Turkish Delight: Turkey’s Tasty Pop Stars

By peterM on November 13, 2012 • ( 2 )

I don’t know of anyone who can resist Turkish Delight.

The well-known Turkish export is temptingly fragrant and delicious - not unlike Turkey’s female pop stars, who are as alluring and irresistible as the sweet delicacy itself.

Coming out of a chart that’s less westernised than most and which seamlessly fuses Arabic and folk beats with modern dance, techno and hip-hop, it’s no surprise Turkey’s pop goddesses produce a refreshingly exotic sound that’s as tasty as rose, lemon and pistachio all mixed together into one mouth-watering and unforgettable flavour.

The perfect appetizer to this fabulous Turkish musical feast is German-born Atiye Deniz.

This star class performer from Bremen has returned to her homeland to carve out a hugely successful pop career, highlighted so far by an MTV Europe Music award as Best Turkish Act (2011).

The daughter of a Dutch mother and Turkish father, Atiye perfectly reflects the cosmopolitan feel of the modern Turkish music scene, and her recent single, a collaboration with Turkish super producer and musician Ozan Doğulu, is a hypnotic thumping track that more than whets the appetite.

Like Atiye, Funda is another artist from the Turkish diaspora returning to her roots.

Although born in Izmir, Funda was brought up in Belgium where she became something of a phenomenon with the successful release of her debut album in 2011.

Since then she’s focused on her homeland, releasing her first Turkish language album only last month.

‘Boşver’ is the first single to be dropped from her debut Turkish collection and is a re-working of her original Belgian hit ‘Stand Up’.

Eurovision fans will definitely recognise Hadise, she performed the wonderfully titled ‘Düm Tek Tek’ at the 2009 Contest in Moscow.

The Belgian-born Turkish singer (her parents come from Sivas, Turkey) has been creating a stir in Belgium and Turkey, simultaneously releasing her albums in both countries, she’s also presented the Belgian version of x-Factor and is one of the judges on the Turkish talent show O ses Turkiye.

The energetic and talented singer produces an atmospheric and infectious mix of R&B and Turkish pop. Her most recent single ‘Biz Burdayız’ is a fluent and stylish package of urban, Turkish and hip-hop, the perfect taster from a singer who’s regarded as Turkey’s ‘World Star’.

‘İmkansız’ is a stylish and atmospheric track from Sila, one of Turkey’s most acclaimed female artists.

Since her sophomore album release in 2007, this amazingly versatile vocalist has gathered a plethora of awards including Best New Artist (2007), Female Artist of the Year (2009) and Album of the Year (‘İmza’ 2009).

‘İmkansız’ is taken from Sila’s most recent and much-anticipated album release. It’s an impressive and moody track, hence the black and white video I guess, it’s also a rich mix of live acoustics and orchestra perfectly accompanied by Sila’s unique and strong vocals.

Hande Yener is a true Turkish pop goddess and has sold millions of albums world-wide.

‘Teşekkürler’ (lit: Thank You’) is the latest album from Hande, who has proven adept at re-inventing herself through a variety of different styles and musical genres.