04.03.2025 10:30
Master artist Edip Akbayram, in his last interview before his passing in Antalya, stated, "I am the melodic voice of society, above being an artist. I create art for society and express the issues of the people in the community I live in."
In the past months, the artist Edip Akbayram, who passed away on the evening of March 2 after being hospitalized due to pneumonia, gave his last interview to documentary film director Serkan Koç on December 19 last year in Antalya.
Sharing the turning points and memories of his life, Edip Akbayram said, "I live like an ordinary person. I am the melodic voice of society above artistry. I create art for society, expressing the problems of the people in the society I live in. You can be the best singer in the world. If you sing in a room and it goes nowhere, you cannot call that art. Art is sharing, it is truth, it is beauty, it is hope. I have been trying to do this for years."
"LABOR IS THE HIGHEST VALUE"
Stating that he stands by the oppressed people in all his songs and sings for them, Akbayram said, "Labor is the highest value. The worker's hand is to be kissed. An artist is a person who feeds on daily life. Sometimes you share a love, express anger, or convey hatred through your songs. We live with the society we are in. For years, I have tried to be the voice of workers, retirees, university students, and unemployed teachers with the songs I have sung in the society I live in. I will continue to do so."
"MY COUNTRY HAS ALSO BEEN AFFECTED BY POLLUTION"
Noting that he gave concerts in 8 countries last year, Akbayram said, "In the panorama I observed in the cities I visited, I saw that the world is polluted. My beautiful country is also affected by this pollution. We were a society that would extend our hand to help those who fell. Now we have become a society that kicks those who fall. This is not just an example for my own country, but a reflection of the pollution developing in the world."
"WE ARE BETRAYING THE COUNTRY"
Emphasizing the importance of nature for a person's mental state, Akbayram said, "When I look out the window of a hotel in Paris, I see a gray, foggy atmosphere. I see images of weariness on the faces of people in front of the metro. The same atmosphere is in London. I have not seen a sunnier day in London. Belgium is like that, the Netherlands is like that. In the end, I said, 'I would sacrifice myself for the sun of my country.' Those feelings made me say this. We live in a country like paradise, but we are betraying this country."