istanbul music scene

Istanbul Music Scene

By no means do I pretend to be a connoisseur of or an apt guide to the

music of Istanbul, but here are a few suggestions to those that want

to try out different sounds from the city's music scene, as opposed to

the mainstream Turkish pop and arabesque sounds that tourists will

usually hear.

Istanbul Beats

Pair of plastic guitars Possibly a statement too idealistic to make,

but in music the talent and writing should be the main focus points.

Looking at a beautiful face and body is always a bonus, but the

packaging shouldn't overtake the album. Good visuals enhance a concept

and help it sell, but it shouldn't be the driving force of an album.

Shiny pictures are nice, but the songs should shine more.

The pop industry has suffered from what some commentators call this

"production of plastic" for the last two years. Apart from a few

outstanding albums notably from female singers Hande Yener and G�ksel

and male singer Kenan Dogulu, everything else just seems to sound the

same. The lyrics are meaningless; the melodies devoid of any

originality. Some would argue that this is the natural result of music

production companies who are constantly trying to sell faces not

talent. Most fans and critics want to see music on the shelves of

their local music store, not meat.

No Plastic

No plastic Underground music and independent artists are gaining wider

audiences, as a reaction to the seemingly shallow nature of mainstream

pop. However, reactions vary from the subtle to the extreme.

Ignoring the giant music companies that are mass producing synthetic

stars, one band decided to release their song on the Net and became so

popular that it led to the release of an album, while a four man rock

band Mor ve �tesi that formed in 1995, also seem to have something new

to say with each succeeding album. The group's planned release of a

limited LP version of their 2004 release D�nya Yalan S�yl�yor (The

World is Telling Lies), and a re-mastered montage of Andrei

Khrjanovsky's 1968 animation Glass Harmonica as the video to their

song "Uyan" (Wake Up) from that album, is considered to be a good

example of their individual style.

A possible stronger reaction has come from the rising popularity of

homegrown hip hop in Turkey, possibly best epitomised in Sagopa

Kajmer's "S.K.T.R.N.G.D.N." (F.C.K.F.F), where in no uncertain terms

there is a call for the "bitches of pop to fuck off". Many of the

words in Kajmer's rant allude to the lyrics in Tarkan's songs,

possibly as he is seen as a figurehead of Turkish pop. It can be

argued however that it isn't Tarkan, but the infiltration en masse of

his xerox copies in the industry that are the problem.

From the Songs of the Sultans to the Streets

Along with the degeneration of pop music, the failing popularity of

Turkish classical music has also been debated by Turkish music

critics.

It is arguable whether a genre that boasts an archive of songs that

stretches back five centuries will disappear, yet this traditional

genre is getting help from alternative streams of music. Just as pop

plastic has found opposition in hip hop and rock steel, conversely it

seems that on the agenda of these popular fringe groups is the aim of

keeping this Ottoman heritage alive, if only to adhere themselves to

mainstream success without employing pop tactics.

Most Turkish youths today can easily sing from memory these songs of

the Sultans and makams that were written throughout the ages,

successfully handed down from generation to generation.

Not many countries can say the same about their young demographic

groups, except in countries where folk songs are still of interest,

such as Italy where regional songs are popular amongst the Italian

youth. However, the music of Turkey archives its musical folk heritage

separately from the musicology of Ottoman classical music, with the

youth of Turkey embracing both genres with each succeeding generation.

So, it can be said to be unique.

Tapping into this source, rock groups have successfully covered such

classical pieces, including Kargo and their compilation of covers in a

2005 album Yildizlarin Altinda (Under the Stars) and the old classic

song "�ile B�lb�l�m" (My Nightingale of Sorrow) re-chisled in hard

rock by group Duman. Teoman and Sebnem Ferah whose new albums usually

signal the resurgence of interest in mainstream Turkish rock, also

employ cover versions of old Turkish songs.

Respected popular artist Candan Er�etin's 2005 release Aman Doktor not

only breathed new life into her selection of old classics, but has

introduced a Greek flavour into the concept of her album, reminding

listeners of the marriage between Greek and Turkish music during the

Ottoman Empire. Seen as the ambassador of Turkish pop, Tarkan had

classical music training and recorded a duet with Ottoman music diva

M�zeyyen Senar in 1998. The singer also commented after making a guest

appearance at a classical music concert that he would like to release

an album of old classics, when he has had his fill of playing away

from home. He usually sings a few classical pieces at his concerts and

employed this genre to endear himself to the Turkish public after his

live TV gaffe to a reporter in 1994. Mp3 rips of some of these live

appearances have been distributed around Tarkan communities.

With such a large database for Turkish music artists across all genres

to dip into, it is hard to see how Turkish classical music is in