Aygun Kazimova

Aygun Kazimova
Kazimova in 2025
Kazimova in 2025
Background information
Born (1971-01-26) 26 January 1971
Baku, Azerbaijan SSR, USSR
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer-songwriter
  • actress
Instrument
  • Vocals
Years active1986–present
Labels
  • BEAT Music
  • Bakı-Raks
  • SS production
  • Böyük Şahinlər
  • Sabuhi AMD
  • Dokuz Sekiz Müzik
  • DMC

Aygun Alasgar gyzy Kazimova (Azerbaijani: Aygün Ələsgər qızı Kazımova; born on 26 January 1971) is an Azerbaijani singer, songwriter, pop musician, and actress in Azerbaijan. Kazimova wrote and sang the anthem of the 2012 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup. Her duet with Snoop Dogg "Coffee from Colombia" was a number one hit on the Azerbaijani, Turkish, Czech Republic, Colombian, Georgian and Russian charts. Kazimova has recorded ten albums.[1]

Early life

Kazimova is the youngest of four children.[2] After graduating high school, she briefly enrolled in the Maarif Tekhnikum of Arts, which she left in 1986.[3] During this period, she performed with the Gaya youth band.[4]

Career

Kazimova began her professional solo career in 1988 after winning first prize at the Baki Payizi-88 (Baku Autumn-88) music contest.[5] She received an award at the Yurmala music competition in 1989 and also earned distinction at "The Voice of Asia" music contest in Kazakhstan in 1992.[6]

Kazimova released her first album, featuring fourteen tracks, in 1997 called Sevgi Gülləri (Flowers of Love).[7] She was awarded the title of Honored Artist of Azerbaijan in 2001.[8]

In 2005, Kazimova played the title role in the musical Khari Bulbullar directed by Arif Gaziyev, and the role of Sanam in the screen version of the play Meshadi Ibad.[9] She has also hosted several television shows.[2]

In 2013, Kazimova collaborated with Snoop Dogg[10] for the song "Coffee From Columbia", which was released by Dokuz Sekiz Müzik and included remixes by My Digital Enemy and Bimbo Jones.

Personal life

Kazimova married Ilgar Ibrahimov, in 1989.[11] Their daughter, Ilgara, was born in 1990.[11] The couple divorced in 1991.[4][12]

In 1994, Kazimova married Rza Guliyev, a nephew of former parliamentary speaker and later opposition figure Rasul Guliyev.[13] The couple separated following Guliyev's arrest in 1996.[4][12]

From 2001 to 2002, Kazimova was in a relationship with Turkish actor and model Mert Kılıç.[14] She later entered into a relationship with meykhana singer Namig Garachukhurlu, which lasted from 2004 to 2010.[15] The couple confirmed their separation in August 2010.[16][17]

In September 2014, Kazimova alluded to changes in her private life; follow-up reports highlighted a pendant with the letter "F" and speculation about a new partner.[18][19] In March 2016, Kazimova confirmed her relationship with Farhad Aliyev, son of energy minister Natig Aliyev.[20] Later that year, Kazimova announced the relationship had ended.[21][22]

Discography

Studio album

  • Ömrüm – Günüm (1997)
  • Ah...! (1998)
  • Aygün (2000)
  • Sevdim (2001)
  • Sevgi gülləri (2003)
  • Sevərsənmi? (2005)
  • Yenə tək (2008)

Compilation albums

Live albums

  • Crystal Hall (2020)

EPs

Singles

Year Name
2011 Petrol
2012 Qoy bütün aləm bizdən danışsın
2012 Hayat Ona Güzel
2012 İkinci Sen (feat. Sinan Akçıl)
2012 İkinci Sen (Batu Çaldıran Remix) (feat. Sinan Akçıl)
2012 Gol
2013 Telafisi Yok
2014 Sənə Xəstəyəm
2015 Unutmuşam
2015 Aklım Başıma Geldi
2016 Arama beni
2017 Seni Böyle Sevmediler
2017 S.U.S.
2018 Hardasan
2018 Yakıştın Bana (feat. Rauf)
2018 AYA (feat. Rauf)
2019 Paramparça
2019 Dola Mənə Qolunu (feat. Rəsul Əfəndiyev)
2019 Mən Gəlirəm
2019 Kim Dinler Sizi
2019 Gedək Şəhərdən (feat. Rəsul Əfəndiyev)
2019 Jalma (feat. Philipp Kirkorov)
2019 Ehtiyacım Var
2019 Can Azərbaycan (feat. Philipp Kirkorov)
2020 Bizdən Danışaq (feat. Rauf)
2020 Jalma (Remake) (Solo)
2020 Deli fikirler
2020 İcazəli (feat. Miri Yusif)
2020 Paramparça (acoustic)
2020 Əsgər Marşı
2020 Vətən oğlu
2021 Yarımdı o (feat. Rəsul Əfəndiyev)
2021 Bu qadın
2021 Söylə
2021 Azərbaycan Türkiyə (Remake)
2021 De
2021 Denizin Ortasında
2021 Lya Lya Fa
2021 Азербайджан (Azerbaijan) (feat. Emin)
2022 Saxla Şəkilləri (feat. Rauf)
2022 Ey Mənim Dünyam (2022 Remake)
2022 Погоди, постой (Wait, wait) (feat. Rəsul Əfəndiyev)
2023 Qorxuram
2023 Vəfasızlar Unudulmur
2023 Dəyməzmiş
2023 Çalxala
2023 Parol
2024 Bilmək Olmaz
2024 Sağ-Salamat
2024 Maşallah (feat. Genco Ecer)
2024 Turan Gəlir
2024 S.O.S
2024 1 (feat. Kazım Can)
2024 Can Ol
2025 Etiraf
2025 Əlcək
2025 Üfüq
2025 Abrakadabra
2025 Rəqs
2025 Mərd Adam
2026 Məsafələr feat. Nəsimi Məmmədov
2026 Oxudum feat. YAP10
2026 Karma

Filmography

Television

Year Program Character Episode TV
1998–1999 Aygün Bu Gün Herself season 2 Sara TV
2000–2001 Bumeranq Şou season 1 Lider TV
2001 Gecə yarısı season 1 ANS TV
2003 Gələn Var season 1 Space TV
2005 Aygün Bu Gün season 1 Space TV
Yeni Ulduz ATV
2008–2010 Xeyir Ola season 2 ATV
2011 Extreme Azerbaijan season 1 Space TV
2015–2016 Ozunu Tanit season 1 ATV

Film

Title Year Role Notes Ref.
Yarımştat 1996 Aygün
Yaşıl eynəkli adam 2 1999 Aygün
Nekroloq 2001 Aygün
Qış nağılı 2002 Aygün
Tam məxfi 2004 Aygün
Xarı Bülbüllər 2005 Xurşudbanu Natəvan
Məşədi İbad 94 2005 Sənəm
Adam Ol 2006 Aygün
3 Bacı 2013–2014 Aygün soundtrack

Awards

Aygun Kazimova awards and nominations
Totals[a]
Wins2
Nominations9
Note
  1. ↑ Certain award groups do not simply award one winner. They acknowledge several different recipients, have runners-up, and have third place. Since this is a specific recognition and is different from losing an award, runner-up mentions are considered wins in this award tally. For simplification and to avoid errors, each award in this list has been presumed to have had a prior nomination.

Big Apple Music Awards

The "Big Apple Music Awards" is an annual American awards show.[23][24]

Year Nominated work Award Result Ref
2015 Aygun Kazimova Best Azerbaijani Female Artist Nominated [25]
2015 Best Caucasian Female Artist Nominated [25]

Daf Bama Music Awards

The "Daf Bama Music Awards "is an annual German awards show.[26]

Year Nominated work Award Result Ref
2015 Aygun Kazimova Best Azerbaijani Female Artist Nominated [26]
2016 Best Azerbaijani Female Artist Won [27]
2017 BAMA People's Choice Award Nominated [28]
2018 Best Azerbaijani Female Artist Nominated

Kral Music Awards

Year Nominated work Award Result Reference
2012 Hayat Ona Güzel Song of the Year Nominated [29]
Best Female Artist Nominated [30]

Golden Butterfly Awards

Year Nominated work Award Result Ref
2017 Aygun Kazimova Best Azerbaijani Female Artist Nominated [31]
2018 Best Azerbaijani Female Artist Won [32]

Aygun and Queerbaiting

Although Aygun Kazımova has frequently engaged in visual experiments and controversial themes throughout her career, her relationship with gay culture and queer aesthetics has been met with both acclaim and severe criticism — specifically accusations of queerbaiting — by local and regional media.[33]

The song "Mavi" and early criticism

One of the singer's earliest high-profile works related to the queer community was the song "Mavi" (Blue/Gay), performed during the middle years of her career. Due to its lyrics — which contained frivolous, caricatured, and to some extent critical undertones regarding homosexual individuals — the track was evaluated in later years by independent queer activists and platforms like Minority Azerbaijan as a project that marginalized the community.[34]

The "S.O.S." music video and queerbaiting allegations

In July 2024, Aygün Kazımova released her single "S.O.S." alongside a high-budget music video.[35] Although the video achieved massive commercial success, quickly accumulating over 50 million views on digital platforms, it triggered widespread allegations of queerbaiting (the practice of attracting a queer audience or exploiting queer culture for commercial purposes without offering genuine socio-political support).

The video heavily incorporated elements of 1990s New York gay culture, such as vogue dancing, drag queen aesthetics, and the slogan "Viva la diva", which directly references the imagery of international trans icons. However, human rights advocates from the community accused the artist of using queer culture merely as a "rental outfit" to generate streaming numbers and media buzz, while remaining silent on the actual legal and social struggles faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in real life. Due to these characteristics, the project was negatively contrasted with the activities of global queer icons like Madonna and Lady Gaga, whose visual aesthetics are backed by lifelong activism.[33]

Lady Slim and repercussions in Turkish media

The core controversy surrounding the "S.O.S." project involved its casting choices. The Azerbaijani queer community and fans widely expected the video to feature Lady Slim (Seymur Babayev), who is internationally recognized as Azerbaijan's first professional drag queen but faces heavy domestic censorship and institutional barriers.[36][37]

Instead, Kazımova bypassed the local artist entirely and cast Anna Tholia, a drag performer from Turkey. Critics and media analysts suggested that this decision was a strategic PR move to expand into the Turkish entertainment market while shielding the project from conservative boycotts and domestic censorship within Azerbaijan. This casting choice, initially criticized by Azerbaijani queer media, was subsequently picked up and widely discussed in the Turkish press. While some video essays slammed the final production value — claiming the drag presentation resembled a "clownish, cheap circus parody" rather than high art — commentators noted that the controversy ultimately forced open a rare, mainstream conversation about queer representation in both Azerbaijani[38] and Turkish media.[39]

References

  1. ↑ saytı, Azərbaycanın xəbər (5 September 2023). "Aygün Kazımova Snoop Doggun sərsəmləmələrinə SƏSSİZ - QALDI". Azərbaycanın xəbər saytı (in Azerbaijani). Retrieved 6 December 2025.
  2. 1 2 Az, Taniyaq (20 May 2025). "Aygün Kazımova Kimdir? - Tanıyaq.az" (in Azerbaijani). Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  3. ↑ "Bu gün Xalq artisti Aygün Kazımovanın doğum günüdür". az.baku-art.com (in Azerbaijani). Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 Aygun Kazimova: Biography. Kazimova's Official Fan Club Aygunfans.ws
  5. ↑ "Onu həyatda yalnız səhnə xoşbəxt edir: "Bakı payızı"ndan "Altın Kelebek"ə gedən yol". BiG.Az (in Azerbaijani). Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  6. ↑ "Aygün Kazımova | music for your station playlist — iPluggers". ipluggers.com. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  7. ↑ "Aygün Kazımova". Metbuat.az (in Azerbaijani). Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  8. ↑ https://modern.az/aygun-kazimovanin-40-yasi-tamam-oldu-fotolar/10724?utm_source
  9. ↑ Mashad Ibad-94, Planeta Parni iz Baku, retrieved 30 October 2025
  10. ↑ Aygün Kazimova Feat. Snoop Dogg: Coffee from Colombia, ReKon Productions, 16 August 2013, retrieved 30 October 2025
  11. 1 2 modern.az (26 January 2014). "43 yaşlı Aygün - FOTOLAR". Modern.az (in Azerbaijani). Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  12. 1 2 Dedim ki, Izim Qala Archived 12 July 2007 at the Wayback Machine. Aysel Magazine. January 2006
  13. ↑ Milli.Az (26 January 2023). "Aygün Kazımovanın həyatında rolu olan 10 kişi - Adlar". Milli.Az (in Azerbaijani). Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  14. ↑ "Ben Mert'i, Bülent Ersoy'a yedirtmem". Hürriyet Daily News. 11 August 2002. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  15. ↑ modern.az (22 May 2014). "Aygün Kazımova: "7 il Namiqlə bir yastığa baş qoymuşuq,.. İndi gah nala, gah mıxa vurur"". Modern.az (in Azerbaijani). Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  16. ↑ "Aygün Kazımova ilə Namiq Qaraçuxurlu ayrıldı". anspress.com. Archived from the original on 8 October 2017. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  17. ↑ "Айгюн Кязимова рассталась с Намиком Гарачухурлу". 1News.az. 27 August 2010. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  18. ↑ "Айгюн Кязимова рассказала о переменах в личной жизни". 1News.az. 16 September 2014. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  19. ↑ "Возлюбленный Айгюн Кязимовой устроил ей неожиданный сюрприз в прямом эфире — ФОТО/ВИДЕО". 1News.az. 17 September 2014. Retrieved 6 November 2025.
  20. ↑ "Aygün Natiq Əliyevin oğlu ilə sevgili imiş... — Video". Qafqazinfo (in Azerbaijani). 6 March 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  21. ↑ "Айгюн Кязимова рассказала о своих любовных отношениях с сыном министра Натика Алиева". Baku.ws. 17 March 2016. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  22. ↑ "Aygün Kazımova nazir Natiq Əliyevin oğlu ilə yaşadığı sevgidən danışdı (VİDEO)". Baku.ws (in Azerbaijani). 7 March 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  23. ↑ "Aygün Kazımova "Big Apple Music Awards 2015" müsabiqəsində |". Archived from the original on 30 June 2018. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
  24. ↑ "bama2018". bama2018. Archived from the original on 30 June 2018. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  25. 1 2 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 3 September 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  26. 1 2 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 3 September 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  27. ↑ "Aygün Kazımova "DAF BAMA Music Awards – 2016"-da – FOTO". oxu.az. 15 August 2016. Archived from the original on 30 June 2018. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  28. ↑ 1news. "Aygün Kazımova Avropa musiqi mükafatına namizəd olub – FOTO – VİDEO". 1news.az. Archived from the original on 28 November 2018. Retrieved 8 January 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  29. ↑ "Azerbaycan'ın Divasi Aygün Kazımova Türkiye Müzik Ödülleri Gecesinde". Archived from the original on 17 April 2013. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  30. ↑ "KRAL TV ´TÜRKİYE MÜZİK ÖDÜLLERİ´ ADAY ADAYLARI AÇIKLANDI". sinemamuzik.com. Archived from the original on 29 June 2018. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  31. ↑ "Aygün Kazımova "Altın Kelebekden imtina etdi – 2017"".
  32. ↑ "Aygun Kazimova Altin Kelebek Kazandi". 9 December 2018.
  33. 1 2 "Minority Azerbaijan - Aygün Kazımova's "S.O.S" music video". minorityaze.org. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  34. ↑ Aygün Kazımova (14 December 2016). Aygün Kazımova & Dəyirman Elshad Xose - Mavi Mavi. Retrieved 5 August 2026 – via YouTube.
  35. ↑ "Aygün Kazımova - S.O.S (Official Music Video)". BEAT Music. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  36. ↑ "Lady Slim, the Inspirational Drag Queen from Azerbaijan shattering boundaries and redefining Drag Culture". Chai Khana. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  37. ↑ "Drag, resistance, and identity: the journey of Azerbaijan's first drag queen". OC Media. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  38. ↑ Arzu Bayraqdar (26 July 2024). #17 QUEERBAITING NƏDİR, NƏ DEYİL : AYGÜN KAZIMOVA -- S.O.S, HARRY-NİN ETİRAFLARI. Retrieved 5 August 2026 – via YouTube.
  39. ↑ NWS (21 July 2025). Aygun Kazimova's "SOS" video discussed in turkish media. Retrieved 5 August 2026 – via YouTube.
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