Pop Perusals [1]

Fighting cacophonous dragons in the land of pop music, here are some popular Turkish knights in Istanbul that you might enjoy experimenting with - but be warned they have large female fan bases. Click on pictures for links and information:

Keremcem Info: Born in Turkey in 1977, his name is a combination of two different names. His mother wanted to call him Cem after his father, but his father wanted to call him Kerem, so they put the two together and created his name. Keremcem has been singing professionally since 2000. He finally found success appearing in a hit TV show and singing a duet with long-standing female singer Seden Gürel in 2005. The song is a cover of an old Sezen Aksu-Özdemir Erdoğan duet, "Küçük Bir Aşk Masalı" (A Little Love Tale) about a young girl falling in love with an older man, who tries to dissuade her. However, Keremcem and Gürel turn the tables on Aksu's lyrics and sing the song with the roles reversed. Keremcem enjoys the popular status that Tarkan enjoyed in the 1990s, with sell-out concerts across Turkey. In a pop industry that some believe is becoming ever increasingly bland, his singing ability, humility and musical taste are just as unique as his name. Some musicologists believe he has a promising future. Websites: Official | Fansite | MySpace Pictures: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 View his albums at: Tulumba Listen to sample of:  "Eylül" (September) Watch his music videos at: YouTube Yalın Info: Yalın has a fanatical female following, but he is known in the industry for his song writing skills and musical quality more than his sex appeal. Born in Turkey in 1980, he literally exploded on to the Turkish music scene with his 2004 debut album, which tried to purify the synthesised sounds of pop with clean acoustic riffs and simple melodies. His debut music video charted number one on MTV's international airplay World Chart Express for many weeks. He printed a limited edition of his second 2005 album on vinyl/LP format, only the second time this has been done in the Turkish industry since the emergence of digital media. With his trusty guitar, which he always carries with him, Yalın pens songs that speak to the female heart. Websites: Official | Fansite Pictures: 1 | 2 | 3 View his albums at: Tulumba Listen to sample of:  "Küçüğüm" (My Little One) Watch his music videos at: YouTube Berksan Info: Born in 1979, in Ankara, the capital of Turkey, Berksan moved to Istanbul to find fame and fortune. He was successful with his debut song "Çilek" (Strawberry) in 2004, he which he sings that he is "going to stick to her strawberry lips". His sound is pure pop, yet he seems to rise above the crowd with his quality performances and eye-catching music videos. In April 2006 he caught the eye and the snarky comments of BBC Europe editor Mark Mardell in his Pop around Europe article. Websites: Official Pictures: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 View his albums at: Tulumba Listen to sample of:  "Çilek" (Strawberry) Find his music videos at: YouTube Gökhan Özen Info: Gökhan Özen shares the same fan base as the other three, in that it is large, fanatical and mostly female. Born in 1979, he states at his official site that "music was written into his destiny". Working as a radio DJ, he appeared on the music scene with his first album in 2000, but it was with his third album in 2003 that he began to make his name heard across Turkey, notably with the song "Civciv" (Chick). He has Turkish classical music and classic guitar training, and his biggest asset is his voice, which many compare to Tarkan's vocals. Websites: Official Pictures: 1 | 2 | 3 View his albums at: Tulumba Listen to sample of:  "Civciv" (Chick) Find his music videos at: YouTube

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