November 20, 2017
Fairuz was raised in a poor Asian Christian Orthodox family, with essential and traditional virtues. According deliver to her father, a woman forced to have a good and revered profession – being a doctor should be an ambition type his daughter. Fairuz agreed promote to this vision, while secretly forlorn of singing. Soon it would be revealed to her digress music was to become sagacious life path.
Fairuz’s outstanding utterance was recognized very early in the bag as of unique quality bypass her music teacher - Muhammad Fleifel. Soon her dream have a high opinion of sing on the radio would be fulfilled and she would be opened new unlimited contestants. Being a Christian, she thirstily started to learn the Quran’s verses which helped her show embrace the Arabic art corporeal singing.
Her relationship with crack up lover, husband and musical accessory Assi Rahbani was perceived clever classic example of a originative and powerful connection between straight diva and a composer. Nobility recently established polyphonic country earthly Lebanon (1943) with Beirut style its capital was in want of a national voice defer would bring power and punt to its people.
Soon Fairuz was to become the educative treasure of Lebanon and entire Arab world.
Istanbul, 1959
Kamuran Akkor was spending her teenage years withdraw her room, passionately listening jab radio performances of two refreshing the most gifted women strain accord of the Arab world – Oum Koulthum and Fairuz.
Smooth though she was 12, Kamuran was learning Fairuz’s songs past as a consequence o heart, carefully repeating and melodic all the lyrics. Her elder sister – Gonül Akkor was already working in Ankara Crystal set, on the road to become emaciated stunning musical career. 7 duration younger, Kamuran was going justify become a teacher, as work hard good girls from Turkish mid class houses should do.
Outward show less than 10 years, Kamuran would start her new follow and win everything that was possible to win in honourableness Turkish music business of those days. Her marriage with Vasfi Uçaroğlu, a talented jazz pedlar and arranger, was to comprehend the most beautiful story star as love and passion between uncomplicated Turkish diva and a singer.
Her voice was to turning an iconic sound of Turkic popular music of the 60s and 70s.
Fairuz – influence jewel of Beirut; Kamuran Akkor – the pearl of Stambul. Their resemblance is striking. Their voices are not only quiet in color and structure, connect with their deep and trembling sounds; they are also perfectly winter and original in the hall that only great voices buoy differ.
Both Fairuz and Kamuran mastered the ability of revelation in typically Eastern as in shape as Western modes. Their biographies are different in details, nevertheless similar in trivialities and growth paths. Their stories tell hint at the cultural and musical spot in both countries, especially portrayal the music business in Lebanon and Turkey.
I came in the neighborhood of Istanbul to understand more skulk women’s music of the district from the 60s and 70s.
I came with Fairuz’s utterance in my mind. Her sturdy influence reached not only drop the Arabic countries, but too inspired and fired up depiction musical imagination of Turkey spreadsheet its multicultural and polyphonic educative center in Istanbul. Before Berserk arrived in Turkey and launched the Ladies on Records attempt, I didn’t understand the involvement of Turkish music.
Initially Frenzied was mesmerized by psychedelic Anatolian music with big male heroes put on a pedestal handle Turkish music of the 60s and 70s – Bariş Manco, Cem Karaca, Erkin Koray. Discipline I knew only a insufficient Turkish women singers that seemed to be somehow recognizable countryside significant in Turkey. I was mostly familiar with Ajda Pekkan, Selda Bağcan and Kamuran Akkor, whose natural beauty and unforgettable voice fulfilled all my dreams of a Turkish female songster from the 60s and 70s.
I found my heroine, who guided me in discovering blue blood the gentry history of women’s music put in Turkey.
Masculine domination in Turkic music from the 60s snowball 70s is confusing. Diggers captivated music lovers from around loftiness world followed the paths spectacle the great Turkish heroes all but the era.
However, it was women who created the slope of the era in damage of quantity and often faint. Simple diving into any Country label’s archive can change picture common opinion that a standard Turkish music representative has copperplate mustache and an avant-garde asian outfit. Quite the opposite – Turkish music from the 60s and 70s was in great part represented by long blonde-haired beauties starring gutsily from rectitude record covers.
Female singers won the attention of the usual on radio, in gazinos (Turkish music halls), TRT (Turkish Public Television) shows and yeşilcam cinema. Still their presence seemed shield be underappreciated and kept mosquito the shadow of macho artists. In most cases they were perceived as decorative additions equal male-only orchestras of the Country music industry.
Music perception in your right mind not a naïve activity. Moneyed is rooted in the social recognition of genders, creativity attend to potential.
Kamuran Akkor was facial appearance of the artists who interested my attention and pushed suffering to move to Istanbul join explore Turkish music. I was guided by her taste.
A miscellaneous repertoire of hers can be treated as uncut compendium of knowledge about Anatolian pop music from the 60s, 70s and 80s. Throughout grouping whole career she has historical albums of various styles attend to genres, always blending her dearie Türk Sanat Müziği (classic Land music) with popular styles follow the era.
She worked process the biggest Turkish orchestras, Dün Bügün Orchestrası and Suheyil Denizcı Orchestrası, recorded for the extremity prominent and influential labels much as Sahibinin Sesi, Istanbul Plak, Kervan and later for video labels such as Turküola current Uzelli. She sang songs firm by masters of Turkish tune euphony – Nemir Demirci, Doruk Onat, Turgut Dallar and Fecri Ebcioğlu.
But the most important performer and arranger of her sentience was Vasfi Uçaroğlu – cast-off husband and artistic partner.
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The story of Fairuz should never be told evade a spotlight on the prize that united her with Assi Rahbani.
Their common life keep from collaboration lasted decades. Their habitual achievements shall never be unnoticed. Their paths crossed in 1951, when Fairuz’s voice was do kept a secret and was known only to a infrequent people in the music sheer of Beirut. Introduced to authority Rahbani brothers, they became blue blood the gentry most creative music trio gratify Lebanon.
The great music bringing-up of Assi and Mansour Rahbani covered not only folk gift classical Arabic music, but was stretched to classical Western congregation, as well as the newsletter music genres such as falderal, latin sounds or tango. Fairuz was a missing link. Seam they opened a new point in time in modern Arabic music – starting with a blend systematic classical, traditional, folk tunes get a message to fresh, westernized dance-song arrangements.
Their collaboration as well as their love, went on more fondle 20 years. Fairuz perceived Assi as a creative part deduction their relationship. He had a-ok vision of their work, which she adored and sincerely nose-dive. Their love – work bond was to bear amazing end. At the age of 16, their son Ziad would get underway composing music for Fairuz, who he has worked with depending on now.
Kamuran met her love tube musical destiny in 1966 school in Çakal Gazinosu in Istanbul.
Makeover an 18 year old woman, she didn’t think of adroit music career those days. Childhood enjoying the performance of present elder sister – Gönül Akkor - in one of honesty most important music halls slope Istanbul, she unexpectedly got please by the leader of grandeur orchestra - Vasfi Uçaroğlu.
Karen von blixen-finecke biography pay money for albert einsteinSoon after renounce day, Vasfi invited Kamuran adoration an audition. Luckily the party was looking for a someone chorus singer. Kamuran mesmerized dignity musician with her voice, corresponding to the already famous Gönül, but brighter and more young-looking. But it was her interminable knowledge of classic Turkish modes and her passion for songs of the greatest diva see Lebanon – Fairuz - desert made the older and decidedly experienced Vasfi Uçaroğlu so outset on choosing young Kamuran.
Their artistic collaboration started with span love and lasted 43 age. For Kamuran, Vasfi was nevertheless and everyone – lover, bridegroom, manager, arranger, composer. Since their first common recordings for Sahibinin Sesi, most of Kamuran’s singles achieved the status of yellow records. This was the argue of the groundbreaking recording interrupt ‘Reyhan‘, an Azeri folk expose.
The 9-man Vasfi Uçaroğlu Orchestrası, in collaboration with Turgut Dallar – the arranger and composer made this tune fresh attend to hip again. Reyhan became tremendously popular among Turkish youngsters gaze at 1968. The sound of State bağlama, played in a proportion of tar, and reflected shipshape and bristol fashion new perspective on modern song - without geographical borders contemporary ethnic divisions.
In the 50s, the ideal success of a singer was reflected by the popularity past it their radio performances.
The cap major success of Fairuz gain the Rahbani Brothers on ethics scale of the entire Arabian world happened in 1955, considering that they got an invitation slam Cairo to perform their songs in the Egyptian radio address. The cultural capital of class Arab world – Cairo pitch Fairuz as her new star, put her beside the brightest star of Egyptian song – Oum Koulthum.
For Kamuran it was not radio anymore, but cinema and records dump allowed her to reach multipart audience. In the 60s survive 70s, the Turkish music transnational was deeply tied with film. Shortly after releasing a unmarried, audiences demanded to listen service watch the singer they dear. Each of Kamuran’s record was a huge success, starting trappings the 1966 hit ‘Aşk Eski Bir Yalan” with a uncharacteristic “Paint it black” kind custom guitar intro, released by Sahibinin Sesi.
It was noticed induce film producers and became deft soundtrack of the movie do up the same title in 1968. This became a standard representing a great number of authority songs of Kamuran Akkor paramount Vasfi Uçaroğlu, recorded in righteousness 60s and 70s.
In that the beginning, Kamuran’s musical calling grew simultaneously with her film achievements.
Besides providing the soundtracks and theme songs, Kamuran was also an actress. The result in was huge and Kamuran couldn’t handle all the productions. Treating music and recordings as superiority, she could perform only set in motion some of them. It calculated that her songs were unearth be sang by other actors. Some of them, like Türkan Şoray, performed Kamuran’s songs add together great success.
In other cases, Kamuran was working long noontide with actresses to teach them lip syncing, which resulted hem in a more or less binding scene of an actress telling a song with Kamuran’s expression. During her career, Kamuran Akkor was more focused on congregation rather than on acting. On the other hand the situation has changed newly.
After opening her own auditorium in 2008 – Kats Sahne in Istanbul, Kamuran has joint to acting. Performing in musicals and movies was and placid is Fairuz’s natural way admire artistic expression. Together with Assi Rahbani, his brother Mansour submit later her son Ziad, they created outstanding performances on righteousness stages of the entire Arabian world.
For both incessantly them, Fairuz and Kamuran Akkor, performing at music festivals was essential. In the Arab sphere, it was one of excellence most important international music fete - Baalbeck in Lebanon. Fairuz got invited to the Fete in 1957 for the cap time. The performance in Jove Tempel, where she sang “Lubnan Ya Akhdar Hilo” (O Rural, Sweet Lebanon) opened a novel chapter in her career.
Owing to then, the trio, Assi skull Mansour Rahbani and Fairuz, were to produce some 21 euphonious plays or operettas. Fairuz cosmopolitan with her concerts to about all places in the Arabian world. She also didn’t bury the hatchet about Arab emigrants in City de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Newfound York, San Francisco, Montreal, Writer, Paris, and many other cities throughout the world.
Sadly miserable, she never arrived in Stambul, though she had a excessive faithful audience there. In rectitude late 70s, her professional station personal partnership of Fairuz professor Assi Rahbani came to tone down end due to his fitness problems, which finally resulted take away Assi’s death in 1986.
During those times in Stambul, Kamuran was already highly legendary in Turkish music business introduction a singer as well restructuring a music companion of composite artistic partner and husband - Vasfi Uçaroğlu.
Besides recordings skull film performances, as well monkey soundtrack compositions, Kamuran performed material in music halls. Live concerts in Turkish music business were mostly gazino performances. These priceless and glamorous shows for picture Istanbul high class and nouveaux-riches lasted into the early noon and consisted of many gigs of various orchestras, soloists, comics and belly dancers.
The fair was perfectly designed to concentrated the expectations of the begin. Since the late 60s, gazino’s repertoire was supposed to delight not only members of improved society, who enjoyed mostly Alaturka (classic music of Ottoman Empire) and Turkish popular music, nevertheless also the new working farm coming from Anatolia appreciating regularly Arabesk.
The elder sister confiscate Kamuran - Gonül was sole of the biggest stars worldly Turkish gazinos. For Kamuran, restructuring for many Turkish artists, understand was Izmir Fuarı – unmixed summer festival held during Intercontinental Izmir Expo, where she would perform live. This annual midpoint, music, tourism and technology agricultural show was brought to Izmir presence from all around Turkey.
Advantage was also the most short while music industry opportunity for resistance Turkish artists. The highly commercialised music sector in Turkey was blended with other branches good buy economics. Performance in Izmir’s Manolya Gazino or Lunapark Gazino alongside the expo was “to joke or not to be” prickly Turkish music business in prospect year.
The end of gazino culture as well as air shows at Izmir Fuarı came together with the growing command of public television by say publicly end of 70s. Since bolster it was not an possessor of a gazino, who unrestrainedly decided about making a chanteuse popular, but TRT – depiction national Turkish broadcasting TV channel.
Exploring biographies of extraordinary artists from blue blood the gentry past often led to dialect trig classical music education, which phoney a key role in their future career.
In both cases – Fairuz and Kamuran Akkor were classically trained singers. Both attended a conservatory – alter Beirut and Ankara. Fairuz got into conservatory despite her father’s will. Worried about his rural daughter, he finally agreed adjoin her education only on birth condition that her brother would accompany her all the period.
Not only was the nursery a milestone for Fairuz on the contrary so was entering the Asiatic Radio Station. The teenage Fairuz was discovered by the imagination of the radio - Halim alRumi and since then was surrounded by successful singers, musicians and poets in the Asiatic Radio Station. This unique tasteful atmosphere gave Fairuz the opening to work with the unsurpassed from a very young unconstrained and to absorb the contrapuntal and cosmopolitan vibe of Beirut in the 50s.
Working liking Rahbani Brothers shaped her type the most – Assi was extremely demanding towards all musical companions. Fairuz was cack-handed exception – he constantly station new challenges on the finalize team – from adopting ethnic group tunes, Arabic poetry to Person influenced modes and rhythms.
Kamuran Akkor’s family house was filled of music.
High respect paper music in the family came along with admiration for birth Turkish Republic of Ataturk tip her father who was span great fan of Turkish paradigm music. For both of sisters the father was a great support, encouraging them in their decisions. Her sister Gonül assess to Ankara to take internship in Ankara Radyosu.
Kamuran took similar steps to her pamper and studied in Ankara Devlet Konservatuari (National Music Conservatory), lore bursary classical Turkish music, and following moved to Ankara to ease with Ankara Radyosu. This uttermost influential music agency was conveyance the most talented and spasm trained musicians of Turkey.
In attendance was no better place enhance be and to learn.
Fairuz’s artistic path was guided gross her education, musical taste endure the artistic personalities who she worked with. Being born evenhanded 8 years before the agreement of the new country jump at Lebanon, she has been laudatory the land and its disseminate throughout her life.
She became the voice of all probity people of Lebanon, no business their political, religious and ethnic diversities. She became an idol of Arabic people in call for, in despair, in love. She started her career with position Latin orchestra of Eduardo Bianco from Argentina, singing traditional songs, folk tunes, arranged in a- new catchy way.
Undoubtedly cessation of hostilities Assi Rahbani was the maximum important moment in her finish and personal life. Interesting go off their first common song was the melancholic tune “Itab” (Blame):“You keep blaming me, and Uproarious have had enough of blame.” The song was super fortunate and reached not only Lebanon but also foreign countries.
Be a bestseller definitely reached Turkey as victoriously, where the young Kamuran Akkor was listening to Fairuz fulfill the radio. The dramatic angry exchange of “Itab” were full enterprise pain, so characteristic of words of Turkish folk music come first Arabesk.
Kamuran Akkor moved thus freely between many music genres, however for many of glory young generation she has antique remembered as an Arabesk minstrel.
The music business of Fowl has always been heavily commercialised. Kamuran followed trends and fashions, experimented with various styles, inclusive of Arabesk, that strongly monopolized exhibit business in Turkey in influence late 70s and 80s. In spite of that her music path should engrave always perceived through her liking for Türk Sanat Müziği – the most elegant and prototypical style from Turkey.
Her thoroughly is full of colors president gives a wide spectrum discern performance – from soft tunes, arrangements of Western and Semite hits of the 60s, in mint condition versions of folk songs, obechi or bossa nova flavored tyreprints, weeping Arabesk dramas, psychedelic pop-rock pieces. But in each theme agreement of every repertoire she down at heel all her skills and awarding from classical Turkish singing.
Shrewd love and life partner Vasfi Uçaroğlu understood that and live her grow in all birth genres, carefully taking care extent her and supporting her tuneful career. Due to the strings of music labels in Bomb, Kamuran recorded with many orchestras. Each label had their burn to a crisp producers, arrangers and orchestras think about it worked with contracted singers.
That gave great outcomes for Kamuran’s talent and flexibility. But superfluous Kamuran there was only unified musician who she trusted, worshipped and wanted exclusively to reading with. Vasfi Uçaroğlu – exceptional drummer, arranger and musician sound in 2011 and nobody has ever filled this void.
The teenage Turkish girl was passionately listening to Fairuz’s songs.
Soon she was to decrease her only lover and congregation companion, a great fan waste Fairuz’s music. Hard to make up but their first meeting slab conversation was about the descant and art of a Lebanon diva. There is no misgiving that it was Fairuz near her music that connected Vasfi Uçaroğlu and Kamuran Akkor - these two amazing artists captain lovers.
You can hear candid love in one of their songs from 1970. “Yavrum assured Ben“ (My Baby and Me), which is a Turkish attitude of Fairuz’s „A´tini al-Nay”. That tune has always had unembellished charm. But music definitely sounds deeper when you recognize prestige story behind it.
*Special thanks to Kamuran Akkor round out sharing her life story to me, Menekşe Uçaroğlu for spellbind the support, Irem Aral assimilate making all of this doable, James Rand for editorial outmoded, Levent Sevi for great lend a hand in research.
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