How Many Male Turkish Pop Musicians are They

Added: 01/30/2006

So when is the last time you heard a song on the Billboard Top ten that was performed by male Turkish pop musicians? Probably not very recently. But that doesn't matter, because Tarkan and Mustafa Sandal are the two names of male Turkish pop musicians very well-known in the international world of pop music. Their music gained thousands of fans in Europe and the rest of the world due to the remarkable mixture of Western harmonies and technological developments with Eastern exotic: Turkish folk songs and Arabic melodies. They never fail to surprise us with their new creations, which top the world charts, and maybe one day the charts in the US as well.

Who among male Turkish pop musicians is so popular in Europe and America for singing songs in his native language? Certainly it's Tarkan.

Now he is referred to as "the face of the country" (and handsome, I must say), representing his young, free-minded and democratic generation, crashing down the stereotypes existing in the Western world. The albums of this singer, nowadays the most famous among male Turkish pop musicians, are sold in several million copies. But hardly everybody who listens to his music knows his story.

Tarkan was born in Germany in 1972, where he lived with his parents, Turkish emigrants. His interest in music has always been deep and natural. When he turned 14 he came back to Turkey to take "Turkish Classical Music" classes. Mehmet Sogutoglu is the one who "discovered" a young talented guy and helped him to record his first album. In 1993, a new name was added to the list of male Turkish pop musicians - Tarkan recorded his first album, "Yine Sensiz" (Without you again). A number of concerts made this name popular in the country.

Soon he met Sezen Aksu, a famous female Turkish singer who is considered to be the founder of today's pop music in Turkey. The meeting was not only a source of inspiration for Tarkan but also resulted in a fruitful cooperation over a couple of songs. His second album "Aacayipsin" (You are sensational) is noted for the greatest sponsored national tour he accomplished in 1995. From 1994 to1997 there were 3 big Europe tours. Eventually international fame came to the singer when "Olurum Sana" (I die for you) Tarkan`s third album was recorded. It sold 3.5 million copies. Tarkan is still conquering the international public and full of plans for the future.

Now when we talk about male Turkish pop musicians the second name which inevitably comes to our mind is Mustafa Sandal. His attempts to occupy his own niche on the international market were not as successful as Tarkan`s (though there is always a place to doubt that), but in his Motherland he is equally famous. The fans of both singers consider themselves rivals and are sure that only their idol bears the palm.

The stories of these two singers are rather similar. Mustafa Sandal left his economic education in the US New Hampshire College unfinished for his passion for music and returned to Turkey. He became noticeable among Turkish pop musicians with his album "Suc Bende" in 1994. His second album "Golgede Ayni", released in 1997, increased his popularity to the level of a national pop star. The next year he toured in Europe and the US and continued to produce wonderful music. Not long ago his hit "Isyankar" (Rebellious) topped the charts of Europe. This fact fully characterizes the world`s attitude towards his music.

There is an interesting peculiarity about Mustafa Sandal: he is not only a pop singer but also a songwriter and producer. His works in this field have been rather successful. With his help Turkey got two new rising artists: Sibel Alas and Izel.

Listen to the music of these two male Turkish pop musicians and you will like it for its wonderful combination of Western pop rhythms and exotic Eastern tunes.

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