Zeki Müren
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Zeki Müren | ||
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 Zeki Müren on the cover of his 1977 album Nazar Boncuğu.
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| Background information | ||
| Born | December 6, 1931 | |
| Origin | Turkey | |
| Died | September 24, 1996 | |
| Genre(s) | Turkish classical music | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, Song-writer | |
| Years active | 1950 - 1996 | |
| Label(s) | Grafson Plak, Coşkun Plak LP, Kalan Müzik, Türküola LP, Minareci Kaset, Sahibinin Sesi Greece, Balkan Plak, Yavuz Plak, Lider Plak, Elenor LP | |
Zeki Müren (1931-1996) was a prominent Turkish actor, singer, and composer, by many regarded as even the best ever. He was famous for his compelling voice and precise articulation in his singing of both established Turkish classical music and contemporary songs.
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[edit] Biography
Müren grew up in the provincial capital city of Bursa in western Turkey. From 1950 to 1953 he studied decorative arts in Istanbul at the Fine Arts Academy while launching his musical career. Müren’s first album was issued in 1951, at which time he was a regular singer on Istanbul Radio. In 1955 he produced his first Gold Record.
In his forty-five-year professional career Müren composed more than one hundred songs and made more than two hundred recordings. He was celebrated as the "Sun" of classical Turkish music and was affectionately called "Pasha". For many years he reigned as "Artist of the Year". Many of Müren's records were also published in Greece, where he also enjoyed popularity, the US, Germany and several other countries during the 1960s and 1970s.
Müren was also a gifted poet, publishing Bildircin Yagmuru (The Quail Rain) in 1951. Additionally, he acted in Turkish cinema, starring in eighteen films and writing many of their musical scores.Even though he did not consider himself as a painter, he painted as a hobby.
Müren dressed effeminately, wearing large, ornate rings and heavy make up, especially in the later years of his life. Popular opinion holds that he was homosexual [1], although he never made a public statement nor denial to this effect. In many ways, he had a pioneering role in rendering the Turkish society more accepting about homosexuality [2]. He, with his distinct style, remained a highly respected artist throughout his career, and in a sense, paved the way for many later, more openly gay / transsexual Turkish artists.
He died of a heart attack during a live performance on stage in the city of İzmir on September 24, 1996. His death caused the greatest public grief in years and thousands of Turks attended his funeral.
[edit] Discography
Albums published during his lifetime
- Senede Bir Gün (1970)
- Pırlanta 1 (1973)
- Pırlanta 2 (1973)
- Pırlanta 3 (1973)
- Pırlanta 4 (1973)
- Hatıra (1973)
- Anılarım (1974)
- Mücevher (1975)
- Güneşin Oğlu (1976)
- Nazar Boncuğu (1977)
- Sükse (1978)
- Kahır Mektubu (1981)
- Eskimeyen Dost (1982)
- Hayat Öpücüğü (1984)
- Masal (1985)
- Helal Olsun (1986)
- Aşk Kurbanı (1987)
- Gözlerin Doğuyor Gecelerime (1988)
- Ayrıldık İşte (1989)
- Karanlıklar Güneşi (1989)
- Zirvedeki Şarkılar (1989)
- Dilek Çeşmesi (1989)
- Bir Tatlı Tebessüm (1990)
- Doruktaki Nağmeler (1991)
- Sorma (1992)
Albums published posthumously
- Muazzez Abacı & Zeki Müren Düet (2000)
- Selahattin Pınar Şarkıları (2005)
- Sadettin Kaynak Şarkıları (2005)
- Zeki Müren: 1955-1963 Kayıtları (2005)
- Batmayan Güneş (2006)
In addition to these, there are 12 other albums attributed to Zeki Müren published during 1968 - 1974 by Grafson Plak.
[edit] Filmography
International titles are given in italics.
- Beklenen Şarkı (1953)
- Son Beste (The Last Musical Composition) (1955)
- Berduş (The Vagabond) (1957)
- Altın Kafes (The Golden Cage) (1958)
- Kırık Plak (The Broken Disk) (1959)
- Gurbet (1959)
- Aşk Hırsızı (The Love Thief) (1961)
- Hayat Bazen Tatlıdır (Sometimes Life Is Enjoyable) (1962)
- Bahçevan (The Gardener) (1963)
- İstanbul Kaldırımları (Pavements of Istanbul) (1964)
- Hep O Şarkı (1965)
- Düğün Gecesi (The Wedding Night) (1966)
- Hindistan Cevizi (The Coconut) (1967)
- Katip (1968)
- Kalbimin Sahibi (1969)
- İnleyen Nağmeler (1969)
- Aşktan da Üstün (1970)
- Rüya Gibi (1971)
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ Farhad Shidfar (2005). Gay musicians in Turkey. International Forum of Psychoanalysis, vol. 14(3-4) 224-226, Routledge, part of the Taylor & Francis Group
- ^ Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Rights in Turkey: An Overview. Report by Kaos GL, September 2005. (Kaos GL is the leading civil organization of the country working for the liberation of homosexuals - kaosgl.com)
