Wikipedia'da Tarkan---In the wikipedia, Tarkan
Tarkan Tevetoğlu (born October 17, 1972), popularly known as Tarkan, is a World Music award winning pop singer in Turkey. Tarkan has been known for the use of sexual and romantic themes in his work and has been nicknamed the "Prince Of Pop" by the media.[1] He has released several platinum-selling albums during his career, with an estimated 15 million albums sold.[2] He also produces music through his company HITT Music, which he established in 1997. One of a few European singers that has managed to span chart success over three continents without singing in English, the artist is also noted for his live stage performances. Tarkan's effect on Turkey has been compared by the Washington Post as analogous to Elvis in America circa 1957 and Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmet Ertegün described him as one of the best live performers he had ever seen.[3] He has also been listed by Rhapsody as a key artist in the history of European pop music, with his signature song "Şımarık" as a keystone track that moved the genre forward.[4]
Contents [hide]
1 Early life
2 Career
2.1 Beginnings
2.2 Şıkıdım era (1994-1996)
2.3 Universal kisses (1997-2000)
2.3.1 Military service
2.4 Karma (2001-2003)
2.5 Dudu (2003-2004)
2.6 Coming closer to Europe (2005-2006)
2.6.1 The PETA Controversy
2.7 Metamorphosis (2007-2008)
2.7.1 TrekStor's i.Beat Emo Tarkan Edition
2.8 Current projects
3 Popularity
3.1 Paparazzi terror
4 Private life
5 Awards
6 Discography
6.1 Albums
6.2 Singles
7 See also
8 Further reading
9 References
10 Notes
11 External links
[edit] Early life
Tarkan was born in Alzey, Germany, to Ali and Neşe Tevetoğlu, and was named after a popular 1960s Turkish comic book character.[5] The name is said to originate from an ancient Turkic king or title,[6] meaning bold and strong.[7]
His parents were part of the generation of Turkish immigrants that came to West Germany during that country's economic boom. Tarkan has three older half-siblings named Adnan, Gülay and Nuray from his mother's first marriage, and a brother, Hakan, and younger sister, Handan from her marriage to his father.[8] Although Tarkan was raised in Alzey until the age of 13, his father Ali suddenly decided to move the family back to Turkey in 1986. His father died of a heart attack in 1995 at the age of 49, and was buried in his home village of Rüzgarlı Köy,[9] in the Turkish Black Sea region of Rize. His mother later married an architect, Seyhun Kahraman.[10] Tarkan keeps close ties with his family in Turkey and Germany. He still understands the language though speaks little, since he has been living in Turkey for 20 years.[11]
[edit] Career
Tarkan in Skopje, 2007Tarkan has charted in Russia, Europe and in the Americas with his definitive song "Şımarık" (Spoilt/Kiss Kiss/Chanson Du Bisou/Besos). As a result of its widespread success and immediately recognizable sound of Tarkan kissing on the track, "Şımarık" was reincarnated into English as "Kiss Kiss" by Stella Soleil and later Holly Valance (which notched her a UK number one hit), after the composer Sezen Aksu sold the music rights. It has been covered by various artists across the world in various languages. Another successful Aksu collaboration was the hit single "Şıkıdım" (Shake).[12] His entry into the European musical consciousness kick-started a Turkish pop boom in Germany and Turkey in the 1990s, with his European successes on the verge of the new millennium signalling that the musical borders between Turkey and Europe, more specifically Germany, were dissolving.[13] Because of his success his name was to be taken for granted domestically, if not become a hallmark, in pop music and become the prime example of Turkish pop obtaining an audience outside Turkey to help further the sound development of popular music in Europe.[13] Over the years his works have maintained their popularity, with Tarkan's 2007 studio album Metamorfoz selling over a quarter of a million copies in the first two weeks of its release on 25 December 2007.[14]
[edit] Beginnings
When the Tevetoğlu family relocated to Turkey, Tarkan began to study music in Karamürsel at high school, before being accepted at the Üsküdar Musiki Cemiyeti Academy in Istanbul.[15] After his family moved to İstanbul in 1988, he began to prepare for University entrance exams in 1990, but had a difficult time in İstanbul with little money, and worked in low-paying jobs including a stint as a wedding singer.[9] Music legend has it just as he was preparing to return to Germany, he met Mehmet Söğütoğlu, chairman of the record company İstanbul Plak. Produced by Söğütoğlu, his debut album Yine Sensiz (Without You Again) sold 750 thousand copies after its release in December 1992.[12] For the album he had teamed up with then little known songwriter-composer Ozan Çolakoğlu, who later co-produced his albums. Tarkan's debut provoked mingled feelings among the Turks, but it seemed that young people in Turkish cities who were satisfying their hunger with new sounds from Westerns acts such as Michael Jackson and U2 were looking for their own home grown idol. Considered rebellious for his lyrics, his dressing style and his earrings by traditionalists made him even more attractive to the young. Although his debut album was not extraordinary when compared to other pop albums of the period, what distinguished Tarkan from the earliest days of his musical career was his unique style and image.[16]
“ It happened maybe for the first time in the world of [Turkish] music, that "slang" words were used in songs and the brave young man began to draw attention as much with his songs as with his green eyes.[8] „
—Milliyet
[edit] Şıkıdım era (1994-1996)
The success of Tarkan in the early 90s was seen by some as a sign of growing admiration for Western music, and the artist's real success came two years later. Collaborating with Turkey's "little sparrow", prominent producer and songwriter Sezen Aksu,[17] Tarkan's highly anticipated second album Aacayipsin (Oh - You're Something Else) sold more than two million copies in Turkey and 750 thousand copies in Europe.[12] Such high European sales were a first-time feat for a Turkish performer. Aksu wrote two songs for the album, the radio friendly "Hepsi Senin Mi?", which was later relicensed as "Şıkıdım" (Shake) for the European market, and a pop-rock number "Şeytan Azapta". "Hepsi Senin Mi?" incorporated shaky Turkish rhythms and lyrics of pure slang, and in the video to the song Tarkan slanted his body to the rhythmic melody of the song while displaying a naked chest. This was considered to be bold and daring in the newly opening but still conservative Turkish music industry.[9] Building on his taboo-breaking and rebellious image, the video to "Şeytan Azapta" incorporated scenes from the tour that followed, where dancers would strip Tarkan naked on stage. This erotic persona was enhanced by the artist posing naked and semi-naked for the most popular Turkish magazines of the period,[18] including becoming the first male to make the front cover of the domestic division of the Cosmopolitan (Cosmo).[9]
In 1994 he experienced a dip in the new found celebrity status the album had generated, when he made a live broadcast gaffe on private Turkish TV channel ATV's anniversary celebration during an interview. His response when asked how he was, captured live on camera, was "Çişim var, ağabey." ("I've gotta pee, man.") He was publicly criticised for the comment and only after performing traditional songs on another TV special did he endear himself again to the nation.[3]
In part to remove himself from media scrutiny, Tarkan moved to New York in 1994 to complete his education at Baruch College and learn English in the U.S.[19] During this period he filmed a video to another song from his second album, "Dön Bebeğim", in New York. Again Tarkan stripped for this project, but this time he wasn't alone. Sharing a bed with a female American model for the slow love song, the opening scenes of the video show the two naked and simulating the aftermath of a love scene. Unused sex scenes from the video are still aired on celebrity entertainment programmes from time to time in Turkey.[20] While in America, he met the Turkish founder of Atlantic Records, Ahmet Ertegün, who had seen him perform in İstanbul at the celebrations of the TV station during which he had made his speech gaffe.[9] Tarkan has described Ertegün as his mentor in music and business.[21] Ertegün, who passed away in December 2006, had long been preparing Tarkan for an American career,[3] but Tarkan re-started his English debut album several times.[22]
[edit] Universal kisses (1997-2000)
In July 1997, the hit song "Şımarık" kick started promotions in Turkey for his third studio album Ölürüm Sana (I'd Die For You). This album took a total of three years to complete. Tarkan collaborated once more with Aksu and music engineer Çolakoğlu for the album, which would go on to become his highest grossing album and win the artist his first music industry award for his song "Şımarık". In Turkey alone, Ölürüm Sana sold 4.5 million copies. However, it was only an indication of things to come.[12]
Signed by the French branch of recording label PolyGram (now Universal Music) after the single "Şımarık" was released in Europe in 1999, Tarkan reached number three in places like Switzerland,[23] the Netherlands,[24] France, and Germany; the song also reached number one in Belgium. He was awarded a gold disc at the Cannes Midem Awards. As the first artist of Turkish origin to sell 500,000 albums in France, in an interview for CNN he said: "It feels wild, you know, because in the beginning I never thought it was going to really happen. It's all in Turkish, you know, and nobody understands a word. But I think it's a groove. It's the kisses that are universal."[21]
Following the success of the single, Tarkan released a compilation album for Europe entitled Tarkan. He won a World Music Award in Monaco for its rapid sales. He released two more singles in Europe under the Universal ticket: "Şıkıdım" and "Bu Gece" ("Tonight").[12]
Tarkan travelled throughout Europe and Latin America to promote his music. Appearing in Ukraine, Morocco, Tunisia and Russia, he gave a total of eighteen concerts in seventeen European cities. In Latin America the album provided Tarkan with a strong fan base, especially in Mexico, where Universal Music funded a promotional tour at the end of 1999.[25] However, this visit had to be postponed until the second week of March 2000, because Tarkan was called up for military service, which he had suspended to allow for studies in New York. In 2000, the self-titled album was released in the USA with a Universal Latino ticket. Sales went platinum in Latin America.[26]
This album was also to mark an end in his successful musical partnership with Aksu and temporarily end friendly relations between the two artists. A copyright dispute erupted between Tarkan and Aksu over the track "Şımarık", which ultimately blocked the singer's chance to release an English-language version of the song. The music was initially credited as composed by Aksu, Tarkan and Çolakoğlu, but Tarkan later admitted in a 2006 interview that this had been done without Aksu's consent, who was the true copyright owner.[27] During the dispute, Sezen Aksu released the publishing rights instead to other artists, including Holly Vallance.
[edit] Military service
At the height of his fame in 1999, Tarkan was called up for military service, which had been legally deferred since 1995. The deadline for commencement had ended in 1998, but due to contractual obligations abroad after the success of his compilation album he did not return to Turkey to do his military service. The media discussed whether Tarkan should be viewed as a deserter and stripped of his citizenship; even the Turkish parliament discussed the issue.[28][29] After the August 1999 earthquake shook Turkey, the 28-day military service was passed, which allowed for a very short term of service provided that those covered by the law paid $16,000 for the benefit of the earthquake victims.[3] Tarkan returned to Turkey in 2000 and took advantage of this law, completing his service in twenty-eight days. Before entering the army, he gave a return concert in Istanbul, the benefits of which were donated to an earthquake victims' fund.[9] Of his time in military training, he said:
“ It was January and snowing like crazy. It was tough; the food was terrible. Eighteen months of my life for nothing? I thought my own dreams were more important.[3] „
—Washington Post
[edit] Karma (2001-2003)
In March 2001, Tarkan joined a global brand and became the first Pepsi spokesperson in Turkey. This preceded the release of his album Karma and for the first time two singles in his domestic market in the same year: "Kuzu Kuzu" ("Like A Lamb") and "Hüp" ("Whoop"). Although Karma was not released worldwide, it was distributed in large shipments to Russia, where he had become the largest-selling non-Russian pop star. A million copies shipped to other areas of Europe, including Denmark.[3] His so-called Karma-era style projected an image totally different from his earlier persona, with regard to both music and looks.[18] His appearance – tight trousers, loose, unbuttoned shirts or tight T-shirts - and his new hairdo set a trend among young Turkish men, who started to copy his looks.[30] According to hairdressers, his Kuzu Kuzu hairstyle is still the most frequently requested style in the salons of Turkey.[31] During this time he met Michael Lang, co-organiser of the Woodstock Festival, who became his international manager. According to Lang,
“ Tarkan is a great singer and his performance is great. His current success is only the beginning in my opinion. He'll be a star in five year's time and he will not fade away. Know this, he is here to stay. He has an indescribable charisma.[32] „
—Michael Lang, Hürriyet
This period was not free of scandals, either. In 2001 researcher Dr. N Aysun Yüksel published a book titled Tarkan – Yıldız Olgusu (Tarkan – Anatomy of a Star), which was withdrawn from bookshelves by a court order after Tarkan's lawyer Süheyl Atay sued the writer. According to the court's decision the book published personal information and copyrighted photos of the artist, and violated his good reputation.[33] Another scandal broke out when the video for the single "Hüp" was released. The Turkish Radio and Television Supreme Council considered banning the video, directed by Ferzan Özpetek, from television broadcast, as some viewers complained that the scene in which Tarkan kisses actress Sinemis Candemir was too "explicit" and "pornographic". The case was reported through Europe by the BBC.[29] There was no ban, and fans had their say by voting it the video of the year in 2001 at Kral music station's video awards.
After becoming the face of Pepsi in Turkey, Tarkan also became the official mascot of the Turkish national football team for the 2002 World Cup. He recorded the football song "Bir Oluruz Yolunda" ("United For You"), which became an anthem for the fans.[12]
