October 25, 2012

FERMAN'S FIRST Q & A On SEPT.2, 2012

Ferman at Caddebostan basketball game on Sept.1, 2012
(photo by Selin Balıkçı)
It was Ferman who started this Q & A thing in August 2012. But he made us wait for his convenience for one month until Sept.2! Maybe he just wanted to wait for the first concert of the fall season in Istanbul which is at Caddebostan on Sept.1, 2012. One day after the Caddebostan concert, he had his first Q & A with the fans on Twitter. This is the transciption of that Q & A below:
 

1-What do you think about your fans?
I realized one more time yesterday that we were having a great time together.

(He meant the Caddebostan concert the previous day)

2-How many days did you stay when you came to Edirne on March 28th?
I don't remember.

3-What do you think about Yagmur's new hair?
It's gorgeous!

4-Do you still have the fear of dark?
Yes.

5-Have you ever thought about a tour covering all the 81 provinces?
This is our biggest dream. We can do it with the help of a sponsor.

6-Do you pray? If so, what do you do?
I have an amulet I have around my neck all the time, which there is a written prayer inside. I got it from my mother 15 years ago. I never take if off.

7-Have you ever thought about acting?
It's a surpriseee! (He said that, because there is a rumor about maNga would be guest in an episode of Star TV's hit comedy show "İşler Güçler". There is another question about this below)

8-If your fans get a tattoo saying "Ferman Akgül" on their arms, do you like it?
Don't when I'm still alive!

9-Will you make another documentary about your tours?
Yes. I'll make another one on 2011 Fanta Tour.

10-What would it be about if you would write a book?
I might write something about maNga in the future.

11-It's Yagmur that produces the new album, right?
Yes, and a surprise name!


12-What's the reason of your addiction to old cars? Do you have a memory?
I feel very sorry for the thrown-away cars! I don't think it's quite right to spend so much money on cars. It's better to get the old ones modified.

13-Did you quit adding friends on Facebook?
I don't use that account any more. It just stays as it is.

14-Is there an singer that you want to perform a duet together?
Dhafer Youssef.

15-What is that new tattoo on your arm?
It's a cat.

16-We loved that Greek song you made a cover, "Ti Einai Auto Pou Mas Enwei" very much. Will there be a Turkish version of it in the new album?
No. It's more beautiful that way, in the Greek form.

17-Who should represent Turkey in ESC 2013, according to you?
A new, no-name singer or band. There should be a public selection.

18-Were you a naughty boy when you were little?
No, I was told that I was not.

19-Have you watched the fan video of "Ben Bir Palyacoyum" on You Tube? Do you think we understood what you were trying to tell?
No. Send me the link.

20-We've heard that when you stayed together with the other guys, you had quarrelled a lot with Cem. Is that true?
I think he scolded us quite a bit.

21-Among the concerts you went, was there any that made you think "Wow!"?
Faithless, Roger Waters, Napalm Death.

22-What did you want to be when you were a kid?
I don't know.

23-Ankara missed you very much.
So did we.

24-Have you ever thought about changing the genre of music you're making?
There will be many changes in the new album, I think.


25-Will the next album be only in English?
Both.

26-Which is the song that you wrote in the shortest time?
Libido.

27-Is there a gesture that you made it a habit before you got on the stage?
We say "maNga" three times together and I kiss my necklace.

28-What does "Dove Trainer" ("Guvercin Egitmeni") that you put in your Twitter profile mean?
It doesn't mean anything.

29-What do you think when someone say "Izmir"?
Fishing.

30-What was the weirdest thing that a fan said to you? Did you get angry?
No, I didn't. She said, "I'll marry you someday!"

31-What makes you angry the most? What is your biggest weakness?
To lie. I always think everybody is good.

32-Is there really a project called "Kulaktan Kulaga"?
Yes. TRT and I will announce it soon. The shootings already started.

33-Will you really be in the "İşler Güçler" comedy show?
We'd love to, but we haven't decided on the date yet.

34-Why did the band members change their hairdos?
The got bored. I might do something different any moment, too.

35-What was the movie that impressed you the most?
I don't have a good memory. Let me think.

36-What is the name that you like the most? Or is there any other name that you make you think "I wish my name would be..."?
I don't prefer any other name than mine, but I like the name "Aaron" very much.


37-Then, why do you use "Ferman", not "İbrahim"?
It's just a simple preference. (İnci: By the way, "Ferman" means "Imperial Order of a Sultan")

38-Which song's acoustic version is more beautiful?
It's "We Could Be The Same".

39-We know that you have high anxiety. So, what did you feel when you jumped off from the plane with a parachute in the Hayko Cepkin's program "Extreme-G" on TRT?
I trust Hayko in every way.

40-Do you have a habit that you don't like?
I'm very fussy. This can be very frustrating sometimes.

41-Have you ever watched a Harry Potter movie?
I'm not into it at all.

42-Have you ever read a John Steinbeck novel?
No. I'm right now examining Sunay Akin's books and I think you should really read them.

43-Do you watch TV shows?
I don't watch foreign TV shows. I can't follow local ones any more. I missed "Avrupa Yakasi-European Side" (A Turkish sitcom).

44-Which part of İzmir do you like the most?
Alsancak.

45-Do you like Sebnem Ferah ( a famous female Turkish rocker) and Duman (a famoous Turkish rock band) ?
I like them both.

46-Which movie affected you the most?
It's Fountain.

47-You were going to make a music video for Klişe who got the jury award at Fanta Stage during Fanta Tour 2011. When do you think you can do it?
I'd like to, but this is not something I can do it by myself.

48-Have you seen "V for Vendetta"? If so, what did you think?
It was very inspiring.


49-Whose concert did you last go?
I think Macy Gray's and Goksel's.

50-Do you listen to Turkish pop music?
Of course.

51-Do you cook?
I cook fish very well.

52-What kind of movies do you like?
Horror and sci-fi movies.

53-Would you like to write a movie scenario?
I'll write one some day.

54-Which time period would you like to go through a time tunnel?
I like 1800s very much.

55-Do you like Apocalyptica?
Sometimes.

56-If I come across you on the road and call you "Uncle Ferman" (Ferman Amca), what would you say?
Don't call me that!

57-You performed in the concert after the basketball game. Were you tired?
On the contrary, not at all.

58-Is there any movie that you could watch on and on without getting bored?
Alien series.


59-When you can't compose music, is there anything you do that you believe it will bring good luck?
I change places.

60-Your favorite song?
Recently it's Lana Del Rey / Summertime Sadness.

61-Is there any team in Spanish Soccer League that you sympathize?
Any team except for Barcelona.

62-Is there anyone that you get inspiration when you write lyrics?
Anything.

63-Do you prefer watching TV or surfing on the internet?
Both, a little bit of this, a little bit of that...

64-Should I listen to maNga?
Never mind.

65-If you could control the world, would you try to change the world's order?
I wouldn't get involved in any way.


We enjoyed this Q & A so much that we started looking forward the next one. The next one was surprisingly Cem's one month after this one. :)

In the meantime, you enjoy the pictures of Ferman at Caddebostan below:

SELİN BALIKÇI'S FERMAN PICTURES AT CADDEBOSTAN




October 23, 2012

CEM BAHTIYAR'S Q & A ON OCT.4, 2012

Cem at Caddebostan concert on Sept.1, 2012

Cem had his Q & A session on Sept.4, 2012 before Yagmur. It was so unexpected and out of the blue that everybody on Twitter was very surprised and they couldn't believe their eyes, because Cem's existence on Twitter is so rare and when he showed up on Twitter after a long silence, it was to announce that he was going to have an Q & A session on Oct.4! :) Neither "how about Oct.4?", nor "which day is more convenient for you?". He just dropped the bomb of "I'm having an Q & A on Oct.4" and ran away! :)

By the way, I had answers to my 2 questions! :) Questions #71 & #72 are my questions below.

Here is the transcription of Cem's Q & A:

1-He doesn't like control freak girls;
2-He's still got high anxiety;
3-Izmir reminds him of mussels;
4-He wants to perform a duet with Jamiroquai (?);
5-Ankara reminds him of the color gray;
6-maNgafans are their source of energy;
7-They're still thinking about how to compile the Turkish&English albums together;
8-They don't have any scheduled guest appearances on TV talk shows;
9-maNga invades his whole life right now, so he doesn't have any time for anything else;

10-He doesn't like his quick-tempered mood;
11-He doesn't follow many bands;
12-His favorite maNga song is Hepsi Bir Nefes (Ey Kor);
13-He's missing his hometown Denizli;
14-He misses pre-2004 Ankara;
15-He plans to be active on his Facebook account very soon;
16-He was always scared of being unsuccesful but managed to change it into a positive ambition;
17-He still feels nervous before stepping on stage. "If you aren't nervous any more, you have to put an end to your career";
18-They're planning to perform old songs in the concerts;
19-When he was a kid, he liked his miniature cars and Tiny Toons;
20-He thinks Antalya is too hot;
21-He might do some radical change about his hair;
22-Except for bass guitar he can play a little keyboard;
23-He liked the animation "Ice Age";
24-His advice for his young fans is "don't do anything you don't wanna do, don't listen to anyone, choose a profession that you enjoy the most, in that way you'll have a happy life!
25-Q: "If a fan comes to your door, would you let her/him in?" A: "If I'm available, why not? But don't!"
26-Q: "Would you like to re-live your life of last 5 years, or so?" A: "But you couldn't enjoy the life as much as you did for the first time!"
27-Q: "Is there anything you can't say NO right now?" A:"I can't say NO to you all now!"

28-He doesn't have any hobbies now 'cause he's too busy being a maNga guy! ;
29-He quarrels with his brother a lot;
30-His favorite city in Turkey is Istanbul;
31-His obsession is to try to finish what he's started no matter what;
32-maNga means the most important part of his life;
33-He liked the Pearl Jam concert the most;
34-They got used to be on the move, touring from town to town, from country to country;
35-Each maNga duet is differently tasteful;
36-He doesn't have any idea as to what he would want to be if he wasn't a maNga member;
37-maNga is his one and only project right now;
38-He watches US TV shows "Modern Family" and "The NewsRoom";
39-He loves driving very much;
40-Underwear (underpants) is a "must" for him! :)
41-The editing of the music video of "Ben Bir Palyacoyum" (I'm A Clown) from "e-akustik" is about to be completed!
42-He doesn't like disorderliness rather than mussiness, mussiness has a chaotic harmony in its own way;
43-He would never change a single bit of his life;
44-In the high school he hated all the subjects but sports class;
45-maNga has no plans to perform a duet with Hande Yener who's a female Turkish pop singer (Inci: I feel relieved, I don't like her)

46-Q: Another Turkish music band MODEL wants a duet with maNga. What do you think? A: Why not, if it suits our schedules?
47-He listened to hard rock too much in the 90's;
48-They're planning an online concert again in the future;
49-He wants to live in London except for Turkey;
50-He wants to try acting but he thinks it's too hard;
51-He walks 10 km every day;
52-Q: A fan called you "jerk!" and you said "thanks!". Is that true? A: Yes, because that was the first time someone called me that so sincerely!";
53-He looks for trustworthiness in a good friend;
54-He remembers the names of a lot of fans;
55-He once fell in love in elementary school;
56-The names of his dogs are Jaco and Tequila;
57-His advice to newly-founded bands are "don't give up!";
58-We'll probably hear his vocals "very clearly" in the new albums!
59-There must be some boundaries to everything but it's essential to make good use of social networks in this internet era!
60-When he first started to play with maNga, he didn't even know their names properly;
61-He never gets bored with Guy Ritchie movies;
62-His family supported him nicely until he finished the university, but he professionally joined maNga, they objected severely. But he didn't listen to them;
63-He wasn't a naughty boy when he was a kid;
64-The last album he bought is MODEL's;

65-He reads 3-4 newspapers every day, just the editorials;
66-His favorite color is dark blue;
67-He'd like to see France;
68-Q: Is there a turning point in your life? A: Yes-That's when Ferman called & asked "There is a band called maNga...Would you play with them?" ;
69-Q: Which one is the most easily recorded song of "e-akustik" album? A: "Cevapsiz Sorular" at just one recording, thanks to Ferman and Yamy! ;
70-They don't plan to include that Greek song in an album (what a pity!).
71-His white T-shirt with big piano keys on it is specially designed for him by QUE (This was one of my questions!) .
72-Ferman's new TV show "Kulaktan Kulaga" won't affect the new albums, because they made all the time planning around Ferman's schedule (my other question).
73-Q: Do you have a good luck charm that you carry anywhere? A: Yes, it's the fabric "maNga" banner on the Efe's turntable!...They even carried that banner to their ESC2010 stage! :) ;
74-He doesn't think they would go to ESC one more time!......He said "we had our ESC chance, now it's other bands' turn!"

 
Cem broke "the most answered questions" record among maNga guys in this Q&A! Thanks so much, Cem!

Now it's Efe's turn. We expect an Q & A from him, too! Hopefully soon! :)

 

YAGMUR SARIGÜL'S Q & A ON OCT.13, 2012

Yagmur at Caddebostan Concert on Sept.1, 2012

"The Brain of maNga", Yagmur Sarigül did have an Q & A session on Oct.13, 2012 on Twitter. He was so kind as to give long answers for 1 hour. :) Below you can find the transcription of his Q & A:

1- IS THERE AN ANIMAL YOU FEAR?
I FEARED DOGS ONCE, BUT NOW I'M NOT SCARED SO MUCH AS THEN.

2- WHEN DO YOU RELEASE THE NEW ALBUM?
THERE'S STILL TIME FOR THAT, BUT IN THE MEANTIME YOU MIGHT HAVE SOME SURPRISES FROM US.

3-DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY TO YOUR FANS?
I LOVE YOU ALL.

4-WHICH CHARACTERISTIC OF WHICH MEMBER OF THE BAND DO YOU LIKE THE MOST?
EACH ONE HAS PECULIAR CHARACTERISTICS. WE ARE CLOSER LATELY, SO I CAN'T TELL ONE APART!


5-WHY ARE YOUR HAIR AND THE COLOR OF THE ALBUM "E-AKUSTIK" THE SAME, WHICH ARE YELLOW & BLACK?
THERE IS NO SPECIAL REASON FOR THAT. I JUST LIKE TO ACT WILDLY, JUST LIKE YOU!

6-WILL THERE BE ANY SURPRISING DUETS IN THE NEW ALBUM?
IT MIGHT BE.

7-YOUR PERFUME? CALVIN KLEIN.

8-IS THERE ANY POSSIBILITY FOR US TO SEE YOUR MASCOT SPA IN YOUR FUTURE MUSIC VIDEOS AGAIN?
MAYBE. A VERY DIFFERENT AND ENERGETIC maNga IS COMING. THAT'S FOR SURE. MAYBE SPA WOULD COME BACK, TOO.

9IF WE WOULD COME TO YOUR DOOR, COULD YOU LET US IN?
NO, BUT I COULD GO OUT WITH YOU!

10-WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE THE CUTEST AND MOST HANDSOME GUITARIST IN THE WORLD?
IF I CAN MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE IT, I WOULD BE HAPPY!


11-IS THERE ANY BOOK THAT YOU CAN RECOMMEND US TO READ?
I HAVE STARTED TO READ NAMED "IQ84" THANKS TO MY FATHER, WHICH IS VERY THICK. BUT IT'S VERY INTERESTING.

12-WHICH JOURNALISTS DO YOU READ?
I DON'T READ NEWSPAPERS MUCH.

13-WHAT DO YOU DO TO CONTROL (SUPPRESS) YOUR EXCITEMENT?
I DRINK ONE OR TWO BEER.

14-WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU HADN'T ANY TALENT FOR MUSIC?
MOVIE DIRECTION, AUTHORSHIP, ART OR PHOTOGRAPHY. I COULDN'T DO WITHOUT ART.

15-WHICH FOREIGN MUSICIANS DO YOU LIKE THE MOST?
I LIKE MANY. THESE DAYS, I'VE BEEN LISTENING TO JOHN FRUSCIANTE'S SOLO ALBUMS.


16-DO YOU KEEP THE GIFTS FROM THE FANS?
YES, IF THEY HAVE ANY PECULIARITIES...

17-WHICH CITY HAS THE CRAZIEST FANS?
THEY ARE EVERYWHERE. WE LIKE THEM, BECAUSE WE ARE JUST LIKE THEM!

18-DO YOU LIKE DANCING?
YES, ESPECIALLY I'M VERY FOND OF TANGO!

19-WHERE DO YOU THINK THE PEACE (SERENITY) IS?
IT'S SOMEWHERE INSIDE US.

20-WHICH ANIMATION CHARACTER WOULD YOU BE?
SNOOPY.

21-WHAT DO WE, THE CRAZY FANS, MEAN TO YOU?
YOU ARE PEOPLE WHO ENJOY LIFE, ARE REBELS, FREE, LOVERS OF GOOD MUSIC, AND VERY ENERGETIC.


22-WHICH CITY WOULD YOU LIKE TO LIVE IN THE WORLD EXCEPT FOR ISTANBUL?
LONDON AND NEW YORK.

23-WHY DO YOU PLAY GUITAR WITH 7 STRINGS?
BECAUSE 6 STRINGS AREN'T ENOUGH.

24-DO YOU HAVE ANY CHARACTERISTIC THAT YOU DON'T LIKE?
SOMETIMES I TALK TOO MUCH.

25-DO WE HEAR YOUR VOICE IN THE NEW ALBUM?
I THINK SO.

26-IS THERE ANY MOVIE THAT IMPRESSED YOU VERY MUCH?
FEARLESS-1993

27-DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING THAT YOU CARRY EVERYWHERE?
He said MY EARS ("kulak" in Turkish) , but probably he meant HIS EARPHONES ("kulaklik" in Turkish) ! :)


28-WHAT IS THE SONG YOU LISTEN THE MOST THESE DAYS?
THE ALBUM CALLED BLOOD PRESSURE OF THE KILLS.

29-WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT ANTALYA THE MOST?
I LIKE THE HIGH CLIFFS OF ANTALYA ALONG THE COASTLINE.

30-DO YOU LIKE SOCCER AND WHICH TEAM?
I'M NOT INTO SOCCER AT ALL.

31-ANKARA OR ISTANBUL?
ISTANBUL RIGHT NOW. BUT ANKARA WILL ALWAYS BE VERY SPECIAL FOR US.

32-THERE WERE FEMALE VOCALS IN YOUR OTHER ALBUMS SO FAR. WILL THERE BE ANY IN THE NEW ALBUM, TOO AND WHO?
IT'S NOT CERTAIN YET. MAYBE, MAYBE NOT.


33-IS THERE ANYONE WITH HEALTH PROBLEMS AMONG YOU?
NOT NOW.

34-WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE ACCESSORIES?
MY NECKLACE, RINGS AND BRACELETS.

35-ARE YOU FORGETFUL?
NOT MUCH.

36-DO YOU FEEL DISTURBED BY THE FANFICTION ABOUT maNga?
NO.

37-HOW DO YOU FEEL WHEN YOU SEE THE FANS IN THE CONCERTS?
I FEEL HAPPY AND GET CARRIED AWAY.


38-WHO IS USING THE OFFICIAL maNga TWITTER ACCOUNT?
IT DEPENDS. WE SOMETIMES TWEETS , TOO.

39-WHY DON'T YOU PLAY VIOLIN, TOO?
I DO, BUT NOT ON THE STAGE.

40-HOW MANY TATTOOS DO YOU HAVE ON YOU?
JUST ONE.

41-DO YOU HAVE ANY SURPRISES FOR THE FANS?
NOT NOW, BUT MAYBE SOON.

42-IF THE OTHER GUYS IN THE BAND DON'T CARE MUSIC ANY MORE, WHAT SHOULD THEY DO?
THEY SHOULD LEAVE OR BE FIRED FROM THE BAND.

43-WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST ADVENTURE?
maNga.


44-WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SPORTS? DO YOU DO SPORTS?
I DO CYCLING, RUN A LITTLE. I USED TO PLAY TENNIS, BUT I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THAT NOW.

45-DO YOU WATCH FOREIGN TV SHOWS?
I DON'T HAVE ANY TIME TO WATCH TV SHOWS UNFORTUNATELY.

46-WHERE DO YOU BUY YOUR ACCESSORIES?
HERE AND THERE. NOTHING PRICEY. SILVER OR TIN, I DON'T MIND.

47-WHEN DID YOU FEEL SORROW LAST?
EVERY DAY I FIND SOMETHING TO FEEL SORROW ABOUT. LIFE IS HARD AND WE ARE STILL VERY MERCILESS CREATURES.

48-WHAT IS THAT YOU DON'T LIKE ABOUT THE maNga FANS?
THERE IS NOTHING. I USED TO GET ANGRY OVER LITTLE THINGS. YOU'RE COLORFUL AND EXCITED. EVERYTHING WOULD BE VERY BORING WITHOUT YOU.


49-DO YOU KNOW ANY OTHER LANGUAGE THAN ENGLISH? SPANISH WOULD GO VERY WELL WITH YOU, I THINK.
I WOULD LIKE TO LEARN SPANISH. IT SOUNDS VERY MUSICAL TO MY EARS. I DON'T KNOW ANY LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH.

50-DO YOU SHARE YOUR MUSICAL SHEETS FOR GUITAR OF SOME OF YOUR SONGS?
YOU CAN FIND THEM OVER THE INTERNET.

51-DO YOU WATCH ANY TURKISH TV DRAMAS?
I HAVE NOT WATCHED SINCE "IKINCI BAHAR" ("SECOND SPRING" / 1998-2001).

52-YOU ARE ACTUALLY A MUSIC TEACHER. HAVEN'T YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WORKING AS A TEACHER?
MY PROFFESSION IS WHAT I DO NOW: ROCK'N ROLL

53-IF maNga DIDN'T EXIST, WHAT WOULD YOU DO NOW?
I WOULD STILL BE MAKING MUSIC.

54-WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE FAMOUS?
IT'S NICE. THAT WAY, YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO REALIZE FULLY THAT IT'S NOT A BIG DEAL.


55-WHO IS THE PERSON WHO MAKE YOU LAUGH THE MOST?
ALL OF OUR BABIES (He means the other maNga guys) ARE DIFFERENT. ALL OF THEM MAKE ME LAUGH.

56-HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT WRITING?
I WOULD LIKE TO WRITE.

57-WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT FERMAN'S NEW TV SHOW?
IT'S A NICE PROGRAM. HE FINDS INTERESTING MELODIES AND MUSICAL TONES. I WISH HIM GOOD LUCK.

58-WHAT IS LIFE'S MEANING FOR YOU?
I DON'T KNOW IF LIFE HAS A MEANING BUT I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT MUSIC.

59-WHAT IS THAT YOU HATE THE MOST?
I HATE TO HATE.

60-DO YOU HAVE ANY FAMOUS IDOLS?
NO.


61-DID FERMAN TELL YOU ANYTHING ABOUT "KULAKTAN KULAGA" (FROM EAR TO EAR) ?
I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING MORE THAN YOU DO.

62-THE MOMENT YOU ARE ON STAGE, WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU SEE IN THE AUDIENCE?
I MOVE INTO ANOTHER DIMENTION ON STAGE. SO I DON'T SEE MUCH. WHEN I LOOK BETWEEN THE SONGS, I SEE CRAZY PEOPLE AND I LIKE IT.

63-WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU'RE UNDER STRESS?
I WATCH A MOVIE OR TAKE A WALK.

64-WHAT IS THAT YOU DON'T LIKE ABOUT BEING A FAN?
DON'T BE PREJUDICIOUS, THAT'S ENOUGH. SAME THING ABOUT ME, TOO. THERE IS NO OTHER PROBLEM.

65-WHO IS THE FUNNIEST GUY IN THE BAND?
IT'S OZGUR.


This Q & A was very informative about "The Boss" Yagmur. I think the fans got to know him much better now. He said that he would do the second round soon. We're looking forward to the second one eagerly! :) Thanks so much, Yagmur!


FERMAN AKGÜL'S Q & A ON OCT.20, 2012


Ferman did have an Questions & Answers (Q&A) session on Twitter on October 20, 2012 after the KULAKTAN KULAGA's first episode has ended. He apparently wanted to hear what his fans' impressions were on his program's first episode. He was very enthusiastic about answering the questions. This is the transcription of his Q&A.

1-HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THIS IDEA?
WHEN WE TOURED WITH maNga IN ANATOLIA...

2-HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT MAKING AN ALBUM OUT OF THIS PROGRAM?
I WISH...THERE IS NO SUCH PLAN AS OF NOW...

3-WHO NAMED THE PROGRAM?
I NAMED IT WITH MY PRODUCER EMRE EREN...

4-ONE CITY IN EACH EPISODE, RIGHT?
ABSOLUTELY...

5-WILL THE EPISODES BE LONGER?
NO...

6-WILL THERE BE JUST 13 EPISODES?
YES...IF YOU WANT MORE, JUST SEND EMAILS TO TRT...

7-DO YOU PLAN TO SHOOT EPISODES ABROAD?
OUR DESIRE IS TO SHOOT ABROAD NEXT YEAR...

8-DOES THIS IDEA BELONG ONLY TO YOU?
MY PRODUCER EMRE EREN AND I CREATED THIS PROJECT. I WAS INSPIRED BY THE DOCUMENTARY "THE LOST SONGS OF ANATOLIA" BY NEZIH UREN...

9-THERE WILL BE ONE CELEBRITY FOR EACH SONG AND LAMENT, RIGHT?
ABSOLUTELY...


10-WILL THERE BE MORE DIFFERENT CITIES AND VILLAGES?
THERE WILL BE FANTASTIC AND INTERESTING VILLAGES...

11-WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM THE VILLAGE PEOPLE?
THAT THERE ARE THINGS UNNECESSARY...

12-WILL FATMA TURGUT (MODEL's female lead singer) BE IN THE PROGRAM?
I'D LOVE TO...

13-WHICH CELEBRITIES CAN WE SEE IN THE PROGRAM?
THIS WILL BE A SURPRISE...

14-WILL THERE BE RERUNS?
YES, ON TRT...

15-WHAT AFFECTED YOU THE MOST IN THE VILLAGES YOU'VE BEEN TO?
I WAS AFFECTED BY THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HAPPILY WITHOUT NEEDING ANYTHING BUT THE MUSIC...

16-DID YOU DO SHOOTINGS IN CAPPADOCIA?
YES, WE DID...

17-WILL YOU GO TO THE BLACK SEA REGION? FOR INSTANCE TO RIZE?
IF EVERYTHING'S OK, WE'D LIKE TO GO TO SAMSUN. AND THEN TO GIRESUN. IN GIRESUN, THERE MIGHT BE A SURPISE NAME.

18-BESIDES THIS PROGRAM, DO YOU THINK YOU'LL HOST ANOTHER PROGRAM?
IF I COME ACROSS GOOD PROJECTS...

19-WHO PLAYED THE GUITAR PARTS AMONG THE SCENES?
IT WAS CAGATAY...


20-WHEN THIS PROJECT HAD BEEN OFFERED TO YOU, WHAT DID YOU THINK FIRST?
THIS HADN'T BEEN OFFERED TO US, WE CREATED IT!

21-EVERYONE ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER IS TALKING ABOUT YOU AND THE PROGRAM NOW.
THANK YOU ALL! I CAN'T EXPRESS HOW HAPPY YOU MADE ME RIGHT NOW!

22-WILL YOU PERFORM A DUET, TOO?
YES, IN ONE OF THE UPCOMING EPISODES...

23-DO YOU PLAN TO GO TO BULGARIA?
WE PLAN TO CARRY THIS PROGRAM ABROAD. IF YOU SUPPORT US, WE'LL GO...

24-BESIDES GRANDPAS&GRANDMAS, WILL THERE BE ANY YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE PROGRAM?
YES, I'M THINKING ABOUT THIS IN THE UPCOMING EPISODES...

25-IS THERE ANKARA IN THOSE 13 CITIES?
NO...

26-DO YOU THINK TO MAKE THIS PROGRAM LONGER THAN 13 EPISODES?
WE DEFINITELY WANT TO MAKE IT LONGER...

27-THERE ARE A LOT OF MELODIES THAT ARE ABOUT TO DISAPPEAR AROUND SINOP (in the Black Sea Region). DO YOU THINK TO COME TO SINOP?
WE'RE GOING TO COME NEAR TO SINOP, BUT IF YOU DEMAND MORE EPISODES FROM TRT OF COURSE WE'LL COME.

28-WHERE IS THE NEXT STOP?
I THINK IT'S MUGLA...

29-DID YOU CHOOSE THE PLACES? OR DID YOU DECIDE TOGETHER WITH YOUR TEAM?
WE GENERALLY CHOOSE THE PLACES THAT I HAVE SOME CONNECTIONS, BUT MY PRODUCER ALSO DECIDES...


30-WILL YOU COME TO SIVAS?
OF COURSE, BUT THE DATE ISN'T CERTAIN YET.

31-YOU SAID IN YOUR FACEBOOK PAGE THAT THERE WOULD BE SOME CONTESTS ABOUT THE PROGRAM. CAN YOU EXPLAIN ABOUT THIS A LITTLE?
THESE ARE SOME FUTURE PLANS. I'M GOING TO SHARE THESE IN MY FACEBOOK PAGE.

32-WHAT DO YOU FEEL WHEN YOU HEAR THOSE GRANDPAS & GRANDMAS' SONGS?
I MISS MY OWN GRANDPA...

33-WHICH CITY NEXT WEEK?
I'M CONFUSED. EMREEE! WHERE WAS IT?!

34-WHEN THIS PROGRAM ENDS, WILL YOU HAVE OTHER FILMING PROJECTS?
I'LL SAY YOU SHOULD FOLLOW YAVUZ ÖZKAN (a Turkish movie director)...(Ferman is now working with Yavuz Ozkan on his next film project and he's writing this film's music as a side project. He meant that.)

35-IS THERE ANY POSSIBILITY THAT HAYKO CEPKIN (another Turkish rocker) IS IN THE PROGRAM?
WE CAN'T DO WITHOUT HIM, BUT HE'S BUSY WITH HIS ALBUM RIGHT NOW, SO WE HAVEN'T DECIDED ON WHICH EPISODE YET...

36-WILL EMRE AYDIN (another Turkish rocker) BE IN THE PROGRAM?
NOTHING ON HIM YET...

37-CAN'T YOU CHANGE THE TIME?
YOU WANT IT TO START EARLIER THAN 22:30?

38-HOW ABOUT SAGOPA KAJMER (another Turkish rocker) ?
ANYBODY MAY BE.

39-ADANA?
IF WE DO IT NEXT YEAR, WE'LL GO...

40-TRABZON?
IT'S NOT DECIDED YET...

41-HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO GET THE IDEA READY FOR PRODUCTION?
HOW ABOUT MONTHS?

42-WILL ERDEM YENER (another Turkish rocker) COME?
I WANT HIM TO COME, TOO.



He is still a little poor at using Twitter. There were so many questions flowing into his Twitter, so he couldn't handle it properly and answer as many questions as the other guys. But it was really nice to have him online to have a little chat with him.:) He is really doing a wonderful job on this program. That's for sure. He raised the bar so high for himself with his program, so he will have to try more to be extra perfect! :) Thank you so much, Ferman!

I'm going to publish Yagmur's and Cem's Q&A transcriptions, too...coming soon...Stay tuned!
 

October 21, 2012

KIYIKÖYÜM HASTAYIM SANA (KULAKTAN KULAGA, EPISODE 1)

"KIYIKÖYÜM HASTAYIM SANA" rearranged by Ferman Akgül
("My Beloved Kiyikoy, I'm addicted to you!")


This is the first folk song that came out of KULAKTAN KULAGA that was converted into a fusion of Turkish folk and rock music, also known as "Anatolian Rock".


A Sleepy Ferman on the first day of the shooting

This episode's lucky song is from Kirklareli which is a border city on the European region of Thrace of Turkey. It has a coastline on the Black Sea. Rich in natural beauties and history, the little town of Kiyikoy is mainly a fisherman's village. Thrace is famous with its lively and flirtatious rhythm and melodies. The history of the Balkan region is full of wars. The people is used to wars, sorrowful population exchanges and tears. For them this is life and it goes on and on no matter what. Because of that, they expressed themselves mostly with lively melodies that make you dance and accompany whenever you hear it and with songs about living cheerfully as if there is no end!

The reason why Ferman went to this little town is that he had seen a newspaper article about Kiyikoy and went there to get inspiration for maNga's "Sehr-i Huzun" album in 2009. This is his 4th time in the town.
A Treasure Hunter Ferman
When he first visited this little town of Kiyikoy 4-5 years ago, he said that the village people thought of him a treasure hunter! :) In the last scene he shot in the town, he was on the beach in a pirate's cloak just to remember this memory from years ago. He dug out a pet bottle on the beach. He was trying to say that the only thing he was going to steal from this lovely town was just thrash!


Ferman explaining about darbuka essentials

Ferman picked a merry folk song about "how beautiful Kiyikoy is in comparison with Aegean Sea or Mediterranean Sea" to recreate in this first episode. First we heard it in a local keyboard player Erdogan Abi's (Brother Erdogan) voice who mostly played in the wedding parties. He recorded this song in Erdogan's voice in the cafe. And then he and Cagatay Sen from maNga team rearranged it in maNga's recording studio in Istanbul which Ferman called it as "maNga's Sanctuary". Ferman said that maNga's Cem, Ozgur and "The Boss" Yagmur also played in the re-recordings of the song and especially Yagmur contributed in the arrangement with his unique ideas!


Ferman and Cagatay in the process of rearranging the song

And this episode's guest star is female rocker Gökçe. Ferman and Cagatay thought of her voice the best when they had worked on the song for the first time in the studio. Gökçe came along and she recorded the song according to Ferman and Cagatay's directions. She also had some ideas as to how the musical arrangement would be the best. She even taught Ferman how to dance alla turca! It's very rare to see Ferman dancing alla turca, so it was fun to see them dancing together in the studio!

Gokce teaches Ferman how to dance Thracian style

And the final product was an Erdogan Abi-Gokce duet! It was really changed into an Anatolian rock song in the magical hands of Ferman, Cagatay and probably Yagmur. Therefore, we gained a new piece of music for dancing in the wedding parties that we, Turks like very much!
 

Gökçe, singing KIYIKÖYÜM HASTAYIM SANA in the "maNga's Sanctuary"
(video uploaded to YouTube by Barişcan Özay)

Ferman thrilled us with his program of a different concept so much that we will be looking forward to each Saturday very eagerly and cancel all the appointments only for him.

We wish him good luck in this musical expedition of him!



The LYRICS of the song "KİYİKOYUM HASTAYİM SANA"

Cik Karadeniz'den bak guneye
Kiyikoy'um benim, on basar Ege'ye

Ne Bodrum, ne de Antalya
Kiyikoyum benim, hastayim sana
Ne Bodrum, ne de Antalya
Kiyikoy'um benim, on basar Ege'ye

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Sail out from the Black Sea and look southward
My Beloved Kiyikoy is much much better than the Aegean Sea

Neither Bodrum, nor Antalya
My Beloved Kiyikoy, I'm addicted to you
Neither Bodrum, nor Antalya
My Beloved Kiyikoy is much much better than the Aegean Sea


You can watch the full episode 1 on the You Tube link below:




You can watch the episodes online on TRT MUZIK's KULAKTAN KULAGA video page:

TRT MUZIK'S KULAKTAN KULAGA Video Page

October 20, 2012

KULAKTAN KULAGA ("FROM EAR TO EAR") by FERMAN AKGUL

Ferman in Izmir Bademler Village...


maNga's Ferman Akgul's music documentary "KULAKTAN KULAGA" ("From Ear to Ear")  will be on air tonight on TRT Muzik channel. This is something that the fans have been awaiting for some time now.

The slogan of the documentary is "Get ready for the duet of your lifetime!"

Below, you can find some information about the program extracted from the interview with Ferman which was published in October 2012 issue of TRT's magazine "VIZYON". My English may sound a little Turkish in some places. Sorry about that.

Ferman's program will be a musical travel guide through Anatolia which was Ferman's long-planned project.There will be 13 45-minute episodes and the program will last 3 months.

Ferman will be travelling through Anatolia in this program. He's going to go to 13 cities, visiting small towns and villages. He's going to interview with the village people and find out about the history around the area, about the ethnic origin of the local music and the historical influences on local music, etc. He's going to share with us which languages have been used around the area throughout the history, what kind of songs have been sung. And then we're going to hear local songs, melodies and poems from the local people's voices.

The goal of the program is to discover unheard music that doesn't belong to pop culture. And with this, the audience will have a chance to get hold of the culture of the city and its people.

He's going to pick one of the songs or melodies, rearrange it and get a famous singer (he said that they would be mostly his close rocker friends) recorded it in the studio. Recording it, the famous singer will hear the original recording of the local song from the village and at the end they're going to create a duet song! By doing so, he's going to give us a new song which hasn't been heard until today and changed into a different sound! This may be an anonymous song or an unheard melody. What's important is that the audience will have information about the region in 45 minutes and enjoy the beauty of the unheard melodies after the professional touch in the studio which is very thrilling.

He's going to go to 13 Turkish cities and Aegean Samos Island (where is a personal favorite of Ferman) during this program. His main goal is to show that there are cultural values, hidden emotions and civilizations behind every piece of music; to share the Anatolian values which are about to be forgotten and to share the musical material which influences maNga's music.

The concept of the program belongs to Ferman, maNga and the producer Emre Eren.

The target group will be the young audience. Also, he's planning to share the program in the social networks. They're going to share the episodes, the behind-the-scenes videos and photos taken by Charles Richards in the villages.


This is the official Facebook page of the program "Kulaktan Kulağa" ("From Ear To Ear").


Kulaktan Kulaga Official Facebook Page

This is what Ferman is trying to do in his program "Kulaktan Kulaga" ("From Ear to Ear") on TRT Muzik channel.


I'm very thrilled about it. We know how maNga can convert any song into completely different song like they did with "Ya Evde Yoksan", so it's going to be very exciting to see how the local songs will be changed in Ferman's magical hands. :)


You can watch the episodes online on TRT MUZIK's KULAKTAN KULAGA video page:

TRT MUZIK'S KULAKTAN KULAGA VIDEO PAGE

October 16, 2012

My Impressions on maNga Avcilar Concert on OCt.10, 2012

It was excellent...My first night concert of maNga. 2 hours with them! A music feast! Wow!

The concert was generally a long version of Caddebostan concert almost a month ago. They played usual old songs from Sehr-i Huzun and from their self-titled first album. They didn't play new cover "Ya Evde Yoksan" unfortunately. But the surprise song for me is "All We Need is Everyone". Because they played the rock version of this song which was PERFECT!! I loved it so much!
This song is for ESC2010 which they prepared on order from TRT. From among 3 songs they chose "We Could Be The Same". By the way, the other one is "Fly To Stay Alive" which was called "Run" then.

All We Need Is Everyone


They could participate in ESC any time again with this version, it's that good in my opinion!
I have listened just the acoustic versions of "All We Need is Everyone" before. So the rock version impressed me very much. On Youtube, you can find Akustikhane and MTV Express versions of it. I have listened to it live for the first time, and it was remarkably excellent! Ferman once said that they would think to include it in the new albums in a radio interview, so I think this version will suit very well in the new album which will probably have a rock sound.

Fly To Stay Alive

They arrived on the stage 20 minutes late, due to the Istanbul's infamous super traffic jam! But Ozgur and Cem tweeted from the road saying that they had been in the traffic fighting to reach the campus for 5 hours and almost there! I got this news thru Twitter but not that everyone has mobile Twitter, so at 21:05 everyone started to whistle and clap which meant where the hell they were! Thank God, they were on stage at 21:20!

First songs were from this year's "e-akustik" album, Hosgeldin and Rezalet Cikarasim Var. Then they performed from Sehr-i Huzun and their first album, such as Dunyanin Sonuna Dogmusum, Tek Yon Sectigin Tum Yollar, Her Ask Olumu Tadacak, Uryan Geldim, Bir Kadin Cizeceksin, Bitti Ruya...

"Cevapsiz Sorular" and "Ben Bir Palyacoyum" were acoustic as usual with just Yagmur and Ferman...and the audience, of course! :)

Between these songs, Ferman who was very impressed by the fans' accompaniment during "Cevapsiz Sorular", made a little thank-you speech. He said that now he wanted to say something very sincerely and that the best part of being famous and recognized by people, making music & albums is sharing their songs with us.
CevapSiz Sorular / Ben Bir Palyacoyum

They played their old songs too hard. They were as if they wanted to tell us "we haven't changed our sound at all, we are the same hard maNga"!
They also performed some solos. Efe did a DJ performance and after that Cem did his solo on his bass and Yagmur joined him, too. After their solos, came "Dursun Zaman", which was a much-acclaimed hit song from their first album. It was a duet song with female pop singer Goksel. Goksel's contribution in the song with her unique voice was undeniable. Even though we like Ferman's voice very much, every time maNga performs this song without her, you feel something is missing. Once I have seen a video of a concert of Goksel in which she performed this song on stage with another no-name male vocal, still something was missing. I mean it's a Ferman-Goksel thing, it's like it's not meant to be performed with someone else!

Cem&Yagmur Solo / Dursun Zaman

When it was the turn for "We Could Be The Same", Ferman started to sing the slow intro, just like the duet with Orphaned Land at Ankara's AnkiRock Festival on Sept.21. Everybody in the arena joined and accompanied him as usual.
In the middle, he suddenly stopped his friends saying "one second, one second...I liked it very much! I want to do this part again! One more time? For me?" And he started the slow intro again. Everybody sang the intro along with him, again. Then he thanked the fans and the ESC version of WCBTS has started normally. In the middle of the song he tried to dance like a belly dancer which was very cute! :) Not the belly part but neck part was almost there! :)

We Could Be The Same

The concert has some interesting moments. One of them was about Ferman and his hat!
At the beginning, he came to the stage with an interesting hat on his head. This was a new hat on him. It was a bit chilly night, so he had a coat, a sweatshirt on him and underneath he had his usual black sleeveless undershirt that everybody loved. He had his hat on his head during the most part of the concert.


Everything has started when Ferman got down off the stage among the fans during the performance of "Evdeki Ses" (Noise in the House)! This was a first for me. I haven't seen anything like that before in any maNga concert videos, so I was so surprised that he was among the fans. We were a little behind, so I couldn't see what they did to him, but everybody especially girls was screaming and shrieking! :) You can see what they are doing to him in the official picture below. :)

When he got back to the stage, he hadn't got his precious hat on his head. He hastily finished the first half of the song (The video below was taken from the moment he was on the stage again).



And he asked unexpectedly "who took my hat?" in an angry-sounded voice a couple of times. He called the fan who took the hat to the stage, still angry-sounding, "Come on up here with the hat!" he said. The fan threw the hat back to him, but Ferman still wanted to have the fan on the stage. :) He said, "I didn't want it back, I said "come on up here!" laughing this time. In the meantime, Cem joined Ferman in the front and he called him too, pointing him.

Finally the boy came on the stage unwillingly. Ferman and Cem welcomed him on the stage, and Ferman shouted to us "He came all the way from Iraq!! Cheer for him, Istanbul!!" And he gave him a big hug! After that, he sang the last part of the song with his arms around the Iraqi boy's shoulders, "Sizin gibi delilere her gun bayram", which means "Every day is like bayram for the crazy people like you!". While singing this part, he was pointing the boy out with his finger! So was Cem! As if he wanted to mean that he was crazy enough to come all the way from Iraq to the concert! But we don't know the details about the boy. Maybe he was just a guest student at Istanbul University where the concert was held in the campus area. :)

But it was very spot-on that the boy was from so far away Iraq during just the right song for the situation! (Ferman named the fans "crazy people" (deli) on Twitter, because the fans are following them anywhere no matter what, so the Iraqi boy was also crazy!)
Well, after Ferman finished the song, he presented his hat to the boy with a very cute bow, like their signature "maNga Bow"! With a final hug, he saw him off from the stage.

The last trivial moment that needs to be mentioned was at the end. The last song was "Beni Benimle Birak". When it finished, they prepared to say finishing goodbyes. Ferman put his sweatshirt back on. They were still on the stage, but there were incredible noise and applause. The fans started to shout "One more! One more!". They wanted encore! Ferman said laughing "We didn't even get off the stage!".

And without any reluctance, when they took their instruments back again, Ferman said very nicely with a smile, "Friends, there is an accepted way of doing this encore thing! We finish our regular program, get off the stage, and then you applause and we come back! This is the way it should be! I think we are the first music band that give encore before even getting off the stage!" That was very funny! :) As an encore, they performed "Alisirim Gozlerimi Kapamaya". After that came their concert signature "maNga Bow", that they do at the closing of every concert and this is their way of showing respect to the audience which is very nice! It also shows how strong the bond among them is and together they're one! With their usual "maNga Bow", the 2-hour maNga feast was over! Now it was time to go back home with a feeling of emptiness inside and lots of visual material to share with the world! :)

Alisirim Gozlerimi Kapamaya

October 14, 2012

maNga 10 Ekim 2012 Avcilar Konseri Izlenimlerim

 Konser Oncesi

10 Ekim'de ilk defa bir maNga gece konserine gittim. Uskudar'dan dusununce benim icin dunyanin obur ucu gibi bir lokasyon olan Avcilar'daki Ist.Universitesi kampusundeydi konser ve ben gittim, evet! Ferman hakli fanlara "deli" lakabini takmakta. :) Ben uzun zamandir boyle bir delilik yapmamistim. :)

Kadikoy Sogutlucesme'den metrobusle gittik Avcilar'a. Umdugumdan kolay oldugunu itiraf ediyorum. Ilk defa metrobuse bindim ve iyi ki varmis dedim laf aramizda. Trafik kesmekesiyle hic bir ilgimiz olmadan Avcilar'a vardik.


Sadece 1 saatte ordaydik saat 17:30'da. Buraya en son 1990'da gelmistim diplomami almaya. I.U. Isletme Fakultesi'nden mezun oldum ben, ama Avcilar'da okumadim hic. Ben Rumeli Hisarustu'ndeki, simdi Bogazici Universitesi'ne ait olan ve Kuzey Kampusu olarak adlandirilan binadan mezunum. O yuzden sanslilardanim, Avcilar'a gidip gelmem hic gerekmedi. :)
Ama gordugum kadariyla aradan gecen bunca yila ragmen, kampuste hic bir degisiklik, hic bir goze gorunen gelisme yok. Bu beni buyuk hayal kirikligina ugratti. Gordugum en ruhsuz kampuslerden biri burasi. Yesillik yok, hala cevre insaat halinde. I.U.'ye hic yakismiyor. Neyse, ben konser icin burdayim. Universite su anda beni cok da ilgilendirmiyor. :)

BiDoluFest kapsamindaydi maNga konseri. O yuzden festival adi altinda bazi etkinlikler gorunuyor. Ufak standlarda genellikle yiyecek yerleri, kebapcilar, misircilar, aksesuarcilar, vs...siralanmislar. Ufak kafecikler olusturulmus, gencler sohbet ediyor, gulusuyor, egleniyor...

Oncelikle su konser alanini bir mimleyelim dedik. Saat 17:45. Lunapark bile yapmislar festival icin. :) Belki de hep var, bilmiyorum. Konser alanini bulduk. Giriste bir grup ergen kiz siraya girmisler, beklemeye baslamislar bile. 20:00'de acilacakmis kapilar. O saate kadar burda durmayalim, eski okulum Isletme Fakultesi'ne bir bakalim dedik. Aa, o da ne! Okulda Soslu Makarna Gunu varmis! Bahcede bir ufak sahne kurulu ve hafif muzik orkestra duzeni var sahnede. 19:30'da konser varmis. Ne guzel, burda vakit gecirebiliriz maNga'ya kadar dedik.


Ferman yine hakli! Cunku biz festival, senlik duzenlemeyi bilmiyoruz. Ayni gun birbirine bu kadar yakin saatlerde iki konser olur mu? Bu kadar mi birbirinden habersiz ayni mekani kullanan organizatorler? Turkiye'de konserlerin olmazsa olmazi gecikmeleri de hesaba katinca iki konserin ustuste binecegi asikar. Neyse, ortamin tadini cikaralim dedik, beklemeye basladik. Eski mezun olarak orda olmak da guzeldi ama yillarin hizla gecisi bayagi bir dokundu bana.

Bir organizasyon aksakligi daha! Saat 19:30'a geliyor ama muzisyenler sahnede yer alacaklarina, okul binasina dogru gidiyorlar grup halinde. Allah Allah! ...Megerse muzisyenlere icerde yemek veriyorlarmis konser oncesi! Burasi Turkiye, olur boyle seyler! :)

Bu arada arasira Twitter'a bakiyorum, onemli bir haber var mi diye. Aa, o da ne?! MaNga'dan Ozgur tweet atmis, "trafik.." yazmis sadece. Demek ki trafikte kalmislar, gecikeceklerinin gostergesi! Aa, sonra Cem'den bir tweet: "Avcilar'a gitmek Ankara'ya gitmekten zormus" diyor. 5 saattir yoldalarmis, kampuse ulasmaya calisiyorlarmis. Sonra resmi maNga Twitter hesabindan bir tweet: "Trafikteyiz, cok bunaldik ama az kaldi..." Hadi bakalim...

Saat 20:00'ye yaklasiyor, hafif muzik konseri baslamak uzere. E bari bu kadar bekledik, biraz bakalim da, oyle maNga'ya gidelim dedik. Onlar nasilsa trafikteler, gecikecekler. :) Asla tam 21:00'de baslayamazlar bu durumda.



Konser klasik bati muzigi tarzinda bir parcayla baslangic yapti; taniyorum ama su anda aklima gelmiyor adi. Sonra 4 solist geldi ve Abba'dan 2 parca, sonra Grease soundtrack'inden 2 parcadan sonra 20:20 gibi artik maNga'ya gitmemiz gerektiginden ciktik ordan. Grup gecikecek, ama alan dolmustur coktan. Cok arkalara kalmayalim dedik. Ama aklimin Isletme'de kaldigini da itiraf edecegim izninizle. :)

Alan bayagi buyukmus. Hali saha gibi bir yer. Kampusun etkinlik alani herhalde. Bir onceki aksamki Duman konserinde burda 55.000 kisi varmis diye duymustum. Wow! Erken gelen gencler yerlere yayilmis bekliyorlar. Biz trafikte olduklarini yani konserin gec baslayacagini biliyoruz, ama bunu bilmeden beklemenin rahatligi da bir baska oluyordur herhalde diye dusunuyorum! :)







Sahne onu dolmus elbette. Insanlari yara yara onlere dogru geliyoruz. Universiteliler bayagi uzun boylular. Bu kadar cok erkek fan gorecegimi ummuyordum. Kizlarin sayisi dusuk geldi bana. Neyse, ben rahat goruntu alabilecegim bir aralik bulup yerlesmeye calisiyorum. Video cekecegim cunku. Artik oldugu kadar. :)

Saat 21:05 oldu. MaNga yok! Normal! Ama nedenini bilmeyen gencler isliklamaya, alkislamaya ve soylenmeye basliyorlar. Sahnede duzen hazirliklari ve arka muzik devam ediyor. Ben bagira bagira "hala trafikteler!" demek istiyorum ama bana ne diye dusunuyorum bir yandan da.

21:15. Hala yoklar! Trafigin neresindeler acaba diye meraklanmaya basliyorum. :)

21:20! Ondeki kizli erkekli gruptan bir ciglik yukseliyor! Sahnede bir hareketlenme var. Tamam, yetisip sahneye cikti iste maNga! Neyse, cok gecikmediler yine de!

(12/10 Ek: Bugun maNga'nin Kral TV'ye verdigi bir roportaj izledim. Konser oncesi cekilmis. Demek ki gecikmelerinin nedeni trafik + roportajmis! Roportajda Turkce +Ingilizce album hazirliklarinda olduklarini ve sonra bir turneye cikacaklarini soyluyorlar. Sonra Ing album gelecekmis. Bir guncelleme aliyoruz son calismalari hakkinda bu sayede. Konserdeki gecikmeye sevineyim mi, uzuleyim mi bilemedim simdi. :)

Havada ic urperten bir serinlik var. Grup uyeleri kalin gelmisler. Ama Ferman biraz abartmis gorunuyor. Palto, icinde bir esorfman ustu ve neredeyse gozlerine kadar inen bir garip sapka var basinda. :) Konserin ilerleyen dakikalarinda bu sapka konserin maskotu gibi olacak ve bir hosluk yaratacak! :) Artik Avcilar konseri bu sapkayla hatirlanacak! :)

Konser

Konser, her zamanki gibi 2012 albumleri "e-akustik'ten "Hosgeldin" ve arkasindan albumun gaz parcasi "Rezalet Cikarasim Var" ile basliyor...Ben acaba Gencebay cover'lari "Ya Evde Yoksan"i soylerler mi acaba diye heyecanliyim!

2004'teki ilk album ve 2009'daki 2.albumleri Sehr-i Huzun'den hizli hit parcalarla devam ediyorlar. Ferman her zamanki gibi enerjik. Tavsan gibi ordan oraya sicriyor. Seyircileri nasil costuracagini cok iyi biliyor. Zaman zaman "ziiiplaaaa!"diye bagiriyor bizlere ve universiteli gencler basliyorlar cidden ziplamaya, eller havada ve rock forever isareti. Bir yandan da Ferman'in vokaline sonuna kadar ezberlenmis sozlerle eslik ediyorlar. Yagmur ciddiyetle gitarini ve klavyesini konusturuyor. Ozgur, Efe ve Cem de oyleler yine.

Havaya kalkan ellerin kimilerinde cep telefonlari, fotograf makineleri, resim ve video cekiyorlar. 21.yy konserlerinde bunu seviyorum. Artik resim ve video cekme yasaklari kalkmis gibi. Konser oncesi "cekim yapmak yasaktir" duyurulari yok. Bizler 90'li yillarda gizlice cekerdik, sadece kendi zevkimiz icin, ama artik You Tube devri ve herkes video ve resimlerini baskalariyla paylasmak istiyor! Eskiden romantik parcalarda cakmaklar veya ozel dagitilan isikli susler havalara kalkardi; ama artik onlarin yerini cep telefonlari ve digital fotograf makinelerinin parlak ekranlari aldi! :)

Ben de bir kac resim cekeyim diyorum, ama cevremdeki ziplayan insanlardan, rock forever parmaklarindan sakinmaktan, cektigim resimlerin hepsi titrek cikiyor. Vazgeciyorum. Gucumu video icin saklayacagim. :)

Neyse...Bu gece maNga bayagi sert caliyor. 2012 "e-akustik" albumleriyle biraz durulmus gibi gorunen ve bu yuzden bir kisim sadik hayranlarin tepkileriyle karsi karsiya kalan maNga, sanki "biz degismedik, stilimiz yine ayni, yine eski sert maNga'yiz" demek istiyor gibiler.

Bu arada anti parantez belirtmek isterim ki, ben "e-akustik" ile maNga'yi kesfettim denebilir. Bu albumun en buyuk savunucularindan biriyim. Uzun zamandir bu kadar tek bir parca bile atlamadan dinlemesi zevkli, ozenli ve uzerinde bu kadar kafa yorulmus bir album dinlememistim diyebilirim. Ilk albumlerinden cikan enerjik hit parcalarinin muzikal yapisini tumden yikip sarkilari yeniden Ferman'in deyisiyle elektrikli akustik olarak yapilandirdiklari bu album, bazi hayranlar ne derlerse desinler (no matter what they say :)), bence 2012'nin en dikkat cekici, en cesur albumlerinden biri oldu ve beni maNga'ya yeni bir hayran olarak kazandirdi.

Boylece sert sololar basliyor. Once Cem. Daha once onun bas solosuna hic rastlamamistim. Iyi oldu. Aslinda onun da iyi bir sesi var. Vokallerde Cem'i daha cok duymak isteriz. 3 dakikalik solosundan sonra, Yagmur gorunuyor gitariyla ve onun solosu basliyor. Elekto gitarini bayagi bir aglatiyor. Sonra da ilk albumlerinin klasik hit parcasi "Dursun Zaman"a basliyorlar alkislar arasinda. Nerdeyse butun sarkiyi Ferman'dan cok seyirciler soyluyor desem yeridir. Bu iyi bir sarkinin yillar gecse de unutulmayacaginin bir gostergesi. Bu sarki, maNga'nin Goksel ile yaptigi bir duet calismasi. Goksel'in benzersiz sesiyle sarkiya yaptigi katki oylesine inkar edilemez ki, maNga'nin bu sarkiyi her onsuz icrasinda sanki bir eksiklik var gibi hissediliyor. Goksel'in kendi konserlerinden birindeki bu sarkinin yorumunun videosunu izlemistim. Ferman'in yerinde baska bir erkek vokal vardi ve ayni sey, yani bir eksiklik duygusu o yorumda da soz konusuydu. Demek ki bu sarkiyi Ferman ve Goksel hep birlikte soylemeliler. :) Baskalarini karistirmadan. :)
Cem ve Yagmur Solo / Dursun Zaman

Arka arkaya calinan sert enerjik hit parcalardan sonra, sahne bir ara karariyor ve grup sahneden ayriliyor. Seyirciler "n'oluyor yav?! Nereye gittiler simdi?" diyorlar, bu kadar erken bir ara mi olacak acaba diye. Teknik ekipten biri akustik gitari getirip standina yerlestiriyor, 2 adet yuksek sandalye getirip yanyana koyuyorlar. Baska maNga konserlerine gitmis veya videolarini izlemis olanlar tabii hemen anliyorlar durumu. Akustik zamani. Simdi biraz yavaslayacaklar. Arkamdan bir kiz diyor ki, "akustik yapacaklar simdi abi!" Aferin, anladiniz!

Evet, Yagmur ve Ferman cikageliyor. Ferman paltosunu atmis. Fermuarli mor esorfman ustu ve o sapka basinda yine. Yagmur'da gri kapisonlu sweatshirt var. Ben kamerami hazirliyorum, kolumu havaya kaldiriyorum ve sarkiyi bekliyorum. Hangisinin gelecegini biliyorum cunku. :) Nerdeyse grubun muzigini temsil eden hit parcalari, bitmis bir iliskiye yakilmis bir agit olarak algiladigim "Cevapsiz Sorular" mukemmel icra ediliyor, her zamanki gibi. Bu sarkiya ozel ilgim var, kendi bitmis iliskimle iliskilendirdigim icin. Sozleri beni cok etkiliyor ve her performansini izlemek istiyorum. Bu gece cektigim video kisisel "Cevapsiz Sorular" koleksiyonumun 2.parcasi olacak. :)


Cevapsiz Sorular / Ben Bir Palyacoyum


Ferman alt perdeden kisik sesle basliyor, seyirciler de onunla birlikte. Artik herkes bu sarkida Ferman'a nasil eslik edilecegini biliyor. Hatasiz bir eslikle sarki bitiyor; neyse ki seyircilerin sesi bu sefer akortlu cikiyor. :) Yagmur yine gitarina konsantre, dokturuyor kendinden gecerek. Ferman'in mukemmel nagmeleri yine bol alkis aliyor. Kisisel bir not olarak diyorum ki, umarim Yagmur ve Ferman yillar sonra kir sacli amcalar olarak da bu parcayi sahnede yine bu sekliyle akustik olarak tek gitarla soylerler. Tipki Simon ve Garfunkel'in "The Sound of Silence" ile yillar sonra 1981'de New York Central Park'ta yaptiklari gibi. Tek gitar ve ikisi. Paha bicilmez bir 5 dakika! Bence "Cevapsiz Sorular" da maNga'nin "The Sound of Silence"i olacak. Yillar sonra onlardan hala bu parca bis olarak istenecek!

Sarki bitiyor, sahne karariyor. Karanlikta Ferman'in sesi duyuluyor. Seyircinin bu geceki esliginden son derece memnun kalmis olacak ki, ufak bir tesekkur konusmasi yapiyor. "Cok samimi bir sey soylemek istiyorum burda. Album yapmanin, taninmanin, unlu olmanin verdigi en buyuk keyif, sizinle yaptigimiz sarkilari paylasmak. Cok tesekkur ederiz!" Biz de size tesekkur ediyoruz, Ferman, bu guzel muzigi bize tattirdiginiz icin! :)

Sonrasinda bana ve bazi elestirmenlere gore "e-akustik" albumunun zirve noktasi "Ben Bir Palyacoyum"un huzunlu isligi basliyor. Gunumuz Turkiye'sine elestirel bir yorum getirdikleri parca yine huzunlu, yine vurucu, yine mukemmel. Seyirci esligi de oyle, tam kivaminda alcak perdeden. Bu sarkiya yakin zamanda klip cekildigini biliyoruz. Umarim ayni huznu tasiyan bir klip olmustur.

Yine cosma zamani. Ferman isiniyor ve esorfman ustunu de atiyor ve her zamanki siyah atletiyle ve sapkasiyla kaliyor. Elektro gitarini da aliyor eline. Benim icin konserin surpriz parcasi, 2010 Eurovison zamanindan kalma "All We Need is Everyone". Bu parca, maNga'nin TRT'ye Eurovision icin hazirladigi 3 parcadan birisi. Daha once bu parcanin akustik versiyonlarini dinleyebilmistim sadece ve ilk kez tanik oldugum rock versiyonunu acayip sevdim! Cok oynak, costurucu bir muzikal alt yapi koymuslar buna. Sarki bittiginde "aa, bitti ya!" diye dusunmeden edemiyor insan. Ferman'in "Hazir misiniz?...Kooooopp!" cigligiyla yukselen coskuya tam kapilmisken sarki bitiyor! :) O derece icine ceken bir parca! Eline saglik, Yagmur diyeyim. Yeni albumlerine cok yakisacagina eminim. Umarim suresini biraz daha uzun tutarlar. :)


All We Need is Everyone

"Fly To Stay Alive", Eurovision icin hazirladiklari 3.parcaydi. O zaman henuz adi "Run" idi, ama ertesi yil yeni bir duzenleme ve sozlerle "Fly To Stay Alive" olarak karsimiza ciktiginda taninmaz haldeydi ve Avrupa listelerinde 1 numaraya kadar yukseldi. Insanin tuylerini diken diken eden bir parca ve dinlemesi her zaman cok keyifli. Yine oyleydi. Sanirim ses duzeninin de iyi olmasindan, son derece keyif veren guzel bir performans oldu.
Fly To Stay Alive

Sonra 2010 Eurovision'da zafer kazandiklari "We Could Be The Same" geliyor. Slow intro ile basliyorlar parcaya. Ferman'la birlikte seyirciler de eslige, her zamanki gibi. Ama birden Ferman arkadaslarini durduruyor, "bi dakka, bi dakka!" diyerek. Sonra seyircilere donerek, "Hakikaten harikasiniz! Bunu ben bi daha yapmak istiyorum!" diyor. "Cok guzeldi, gercekten! Hadi, benim icin!" Ve slow introya herkes onunla birlikte tekrar basliyor! Ferman'in seyirciyle iletisimi gercekten mukemmel! Onlar kadar sahnesi guclu, dunya standartlarinda muzik yapan baska bir Turk grup var mi, gercekten bilmek istiyorum! Ve sonra da Ferman'in "Hazir misiniz ziplamaya??!" davetiyle birlikte, "We Could Be The Same"in Eurovision versiyonunun guclu coskulu ezgileri basliyor. Ilk dizeyle birlikte bu parcayi ne kadar ozlemis oldugumu hatirliyorum. O zafer gecesini kacirmis oldugum icin hala uzulurum!
We Could Be The Same

Sirada "Evdeki Ses" var. Cartel cover'i ve maNga konserlerinin olmazsa olmazi. Ferman yine formunda bu sarkida. Bu sarkiya ozel alisilmis mimikleriyle sarkinin ilk kismini bitiriyor ve...ve...inanilmaz bir sey yapip seyirciler arasina atliyor! Yani...atladigini tahmin ediyoruz. Seyircilerin onu cekip sahneden asagiya almalari mumkun mu? :) Sanmam. Korumalar falan...Mumkun degil. :) Arkadan goremiyoruz durumu tam uzun boylu arkadaslar yuzunden. On taraftaki seyircilerden bir ciglik kopuyor o anda! Boyle bir sey yapacagini hic tahmin etmedigim icin agzim acik kaliyor! Hic bir videoda boyle bir sey yaptigini gormemistim. Acaba son zamanlardaki Twitter'daki hayranlarla bundan sonra daha yakin olma muhabbetinden anladigi bu mu? :)
maNga'nin kendi resmi sitelerinde paylastigi yukardaki resmi ben de burda paylasayim da, durum anlasilsin.

Bir sure sonra Ferman sahneye donuyor, ama o da ne?! Sapka yok kafasinda! Sarkinin devamini da bitirdikten sonra sahne onune geliyor ve birden bire kimsenin ummadigi bir soru soruyor! "Kim aldi benim sapkami?!" diye bir kac kere tekrarlayip, parmagiyla birisini isaret ediyor. Sesi biraz kizmis gibi. Gercekten kim aldi o hengamede cocugun sapkasini? Ayipliyorum dogrusu! Ferman "Gel gel, sapkayla gel!" diye devam ediyor. Hala parmagiyla birini isaret ediyor. Ben de merak ediyorum aslinda, ne yapacak ona sahnede diye. Bir kac saniye sonra sapka sahneye Ferman'a geri firlatiliyor! Ferman, gulerek sapkayi giyiyor ve "Hayir, sapkayi ver demedim, buraya gel dedim" diyor. :)
Sapka Muhabbeti ve Ferman'in Jesti
(You Tube'da Evren Ozguner adli kullanicinin videosudur)

Sonunda, cocuk gonulsuzce sahneye geliyor. Cem ve Ferman onu sahne kenarinda karsiliyorlar, Ferman cocugu kucakliyor. One gelirlerken Ferman, bize "Irak'tan gelmis!! Kaldir elini, Istanbul!" diye bagiriyor. Arkadas, Irak'liymis, bak sen! Sanirim konsere taa Irak'tan gelmis gibi bir hava dogdu, ama buyuk olasilikla arkadas Irak'li bir konuk ogrenci burda. Bunu bilmiyoruz. Neyse, Ferman sarkinin son bolumunu, kolunu cocugun omzuna dolamis sekilde soyluyor, "Sizin gibi delilere her gun bayram!". :) Bir yandan da, Cem'le birlikte parmagiyla cocugu isaret ediyor, "bu da deli" der gibi. :) Bitirince de sevimli bir reverans ile sapkayi cikarip cocuga takdim ediyor. :) Eminim cocugun hayatinda aldigi en ilginc hediyedir. Sahnede dayak yemeyi umarken, Ferman'la kucaklasip bir de ustune ondan hediye almis oldu! :)
Sapka muhabbeti, konserden ilginc ve komik bir enstantaneydi. :) Artik bu konser bu sapkayla hatirlanacak. :)

Konserin guya son parcasi, bir diger hit parcalari olan "Beni Benimle Birak" idi. Performans sirasinda fotograf makinemdeki hafiza kartinin bitmis oldugunu farkedip kolumu indiriyorum. Anliyorum ki hic cekime baslamamis makine bu parcada. Hay Allah ya! Sonra eve geldikten sonra farkediyorum ki, "We Could Be The Same"in son kisminda bitmis kartim. :)


Beni Benimle Birak ve Ferman'in Konusmasi
(You Tube'da hayall21 adli kullanicinin videosudur)

Gecen ayki Caddebostan konserini de bu parcayla bitirmislerdi, demek sona geldik diye dusunuyorum. Napalim? Bu da olmayiversin. Epeyce video cektim sayilir.
Her zamanki mukemmellikte bir performanstan sonra parca bitiyor. Grup uyeleri sahneden ayrilma hazirliklari yapiyorlar. Ben simdi klasik "maNga Selami" ile konserin sonuna imzalarini atip bitirecekler diye dusunuyorum. Kalabaliktan inanilmaz bir alkis kopuyor, "bir daha, bir daha!" sesleri yukseliyor her yandan. Ferman esorfman ustunu giyerken, "Daha inmeden mi?" diye soruyor gulumseyerek. :) Alkislar devam ediyor. Grup uyeleri birbirlerine bakiyorlar; sahneden inmekten vazgecip bis hazirligina basliyor ve enstrumanlarini geri aliyorlar ellerine. Bu arada Ferman yine konusmadan duramiyor. :) "Arkadaslar, bu isin raconunda grup iner, sonra seyirciler bi daha der, grup cikar. Bu ilk defa...inanilmaz bi sey..yani inmeden...cok tesekkur ederiz! :) Gercekten sasirmis ve bu cok hosuna gitmis gibiydi. :) Seni sasirtmayi seviyoruz, Ferman! :) Hem boylesi daha iyi. Saat zaten gec oldu, zaman kaybetmemis olduk. :)

Alisirim Gozlerimi Kapamaya

Ve asil "son sarki" ondan sonra basliyor. MaNga'nin protest parcalarindan "Alisirim Gozlerimi Kapamaya". Sahne performanslarini merak ettigim bir sarki da buydu. Ve parcanin sonundaki o muhtesem trampet sovu! Hemen aklima cep telefonumla da video cekebilecegim geliyor. Bu sarkiyi da cekmem lazim! Hemen cep telefonunu yukari kaldiriyorum son bir kez daha! Performans yine mukemmel. Ama grup bu gece neden parcadaki rap kisimlari cikarmisti, bunu anlayamadim dogrusu. Parcayi daha yumusatma cabasi miydi bilemiyorum. Ama rapten cok da hoslanmadigim icin daha sonra bunu farkettim, o da ayri konu! :)

Son olarak imzalari olan "maNga Selami"ni cakarak bitiriyorlar. Yanyana dizilerek ve kollarini birbirlerinin omuzlarina atarak verdikleri bu selami asla unutmuyorlar konserlerinde. Bu onlarin seyirciye olan saygilarinin, ayrica aralarindaki bagin ne kadar guclu oldugunun ve birlikte tek vucut olduklarinin da bir gostergesi.

Kisaca, benim icin son derece doyurucu bir konserdi. Keske biraz daha uzun olsaydi! Ama olmadigi belki iyi oldu, cunku bunun bir de donusu var ve metrobus 00:30'dan sonra yarim saatte bire iniyormus. Bu isimize gelmezdi. Tek hayal kirikligim, canli dinlemeyi sabirsizlikla bekledigim yeni cover parcalari olan "Ya Evde Yoksan"in calinmamis olmasi oldu. Bakalim bu enfes cover hangi konsere nasip olacak?


Metrobus duragina dogru kalabalikla birlikte yururken, video cekerken kipirdamamak icin sanki oldugum yere deyim yerindeyse civiledigimden bacaklarim kaskati kesilmisti ve yurumekte zorlaniyordum, neredeyse topalliyordum; ama icimde kus gibi bir hafiflik de hissetmiyor degildim. Sonunda onlari uzun bir gece konserinde izleyebilmistim ve dunyayla paylasmak uzere bolca gorsel malzemeyle evime donuyordum. :)

Sahnede canli izleyince, boyle bir muzik grubuna sahip oldugumuz icin bir kere daha muthis bir gurur duydum. Gelebilecekleri yerleri dusununce heyecanlaniyorum. Kariyerlerini takip etmeye devam edecegim. Ve elbette turlarimda Japonlara maNga dinletmeye ve onlari tanitmaya da. :)

Yolunuz acik olsun, maNga! Biz her zaman arkanizdayiz!