Why Turkish Music is Too Cool
With a speaking population of around 78 million, the Turkish language has reigned dominant when it comes to its music industry.
A typical Turkish music video on YouTube bags an average of 50+ million views. True loyalty of its fans is shown by the ratio of views-per-likes. It is no wonder the comments are filled with enthusiasm and subsequent likes by hundreds, if not thousands, of followers.
I’ve always loved Turkey’s food and its culture. Some ten years ago, I sat at my favorite local Turkish restaurant and heard music on the speaker. The Turkish guitar takes its audience by surprise. I believe it was a song by Ibrahim Tatlises. Tatlises is a folk singer in Turkey and his reputation is legendary; a bummer he is not making contemporary pop music (unlike his Algerian counterpart, Cheb Khalid). What I heard in that restaurant was memorable. Having forgot to ask the singer’s name, I searched ‘turkish music’ on YouTube when I got home.
It is true that music tastes change over time. Mine quickly did. For example, from listening to Turkish folk guitar music, I moved into pop, and then hip hop. Of course, I still don’t understand a word of Turkish. But that is the main point; the combination of beats and instruments is everything to me. In fact, having listened to Bollywood music all my life (I understand Hindi, by the way), Turkish music takes the lead when it comes to seductive lyrics, exciting beat, and pure flow.
Turkish Music vs. The Rest of the World…
In some context, the Turkish music industry is self-sustained. There aren’t major Turkish diasporas outside of Turkey (except in Germany). Its music industry does not need non-Turkish support for survival: it is very much thriving internally while reaching out to people like me. This is strange considering so many music industries in Europe and Asia. It is interesting that France, a dominant European country that cherishes liberal arts, is not at the forefront of the non-English Music industry. It has some popular songs from both French and North African singers on YouTube. However, in my opinion, it does not possess the creativity, the variety, and passion that the Turkish music industry has.
Comparing American to the Turkish music industry is unjustifiable. I am sure there are Turks who happen to listen to English music only. That is fair; everything-English still dominates many aspects of society as it has been over the last few centuries.
So, which artists would I, a passionate listener of this industry for a decade, recommend listening?
The Turkish Music Menu
For starters, Ibrahim Tatlises is pretty good. He will introduce you to the Turkish guitar. His music videos are traditional and are folk-instrument heavy. Though I would argue that the beat produced is still pretty electronic.
Start with Şemmame, Tatlises’ signature song. I would argue this is the most Turkish song on the internet.
Going to main course, some contemporary pop would do good. Stars like Tarkan, Gulsen, and Çağla are all fantastic listens.
When it comes to the pinnacle of pop, Gulsen’s Bangir Bangir takes the clear lead. It was one of the few songs under which I saw English comments (as majority are always in Turkish). The song is fast and hits right in the ears — in a massively good way. I, myself, listened to it nonstop for the first time.
There are many things to choose from the dessert menu. I think Mabel Matiz’s work would be savory. I love listening to him on rainy days as he masters the art of subtleness in his music. With his colorful videos, he astonishes his audience with drops of clarity and, heck, purpose (much like contemplating life choices in front of a bowl of ice cream). His song Ya Bu Isler Ne is a perfect example of his quirky and exotic style of singing. Be sure to give it a go!
Who’s heard of some tea after dessert? Some of you might call it cheating but I’d say it is a necessary conclusion to a guilt-free meal. I mean, really. Who doesn’t drink tea after?
Barış Manço! I would make lots of Turkish fans angry if I don’t mention him. Ok, this guy predates Ibrahim Tatlises (I mean, he is not alive anymore). With his signature mustache and soothing voice, he was my early favorites. Manço introduced rock and roll to the Turkish music industry in the pre-90’s. He was an international hit and travelled around the world. Although he is not very popular on YouTube, his posthumous videos still get millions of likes. I am obsessed with his song Gönül Dağı. It is not a rock and roll type, however, it shows the advent of Turkish music at its finest. It is a definite recommend.
So?
There are other music categories such as hip hop that I have not mentioned. If you have read this far, I am sure you will encounter other genres in your journey.
So there you go! I can’t believe it took me a decade to write something about what I devour every single day! By hey, it is something.
There is a caveat to the list above. The music choices above are my recommendations based on years of scouring YouTube. I am sure there are tons more Turkish music videos laying around which I may never get to experience. But whatever the video is, I am sure it will be a great listen and a brilliant display of creativity.
Turkey and its music industry is just simply…amazing!
