a chronological list of mayors of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, since that post was established after the Liberation of Bulgaria in 1878. The first governor of Sofia was Petr Alabin. Initially, the mayors of Sofia were assigned by the ...

, 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 Kestel is an archaeological site in the Taurus Mountains in Turkey, with important finds related to the study of Tin sources and trade in ancient times. Archaeology Kestel is a probable site of Bronze Age tin mining in the Bolkar range of the ...

Bursa ( grc-gre, Προῦσα, Proûsa, Latin: Prusa, ota, بورسه, Arabic:بورصة) is a city in northwestern Turkey and the administrative center of Bursa Province. The fourth-most populous city in Turkey and second-most populous in the ...

, Turkey, but the performance was cancelled after a campaign by

Islamists Islamism (also often called political Islam or Islamic fundamentalism) is a political ideology which posits that modern states and regions should be reconstituted in constitutional, economic and judicial terms, in accordance with what is c ...

targeting Azis' LGBT identity.

Appearances

* In 2007, Azis and Kitaetsa appeared in the ''

VIP Brother 2 ''VIP Brother 2'' was the second season of the celebrity version of the Bulgarian reality television show Big Brother. It was aired on Nova Television. The show started on 26 March 2007 and ended on 27 April 2007. It lasted for 33 days, 4 days ...

'' edition of ''

Big Brother Bulgaria ''Big Brother'' is a reality show based on the ''Big Brother'' series by Endemol. The show originates from the Netherlands, where in 1999 the first season was aired. At present, the format is spread in a number of countries around the world. ...

''. Azis left the house voluntarily after nineteen days. * Azis was interviewed in the second episode of ''

Michael Palin's New Europe ''Michael Palin's New Europe'' is a travel documentary presented by Michael Palin and first aired in the UK on the BBC on 16 September 2007 and in the US on the Travel Channel on 28 January 2008. Palin visits 20 countries in Central and Easte ...

''. * In 2008 on

PRO.BG bTV Action is a Bulgarian man-based television channel. The channel, along with sports channel RING, bTV, bTV Comedy, bTV Cinema and bTV Lady are part of bTV Media Group, owned by the US media conglomerate CME(through WarnerMedia/AT&T). His ...

, Azis co-hosted the talk show ''Azis' Late Night Show'' with actress Ekaterina Evro. * In August 2012,

Anonymous Anonymous may refer to: * Anonymity, the state of an individual's identity, or personally identifiable information, being publicly unknown ** Anonymous work, a work of art or literature that has an unnamed or unknown creator or author * Anonym ...

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 Pussy Riot is a Russian feminist protest and performance art group based in Moscow that became popular for its provocative punk rock music which later turned into a more accessible style. Founded in August 2011, it has had a membership of appr ...

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 ''Your Face Sounds Familiar'' (Spanish: ''Tu cara me suena'') is a Spanish interactive reality television franchise series where celebrity contestants impersonate singers. The format, similar to Dutch television series ''Soundmixshow'', was f ...

''. 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 Laïko or laïkó ( el, λαϊκό �ραγούδιlaïkó 'tragoúdi'' ; “ongof the people", "popular ong, pl: ''laïká'' 'tragoúdia'' is a Greek music genre composed in Greek language in accordance with the tradition of the Greek peopl ...

vocalist

Panos Kiamos Panos Kiamos (Greek: Πάνος Κιάμος, ) is a Greek laiko– pop singer. Early life Kiamos was born on 4 October 1975 in Athens, where he spent the rest of his adolescent life. In 1994, at the age of 18, he passed the entry exams for m ...

, made a

cover Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of co ...

of Azis' single "Sen Trope" entitled "Fotia me Fotia" (''Fire to Fire''). Serbian

turbo-folk Turbo-folk (sometimes referred as pop-folk or popular folk) is subgenre of contemporary pop music with its origins in Serbia, that initially developed during the 1980s and 1990s, with similar music styles in Bulgaria (chalga), Romania (manele ...

singer

Dragan Kojić Keba Dragan Kojić (), better known as Keba (), is a Serbian singer. Debuted in 1976, he has a career spanning more than four decades and remains one of the most acclaimed Serbian folk singers. Kojić also appeared in the second season of the Serbi ...

covered the same song as "Ona to zna" (''She Knows That''), as well as the Romanian singer

Florin Salam Florin Stoian (born 1 October 1979), better known by his stage name Florin Salam, is a Romani people, Roma manele singer. Beginnings Salam was born into a family of lăutari. During his adolescence, he sang together with his father and uncle's ...

as "Saint Tropez". In November 2012, the Greek singer

Giorgos Tsalikis Giorgos Tsalikis (Γιώργος Τσαλίκης, born 25 October 1975) is a Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the I ...

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

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Azis 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 Gay singers Romani LGBT people Bulgarian non-binary people Bulgarian gay musicians Bulgarian LGBT singers Bulgarian television personalities Big Brother (Bulgarian TV series) contestants Non-binary singers 20th-century Bulgarian LGBT people 21st-century Bulgarian LGBT people Non-binary gay people