Hi everyone this is my first column in punk globe. It took a bit long to
prepare it. Firstly, let me intoruce myself. I'm Ozgur,26 years old and
I live in İstanbul – Turkey. Somewhere in between Russia and Greece.I’ve
had the chance to contact (which is now one of my best friends) Ginger
nearly 2 months ago and I’ve had the opportuntiy to write for Punk
Globe.I hope you find my reviews and Turkish scene reports colorful
enough.
I’m very excited writing in Punk Globe,its a pleasure and an honour.
***So ok,lets start. In this first report of mine I’d like to give some
information about the Turkish music history,especially the rock music,in
my future reports I’ll be giving you more detailed information about
bands etc.
The lack of good rock music and musical culture in Turkey can be counted
by the number Turkish bands known all around the world.I believe no one
can count even to 3 about this subject.Its not that there is no good
music or good musicians in Turkey,its beacuse of the producers and their
very small vision.In 1960,1970 and 1980 Turkish democracy had been cut
with a very sharp knife of the military.The people who were elected
those years to the government was not that good either.This was the main
reason fort he delay of the start of rock music in this country.Although
Turkey has the tradition and musical taste of both Europe and
Anatolia,it became hard for people to play music,listen to the good
bands all around the world.Those fascist regimes closed nearly all the
doors for Turkish people to improve their cultures.There were a couple
of good Turkish rock bands during the second half of the 1960s. Cem
Karaca,Moğollar,Erkin Koray,3 Hürel,Baris Manco and Mavi Işıklar were
some of them.Some of the lyrics of these bands songs had protested the
bad things happening in the country especially the politics.The roots of
their style was the traditional Anatolian music,so they called the music
they played as “Anatolian Rock”.The crisis in Turkey in those years made
these young groups to make this kind of music and they gained a lot of
attention.The number of these bands increased a bit during the
1970s.Bunalimlar (a.k.a Grup Bunalim) was one of the bands of the 1970s
that had some punk spirit,although they were known by very few
people.The lack of substructure was a handicap for rock music in Turkey
to improve itself parallel with world.It also improved in a very wrong
way especially in the second half of the 1970s.1980s was a decade in the
country where pirate vinyls and casettes entered the secene.Rock based
and punk influenced music suddenly lost strength and left its place to
the disco scene and kind of bands which imitated Abba etc very
badly.These bands were only making arrangements on the known
melodies,also some of them stole too much from this and that.Although
the musiacal substructure in surf music has its roots in Turkish/Arab
music and bands like The Ventures,Dick Dale had been very succesful by
making the surf music, Turkish bands continued to gain popularity by
imitating.There was no uniqueness in anything and no soul.Late 70s and
80s was the period,where people were introduced to Punk
Rock,Mod,Ska,Retro,Funk,İndie but nobody in Turkey were aware of this
really.In 1968 TV broadcasting started in Turkey and until 1988-1989
there was only one channel.It was nearly impossible to follow the
musical styles mentioned above and learn what they were about.1980 was
the year that the worst militarist regime in the history of Turkey came
to top.This took the less improved 20 years more back,those were very
dark days.So many things changed in a very bad way and this went on
until the late 80s.
***I’ll be writing what had happened during the 90s about Turkish music
in my next report but here are a few notes I have about 90s music all
around the world that I want to
share with you:
Well....what do I remember form the 90's?what has happened in the
90s?.....I'm pretty sure that I miss the 90's.......Somedays you ask
yourself..."what would it be like if....."....that if happened in the
90's......what would it be if some punkrock band knocked michael jackson
down from top of the charts...yes, it happened!!even beatles reunited in
the 90s the prepare the anthology box-sets....we saw also sex pistols
reuniting in the 90s....soundgarden, pearl jam, nirvana, faith no more,
rem, green day, cranberries, offspring, bad religion, rancid, weezer,
aerosmtih, blur, beck, oasis, pulp etc... they all had their had their
best moments in the 90s...there was a feeling in the air that somethings
were gonna change.....the 2nd woodstock had happened in 1994...the music
scene had never been as coloUrful before since the 60s....in the
begining of 1997 everything has returned back to the stupidness...it was
like waking up from a nice dream...it once again started to be hard to
find music which has depth and honesty in it.First half of the 90's was
one of the few rare exciting moments in the history of music and I
personally see myself lucky to live and enjoy those days....
We came.....We saw......WE left....Those were the days........
***Coming to the part of the underrated but brilliant bands I’ve been
listening to recently :
- Toenut, a 90s band with a female vocal which sounds like Fugazi in
some of their songs.
- Zuzu’s Petals a three piece punk band,three girls making one of the
most melodic punk rock of their time.
- Fuzzy, a pop-punk band which featues some members of Come and The
Lemonheads.
- Ammonia,a very good Australian band that has some Nirvana influnce in
some of their songs.
- And Compulsion, one of the best bands of the mid 90s.Comforter album
is a masterpiece.Sounds a lot like the Pixies and sometimes better.
I’ll let you know more of these bands in more details in my following
reports.
***I’ve been in contact with one of my new friends in the previous
weeks, Don – the member of the Germs ,
Sophistifuck
and the Revlon Spam Queens.He says, Germs is playing sort of a lot these
days -- at least compared to the last 25 years where they didn't really
play at all. The new singer/ actor is very succesful of singing the
songs and fronting the band, and the band is better than ever. He also
told me they’re trying to make it to Europe at some point so some of the
Turkish fans of the Germs may find the possibility to catch them live in
Europe.
***Finally,I
would like to make a call to everyone.We are living in a world of terror
and a world of wars.People die,children die….Dont let the evil minded
politicians or leaders to steal the sun from the sky and shadow your
life or even your childrens life.We, the humans are not born as
enemies,we are made enemies,we are made to believe that we have to hate
each other.Please do not let others fool you with this trick of hating
another person just because of their nationality. We are the leaders.No
other people can tell you what to do in this life.Never trust these type
of people,do not allow them to tell you how to live your life.They are
no special or intelligent than you.You have this gift-your brain,your
body,use it in every possible way to maket his world a beter place for
everybody.No need to kill or hurt each other without knowing who they
are,this is ridicilious.You may know what they are but who they are you
dont know.Heaven is on earth fort he ones who can see it,heaven is your
life if you know how to live it. Dont let the bastards kill your
spirit,its your one and only treasure…
Ozgur (a.k.a
brightbluespirit)
Email Ozgur @
brightbluespirit@hotmail.com
Bands interested in getting reviewed can
send material to
Ozgur Cokyuce
19 Mayis Mah.Gunesli Sok.Inta 2 Apt.A Blok D:13
Kazasker - Istanbul - Turkey
