Istanbulive5 - gripin

My latest musical crush is on the Turkish band, gripin.
(gripin is also a med to cure the flu.) They were recently here in the US with Istanbulive, which I missed AGAIN. I need to plan better next year.

gripin has some good songs, but my favorite right now is called They Found the Cure for Loneliness - Yalnızlığın Çaresini Bulmuşlar. I planned to share the lyrics, but wow, lots of idioms and I didn't have enough time to straighten the words out. The long and short: One lie missing, one lie extra - either way it doesn't matter - the world keeps turning.

Enjoy!

Emir

emir

So. Playlists. Have you got one for your manuscript? I always make one up for mine.

I've been looking for a good song for my main character in MIST OF KAVALA. I found good ones for the two secondary characters, but for some reason I couldn't pin one down for Taner, for the longest time. Was it because I didn't understand him yet? I'm not sure, but worry no more: I found it! The perfect song, and it's a Turkish one too. Double points!!!
So to explain what Emir has to do with all this perfection:

1) An "emir" is the old name for a prince, or similar head of state, in Turkish and in Arabic speaking countries. (Still in use. Example: the United Arab Emirates, where I used to live.) Emir geldi - is Turkish for "an order came down" from our superiors. And the order is that we need to pay attention to this new Turkish artist, Emir.

2) I've posted about Tarkan in the past. Modeled a character on him in BURNT AMBER even. (Lot's of people want to be like Tarkan, so that wasn't a stretch.) He is a very influential artist. I would even venture to say he is a king maker on the Turkish music scene. My evidence? He's turned his efforts from singing and writing, to writing and producing. Emir is one of Tarkan's sucesses. (Ha! Emir even plays on the word king. :D)

Tarkan is a co-producer on Emir's album, and lending lyrics to the new star, he cameos in the video clip for Ben Sen Olamam. His influence is so strong, many Tarkan officianados even question if Emir is Tarkan's protege or clone?

Funny they should mention clones... I'm working with a thread about them right now. Just read Aldous Huxley's BRAVE NEW WORLD too. Hmm.

And so I claim Tarkan/Emir's song, Ben Sen Olamam - I Can't Be You, as my inspiration for Taner. Fit's him like a glove, it does.

Here are the lyrics and my own (mediocre) translation:

Öyle diyorlar,                                           Like this, they say
Böyle diyorlar                                          Like that, they say
Şekile mekile takılıp üzüyorlar                Appearances, they stick on them, they sadden me
İnsana dünyayı dar ediyorlar                  They constrict a person's world

Yaftayı takıp sınıflandırıyorlar                They label and they classify
Eğriyi doğruyu bilen ya onlar                 Right or wrong, they are the ones who know
İnsanı kaderine küstürüyorlar                 They disturb a person's destiny

Kaçtım, kaçtım durdum                             I ran away, I kept running away
Kendime değil, hep kendimden                 Not to myself, always from myself
Ne zaman ki bana geri döndüm                When I came back to myself
Ümitle donandım yeniden                         With hope I returned again
Ben benden oldum yaşayınca                   I made myself, even as I lived
Onun bunun kitabına göre                       According to this or that rule
Ben yine beni bende buldum                    I found myself in me regardless
Sığınınca kalbime yeniden                       I embraced my heart again

Ben bundan böyle:                                   Me, after this:

Ne yasak tanırım ne kural tanırım            I acknowledge neither forbidden nor allowed
Ruhum bedenime dar, bunalırım              My soul is too tight in my body, I suffocate
Üstüme gelme. Bak. Kafa tutarım             Don't push me. Look. I will defy
Acımam, tozu dumana katarım                 I have no mercy, I throw dust on the flames
Ben sen olamam, olursam eğer                I can't be who you are, if I am
Kendimi kızgın ateşlere atarım                I will throw myself in angry flames
Uymam, sürüye uymaktansa                    I won't conform, if I follow the herd
Kendimi kurd'a yem yaparım                    I make myself food for a wolf

Ya sev seveceksen olduğum gibi             Love me, if you will love me the way I am
Ya da çıkar at kalbinden beni                 Or remove me, throw me out of your heart
Ne değiştirmeye çalış ne yargıla             Neither try to change me, nor judge me

Hangimiz kusursuz mükemmeliz ki         Which one of us is without flaws, perfect?
Bana tepeden bakıp da                            You look down from your hill upon me and
Kendini daha özel ayrıcalıklı sanma       Don't think yourself special, superior
__________________

Hande Yener

handeyenerfanclub

Thought I'd share some music today. (Read: Quick post because I still have shopping, wrapping, decorating to do.)

This is Hande Yener, one of Turkey's top female pop artists. Like Madonna and Lady Gaga, she likes to change up her look often and shares a similar energy on stage. Jet black, blonde, raucous red, pink, orange...I don't think there's a hair color she hasn't tried. She's back to natural brown at the moment.

These are a few that were huge hits for her. I had a hard time choosing my favs, but these show her versatility the best.

Romeo: This song has solid, staying power. I shuffle back to it every once in a while.



Bana Anlat, 2011: This is her latest single, and most days it's playing in my car.



Hipnoz: She tried her hand at electropop with this album. She didn't do it again.

The Pekinel Sisters

image via hurriyetdailynews.com

I write lots about Turkish pop music, but next to nothing about classical music. (Shame on me. I was a violinist, once upon a time.) To remedy that, I give you the Pekinel Sisters.

They are identical twins (obviously).
They are Turks (not obviously).
They are internationally acclaimed concert pianists.

Güher and Süher Pekinel made their public debut at only six years old, and have swept people of all continents away with their piano duets.

Piano Magazine has an interesting article, The Pekinels in Harmony, where the sisters explain how independent they are of each other. They discuss the "twinness" they fought against and how it helped define their unique style. Rather than being identical, the music of one compliments the other, almost as if they are finishing each other's thoughts. But not quite. Apparently, understanding your twin doesn't mean you are the same as your twin.

The Pekinels speak five languages: German, English, French, Turkish, and I don't know what the fifth language is, but I think music should count as a sixth. Their distinguished education includes credits and/or degrees from:

Conservatoire de Paris
Musikhochschule of Frankfurt
Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia
The Juilliard School - Masters
Bogaziçi University - Honorary PhD

All that international study qualifies them for TCK status, in my book.

The Pekinel Sisters are also Honorary State Artists of Turkey, and they are enthusiastic supporters of music education in Turkey and abroad. They established three projects for children:

• G&S Pekinel Music Department at TEVITOL, a private boading school for gifted students in Turkey
• "Young Musicians on World Stage", 13 scholarships for Turkish students to study internationally
• "Orff Schulwerk Project" to encourage creativity in pre-school and primary school students. In Turkey, Austria, and Germany

Have a listen:



Related articles:

Pekinel sisters on stage with 13 young talents hurriyetdailynews.com