Ümit Besen

Ümit Besen

Ümit Besen live at Tarabya Palet, 1982
Background information
Birth name Ümit Besen
Born (1956-10-14) 14 October 1956
Osmaniye, Turkey
Genres Arabesque, Fantasy
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter,
musician
Instruments Keyboards, synthesizer, Piano
Years active 1973 - present

Ümit Besen (born 14 October 1956, Osmaniye, Turkey) represents the darker side of Tarabya school of electronic music. He started his professional career with playing keyboards and singing with his band at the local clubs in Adana, Southern Turkey. While he was in the army for his obligatory service a brigadier-general (Brigadier in Commonwealth armies) liked his style and appointed him with the task of singing at the officers tavern.[1]

1980s and rising popularity

After the completion of his 18 months service he returned to Adana. While singing and playing to make his living one day Turkish football legend Metin Oktay visited the club he was working at. Amazed by the power of his voice and his knowledge of synthesizers, Metin Oktay recommended him to his club owner friends in Istanbul.

In Istanbul, he kept playing at famous clubs and finally he was teamed up with songwriters Selami Şahin and Ahmet Selçuk İlkan to record his first LP. The result was not only a commercial success.

Ümit Besen today

Although not being as famous as he was in the 80s, Ümit Besen is probably one of the best known artists to come from the legendary Tarabya Taverns. Today he performs at Yeni Mercan club in Yenikapı (A borough in Fatih district), İstanbul.

Albums

References

  1. "Sanatçı Ümit Besen, Osmaniyeli Hemşehrileri İle Buluştu" (in Turkish). Medya73. 13 March 2010. Retrieved 1 August 2010.


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