Tarkan
Popular pop music singer
Tarkan is one of the most successful pop music singers in Turkey. His albums regularly sell millions of copies.
He is also known in Europe and the Americas, especially for the song Şımarık (Spoilt/Kiss Kiss/Chanson Du Bisou/Besos). This was reincarnated as Kiss Kiss by Holly Valance after Sezen Aksu sold the music rights. This song is also rumoured to have ended the successful working relationship between Tarkan and Aksu as they fell into dispute about the ownership of the copyright to Şımarık. They had collaborated on most of Tarkan’s hits in Turkey and Europe. Another hit single was Şıkıdım (Shake)
Istanbul Plak was Tarkan’s first record label, his record label is now his own music company HITT Music, which he established in 1997.
Tarkan is also a character in a popular 1960s Turkish comic series, which is where Tarkan got his name
Tarkan spent his childhood in Germany. His father was part of the generation of Turkish immigrants which came to West Germany during the West German economic boom, until suddenly he decided to move his family back to Turkey in 1986 when Tarkan was 14 years old.
Tarkan began to study music in Karamürsel. His road to fame began when he moved to Istanbul to prepare for University entrance exams in 1990. He had a difficult time in Istanbul and decided to move back to Germany. It was while he was preparing for the move back that he met Mehmet Sögütoğlu, the chairman of record company Istanbul Plak. Produced by Söğütoğlu his debut album Yine Sensiz (Without You Again) sold 700 thousand copies. His second album A-Acayipsin (Oh - You’re Something Else) sold more than 2 million copies in Turkey and 750 thousand copies in Europe. This was a first-time-ever feat for a Turkish performer.
Suddenly Tarkan had became a star overnight. Tarkan subsequently moved to New York in 1994 to escape the hordes of adoring fans that constantly stalked him and to complete his education at a college in the USA. While Tarkan spent time in the USA learning English, he met Ahmet Ertegün (the Turkish founder of Atlantic Records). Ertegün has been quietly grooming Tarkan for an American career ever since, but Tarkan has re-started the album several times
Tarkan had some setbacks during his career. In 1994, Tarkan appeared on a live broadcast for a private Turkish TV channel ATV’s anniversary celebrations and was interviewed by a reporter. His response when asked how he was, captured live on camera, was “Çişim var, ağabey…” (’I've gotta pee, man…’). Also, while Tarkan was at the height of his fame, he was called up for military service, which he had suspended for a certain length of time while he studied in New York. The deadline for commencement ended in 1998, but due to contractual obligations, he did not return to Turkey to do his military service. The media discussed whether Tarkan should be viewed as a deserter and stripped of his citizenship, but this never happened. After the August 1999 earthquake that shook Turkey, the 28 day military service was passed, which allowed for a very short term of service provided that those covered by the law paid $16,000 for the benefit of the earthquake victims. Tarkan returned to Turkey in 2000 and took advantage of this law, completing his service in 28 days.
