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Early Life
Born on January 2 in Istanbul, Turkey. -
Period: to
1950s
1958: Formed his first band Kafadarlar ("The Buddies"). Performed rock’n roll at Galatasaray High School. -
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1960s
1962: Released his first record “Twist in USA / The Jet” in English.
1963–1965: Studied at Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Belgium.
1965–1967: Performed across Europe with Les Mistigris.
1967: Returned to Turkey and founded the band Kaygısızlar.
1969: Established his rock fusion style, blending Western rock with Turkish folk. -
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1070s
1970: Released “Dağlar Dağlar”, one of the best-selling singles in Turkish history.
1972: Founded Kurtalan Ekspres, his longtime backing band.
1975: Released “2023”, a conceptual instrumental album imagining Turkey’s future.
1976–1979: Continued success with albums like “Yeni Bir Gün” and “Sakla Samanı Gelir Zamanı”. -
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1980s
1981: Released “Sözüm Meclisten Dışarı” featuring timeless hits like “Gülpembe”.
1982–1985: Produced popular songs like “Halil İbrahim Sofrası”, “Arkadaşım Eşek”, and “Ali Yazar Veli Bozar”.
1988: Launched TV show “7'den 77'ye” (“From 7 to 77”), loved by both children and adults -
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1990s
1991: Named a UNESCO Cultural Ambassador for Peace.
1995: Worked on “Mançoloji”, a compilation album of his greatest hits (released posthumously).
1998: Honored by Japan as a “Cultural Envoy”. -
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Died
February 1, 1999: Passed away at age 56 from a heart attack at his home in Istanbul. A national mourning followed.
2002: “Mançoloji” released after his death, featuring unreleased material and classics.