YARİN BAĞINA - KULAKTAN KULAGA / EPISODE 2

 KULAKTAN KULAGA / EPISODE 2

(Izmir - Urla - Bademler Village)
 

Ferman visits Bademler Village near Izmir in the Aegean Region in the 2nd episode of KULAKTAN KULAGA this week. Izmir is the 3rd biggest city in Turkey with a population of about 3 millions. The Greeks called it Smyrna in history. We call it "Pearl of Aegean Sea" or just "Beautiful Izmir". Rich in history, Izmir is a student town and a big metropolis. Every Turk longs for a tranquil life in Izmir.

Ferman in Izmir's Love Road
 

Ferman visited Izmir many times before, mostly for concerts. He says that he never wandered around the city except for the resort towns near Izmir. This is his first time in rural Izmir.

Ferman, discovering Bademler Village
 

Bademler Village is a lovely village with friendly people. The coffee house is the heart of the village. He visits the coffee house and chatted with the people about music. He is in pursuit of the elegies (as they call in Bademler Village, "yakma") this time.

Ferman, listening to the elegies in Mr.Hasan's house

He is welcomed in Mr.Hasan Şengül's house and Mr.Hasan tells him about the elegies. The elegies can be about anything, mostly about absence from homeland, traditions, death, love, separation, pain, or joy, etc...Just here, Ferman expresses his opinion about this:

Ferman: Don't you come up with the most beautiful songs when anything hurts you? In my case, I make better songs when something hurts me very much. It is a quite remarkable one that you come up with when you hurt.

The villager who plays saz (a traditional musical instrument) agrees with him: Doesn't it hurt when you break up with the one you love?

Ferman again: That's exactly when you come up with the best stuff!

Then they laugh together! And we discover that Mr.Hasan himself wrote an elegy, too. Even the university people who wrote a thesis about elegies, put his elegy into their thesis. He wrote his elegy to his girlfriend, who is his present-day wife, Şehriban. When he went to an another town, Bergama to work, she offended him and he started improvising an elegy about how he was hurt by what she said, or did.

The elegies (yakmalar) are considered as a means to express emotions of all kinds. It is a kind of indication that the music is the greatest friend during these painful moments. They are momentary improvisations and explosions of emotions...That's why they are so difficult to archive. The greatest sources of these melodies are the memories of the people.

Ferman records these elegies that he heard from Mr.Hasan and 2 village people in the Mr.Hasan's house, intending to re-arrange one of these elegies.

Bademler Village is interesting. There is an another Mr.Hasan in the village. It was said that it was hard to record these elegies, but he managed to record some of them with the 1970's technology. He is the walking musical archive of the village.

Ferman with the village's walking music archive, Mr.Hasan #2
 

There is a theater house in the village! No, it's not a joke! Their love for theater started with school plays in 1933 and now it's a big passion that they stage one play every year. And there is also a museum in the village. Ferman first heard about this Bademler Village Museum from his friend, writer and the owner of the Toy Museum in İstanbul, Sunay Akin. When Ferman said him that he would go to Izmir, Sunay Akin said to him "You should go to Bademler Village. You will see a musuem in the village and you won't believe your eyes!"

The story of this museum started with an archaelogist who was born in the village, Musa Baranli. Seeing life as a game, he started his research on toys in the 1970's. He discovered that some children games such as top-spinning date back to Hittite period around 800 BC.

After he visits this little toy museum, he goes to Mr.Hasan's house again, this time to listen to the most important elegy in the world for Mr.Hasan: The one that he wrote for his wife. He and his wife, Mrs.Şehriban sing this elegy together in the backyard, each of them expressing their own feelings in the form of elegiac couplets.

Mr.Hasan & his wife Mrs.Şehriban, singing their special love song

Ferman went to Ragusa in Sicily last year and he was very impressed with Ragusa. Because there were metallic statues all over, town fairs or concert halls in the town. Ferman thought "why don't we have a village like that in Turkey?". And he thinks that he has found his Ragusa in Bademler Village now. Reading is not enough for imagining. You have to travel to see it. This is a village that produced an archaelogist. This archaelogist founded a toy museum in the village. This village has a theater house and they create different plays every year. In a nutshell, this lovely village surprised Ferman very much. He knew that it would be pretty, but what he didn't expect was that lots of surprises were waiting for him in every corner of the village.

In fact, Ferman wasn't thinking about intervening in the elegy that Mr.Hasan wrote to his wife. Because it was a very special little love song just between the two. Back in Istanbul, at the studio, when they listen to all the recordings again and again, they just found themselves in the heart of the song itself and couldn't help intervening in it. Then they started to think about whose voice will suit this little song the best and they thought of the rocker Aslı Gökyokuş.

Ferman & Aslı Gökyokuş

When she comes over, Ferman tells her elaborately about his little adventure in Bademler Village and how he was impressed by it, the people, their music, and especially this loving couple, Mr.Hasan & Mrs.Şehriban's elegy. She is very impressed by them and their love, too. Ferman says that the meeting with them changed all his plans and he wanted to rearrange this particular song, not the other ones! Aslı says that she likes doing this kind of work and she hopes them to like her interpretation of the song, because this is a very private song for them.

Asli, Ferman & Cagatay, working on the song

After the briefing, they start to work on the arrangement of the song with Asli. They discuss how the arragement should be. These scenes are particularly interesting because we witnessed how a song was born at the studio. In the meantime, I couldn't help thinking about how this duet would be with just Ferman and Aslı! :)

Asli Gökyokuş - YAKMA
(video uploaded to YouTube by Barişcan Özay)
 

Aslı's voice is just perfect for this melancholic song and she performes it very touchingly and makes our eyes wet. The song is really sad. It is about two lovers who hurt each other. And just one guitar as the background music is just right for the mood of the song.

After the first episode's cheerful dance music which is the main title of KULAKTAN KULAGA, this week, we had a dramatic change in the theme. In this episode, we met a loving couple living in a little Aegean village in Western Turkey and heard a very touching little love song that brought tears to our eyes.

Thanks very much, guys, for your enthusiastic efforts to discover these unheard music of Turkish villages! We're looking forward to the next week! 

You can watch the full episode 2 on the You Tube link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVw-eAj4ixE


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

TRT MUZIK'S KULAKTAN KULAGA VIDEO PAGE

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

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!
 

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

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