Erkin Koray
Encyclopedia
Erkin Koray has been in the Turkish rock music
scene since the late 1950s or early 1960s. He is widely acclaimed as being the first person to ever play rock and roll
in Turkey; in 1957, he and his band gained fame by playing covers of Elvis Presley
and Fats Domino
. He was also one of the first Turkish musicians to embrace the electric guitar
and modern amplification
.
By the late 1960s, he was already a major figure in Turkish psychedelic music
and Anatolian Rock
, beginning with his first psychedelic single Anma Arkadaş in 1967. Koray
followed this with a number of singles, both by himself and in collaboration with others, that established him as a force to be reckoned with on the Turkish rock scene. Koray became a controversial figure in Turkey during the 1960s and 1970s; he was actually assaulted in Istanbul, and on one occasion stabbed, for having long hair.
In the early 1970s, he formed the group Ter with the former members of Grup Bunalim (Turkish for "Group Depression"), a power trio
styled group. Although they only recorded one single before breaking up, Hor Görme Garibi (a cover of the major Arabesque music
hit by Orhan Gencebay
) was a smash hit, furthering Koray's career. The music of Ter was influenced by fuzz rock and psychedelia, and featured extended guitar solos and progressive arrangements - something that the record company was not prepared to accept.
The Turkish public remained interested in Koray's solo work nonetheless, and in 1973 his first album, Erkin Koray, was released. Up to this point, all of Koray's work had been issued only on 45 rpm records, although he had been recording for the past 10 years and was a very popular artist in Turkey. The album consists of a collection of singles from 1967 to 1973. Koray left Istanbul Records after the release of the album.
In 1974, Erkin Koray signed to Doglan Records and released what is probably his best-known and best-selling single, Şaşkın(Dabke
). Set to a traditional Egyptian tune, the single proved Koray to be an ingenious musician and arranger.
1974 also saw the release of his groundbreaking album, Elektronik Türküler
("Electronic Ballads"). Finally given the freedom to record an album instead of being limited to 45 rpm singles, Koray and his band created an album that reflected both his Turkish roots and his love of psychedelic and progressive rock. The album's popularity continues to the present day, with several legitimate and non-legitimate releases on both album and CD. Elektronik Türküler
is widely considered to be Koray's masterpiece by many critics, and many of his subsequent releases followed in this vein, with progressive and psychedelic influences balanced by Turkish folk forms.
Koray continues to record and perform in Turkey to this day, and in Turkish music circles is often referred to as Erkin Baba ("Erkin the Father") for his pioneering influence on Turkish popular music.
Other major hits by Koray are Fesuphanallah, Istemem, Sevince, Öyle Bir Geçer Zaman ki , Estarabim, Arap Saçı, Yalnızlar Rıhtımı, Akrebin Gözleri and Çöpçüler.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, a flowering of interest in psychedelic music
made outside of the UK and the US brought Koray to the attention of listeners in the West. Subsequently, both legitimate, semi-legitimate, and bootleg
versions of Koray's albums can be found in the West. The 2005 documentary film "Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul
" by Turkish-German director Fatih Akin
emphasizes Koray's influence on the younger generation of musicians that the film features.
Koray is also the inventor of the electric bağlama
, a traditional Turkish musical instrument related to the lute, and its unique sound can be heard on many of his albums.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
scene since the late 1950s or early 1960s. He is widely acclaimed as being the first person to ever play rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
in Turkey; in 1957, he and his band gained fame by playing covers of Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
and Fats Domino
Fats Domino
Antoine Dominique "Fats" Domino, Jr. is an American R&B and rock and roll pianist and singer-songwriter. He was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Creole was his first language....
. He was also one of the first Turkish musicians to embrace the electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
and modern amplification
Amplifier
Generally, an amplifier or simply amp, is a device for increasing the power of a signal.In popular use, the term usually describes an electronic amplifier, in which the input "signal" is usually a voltage or a current. In audio applications, amplifiers drive the loudspeakers used in PA systems to...
.
By the late 1960s, he was already a major figure in Turkish psychedelic music
Psychedelic music
Psychedelic music covers a range of popular music styles and genres, which are inspired by or influenced by psychedelic culture and which attempt to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues-rock bands in the...
and Anatolian Rock
Anatolian rock
Anatolian rock is a fusion of Turkish folk and rock music. It emerged during the mid-1960s, soon after rock groups such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Yes, Status Quo and Omega became popular in Turkey...
, beginning with his first psychedelic single Anma Arkadaş in 1967. Koray
Koray
Koray is a common Turkish given name. It is composed of "Kor" and "Ay". In Turkish "Kor" means "Ember" and "Ay" means "Moon". Thus, "Koray" means "a moon in the colour of ember".- Given name :* Koray Arslan, Turkish footballer...
followed this with a number of singles, both by himself and in collaboration with others, that established him as a force to be reckoned with on the Turkish rock scene. Koray became a controversial figure in Turkey during the 1960s and 1970s; he was actually assaulted in Istanbul, and on one occasion stabbed, for having long hair.
In the early 1970s, he formed the group Ter with the former members of Grup Bunalim (Turkish for "Group Depression"), a power trio
Power trio
A power trio is a rock and roll band format where the traditional power trio has a lineup of guitar, bass and drums, leaving out the rhythm guitar or keyboard that are used in other rock music to fill out the sound with chords...
styled group. Although they only recorded one single before breaking up, Hor Görme Garibi (a cover of the major Arabesque music
Arabesque music
Arabesque or Arabesk is a genre termed so by Turkish musicologists for Arabic-style music created in Turkey. The genre was particularly popular in Turkey in the decades from the 1960s through 1990s. As with Arabic music itself, its aesthetics have evolved over the decades...
hit by Orhan Gencebay
Orhan Gencebay
Orhan Gencebay is a Turkish musician, bağlama virtuoso, composer, singer, arranger, music producer, music director, and actor.-Early life and musical background:...
) was a smash hit, furthering Koray's career. The music of Ter was influenced by fuzz rock and psychedelia, and featured extended guitar solos and progressive arrangements - something that the record company was not prepared to accept.
The Turkish public remained interested in Koray's solo work nonetheless, and in 1973 his first album, Erkin Koray, was released. Up to this point, all of Koray's work had been issued only on 45 rpm records, although he had been recording for the past 10 years and was a very popular artist in Turkey. The album consists of a collection of singles from 1967 to 1973. Koray left Istanbul Records after the release of the album.
In 1974, Erkin Koray signed to Doglan Records and released what is probably his best-known and best-selling single, Şaşkın(Dabke
Dabke
Dabke is an Arab folk dance. It is popular in several Arab countries such as Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria,and Iraq. A line dance, it is widely performed at weddings and joyous occasions...
). Set to a traditional Egyptian tune, the single proved Koray to be an ingenious musician and arranger.
1974 also saw the release of his groundbreaking album, Elektronik Türküler
Elektronik Türküler
Elektronik Türküler is the second full length album by Turkish rock star Erkin Koray, originally released by Doğan Plakcılık in 1974. This is his first work to be recorded for the LP format, as opposed to the 45 rpm singles to which his output had been restricted to since the...
("Electronic Ballads"). Finally given the freedom to record an album instead of being limited to 45 rpm singles, Koray and his band created an album that reflected both his Turkish roots and his love of psychedelic and progressive rock. The album's popularity continues to the present day, with several legitimate and non-legitimate releases on both album and CD. Elektronik Türküler
Elektronik Türküler
Elektronik Türküler is the second full length album by Turkish rock star Erkin Koray, originally released by Doğan Plakcılık in 1974. This is his first work to be recorded for the LP format, as opposed to the 45 rpm singles to which his output had been restricted to since the...
is widely considered to be Koray's masterpiece by many critics, and many of his subsequent releases followed in this vein, with progressive and psychedelic influences balanced by Turkish folk forms.
Koray continues to record and perform in Turkey to this day, and in Turkish music circles is often referred to as Erkin Baba ("Erkin the Father") for his pioneering influence on Turkish popular music.
Other major hits by Koray are Fesuphanallah, Istemem, Sevince, Öyle Bir Geçer Zaman ki , Estarabim, Arap Saçı, Yalnızlar Rıhtımı, Akrebin Gözleri and Çöpçüler.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, a flowering of interest in psychedelic music
Psychedelic music
Psychedelic music covers a range of popular music styles and genres, which are inspired by or influenced by psychedelic culture and which attempt to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues-rock bands in the...
made outside of the UK and the US brought Koray to the attention of listeners in the West. Subsequently, both legitimate, semi-legitimate, and bootleg
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
versions of Koray's albums can be found in the West. The 2005 documentary film "Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul
Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul
Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul is a 2005 film/documentary directed by Fatih Akın. The film is a journey through the music scene in modern Istanbul, Turkey as well as portraying its cultural life. It was screened out of competition at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival.It features German...
" by Turkish-German director Fatih Akin
Fatih Akin
Fatih Akın is a German film director, screenwriter and producer of Turkish descent.- Personal life :Akın was born in 1973 in Hamburg to parents of Turkish ethnicity...
emphasizes Koray's influence on the younger generation of musicians that the film features.
Koray is also the inventor of the electric bağlama
Baglama
thumb|180px|Cura and bağlamaThe bağlama is a stringed musical instrument shared by various cultures in the Eastern Mediterranean, Near East, and Central Asia....
, a traditional Turkish musical instrument related to the lute, and its unique sound can be heard on many of his albums.
Partial discography
- Erkin KorayErkin Koray (self titled album)Erkin Koray is the first full length album by Turkish rock star Erkin Koray. The album is a collection of singles dating from 1967 - 1973. In 2006 the album was rereleased on CD, with 8 bonus tracks, by World Psychedelia Ltd....
(1973) - Elektronik TürkülerElektronik TürkülerElektronik Türküler is the second full length album by Turkish rock star Erkin Koray, originally released by Doğan Plakcılık in 1974. This is his first work to be recorded for the LP format, as opposed to the 45 rpm singles to which his output had been restricted to since the...
(1974) - Erkin Koray 22 (Erkin Koray album)Erkin Koray 2 is the third full length album by Turkish rock star Erkin Koray and is his most ethnic sounding. In 2004 the album was rereleased on CD, with 5 bonus tracks, by World Psychedelia Ltd.-Track listing:#"Şaşkın" – 4:29#"Eyvah" – 3:03...
(1976) - TutkusuTutkusuTutkusu is the fourth full length album by Turkish rock star Erkin Koray and was released the year after he did "2", his most ethnic record. With Tutkusu he went back to psych rock and he made it with another masterpiece. Eleven original tracks that will delight your ears...
(1977)