Özge Fışkın
November 2017
Singer/Songwriter Özge Fışkın made a splash in the Turkish Pop/Rock scene in 2007 and has gone on to become one of the top acts in Turkish popular music.
Özge’s dynamic stage presence and refined showmanship makes her one of the most sought after entertainers in Turkey today. For the past two years Fışkın has been performing a mixture of songs from her own oeuvre, in addition to a deliberate selection of Turkish and foreign cover songs; giving familiar tunes a new spin. Her music is irrefutably dance-inducing and her fine-tuned pop panache engages fans from all generations. Özge Fışkın’s much anticipated upcoming single is due to be released in 2018.
Photo Credit: Aytekin Yalçın
Özge Fışkın worked alongside Eurovision winner Sertab Erener, and accomplished musician Levent Yüksel, before launching her own career. Early hits like “Unutulurmuş” and “Bıraktım” appealed to rock and pop fans alike and helped fuel the success of her albums, including the acclaimed “Bir Avuç Fotoğraf” and “Herşeyin 1 Zamanı Var.” Fışkın continued to top the charts with her long standing band mates in her 2015 studio effort “Kusuruma Bakma” and “Sana Doğru.” In late 2016 Fışkın’s song “Son Kale,” gained traction as one of her most viewed music videos to date.
Step by Step I can attest to her abundant talent and spirited stage presence first hand. Her energy lights up any arena she enters. She undoubtedly is one of Turkey’s most precious gems. Shortly after meeting Mrs. Fışkın, intentions to collaborate have finally surfaced in what hopefully leads to a unique project unlike any the Turkish music/entertainment industry has yet seen. Our collaborative efforts converge with the use of animated content in her music videos and live concerts. Projects of this nature are iterative evolutions. As a starting point, her label requested I make a lyric video to her song “Tefferruat” that can be viewed in the link below. Özge’s forthcoming album may provide an exciting opportunity to accentuate her fresh new sound with a fresh visual prerogative.
Photo Credit: Aytekin Yalçın
The Interview I s a t d o w n t o h a v e a c h a t w i t h Ö z g e a b o u t w h a t i t ’s l i k e t o b e a m u s i c i a n i n Tu r k e y. H e r e i s w h a t s h e h a d t o say:
Nesli: What is it like being a singer/song writer in Turkey? Özge: Even if conditions aren’t entirely easy, being productive and creating something within Turkey’s geography is precious. It contains an expansive mix of ethnic cultures which informs the breath of musical diversity within the region. For this reason I feel lucky as a singer and song writer. With that said, this journey hasn’t been the easiest or the most comfortable. For me
at least, the long-term struggle I faced was reaching my audience. When I first started out as an amateur in Ankara, the internet wasn’t a thing. It was only after I moved to Istanbul to develop my career as a singer and songwriter, I was able to carve out a space in the virtual world and start to take advantage of the freedom technology could provide. As a result, I waited a long time to produce, record, and publish my own music. I have made three solo albums over the years and have collaborated with
many well known musicians. Having these experiences taught me a great deal about the music being produced in this region and I embrace its value wholeheartedly. Overall I can say that doing this profession in Turkey is both very difficult and very beautiful. Nesli: Tell me a little bit about your background? Did you always know you wanted to be a singer? Özge: Yes, when I was a little girl I would always sing and dance. I started playing guitar with the support of my primary school music teacher. I wanted to study in a conservatory during my university years very much, but my parents were not on the same page as me. So studied biology in university instead. But the music in my heart was so overpowering I ended up choosing music over what I studied in school. In time my parents got used to the idea and became my biggest supporters. In Ankara I started playing for a cover group called Fender Blenders and performed in local venues around town for four years. In the late 90s I decided to move to Istanbul. In order to get used to this new life style and gain more experience I started working with Sertab Erener and Levent Yüksel on stage and as a back vocalist and in their studio work. I did a lot of advertisements and jingles and continue to do so. I have worked with composers for feature film scores as well. This type of studio work has given me lots of experience and is fun at the same time. I released my first album in 2007 “Kilitler” which means “Locks” in English. Following that was “Bir Avuç Fotoğraf” in 2012 and in 2015 “Herseyin 1 Zamanı Var.”
Nesli: What inspires you? Özge: When I first started writing music I tapped into my own life experience. Over the years the empathy I formed with the lives of others has also given shape to my work. The books I read, the movies I watch, the stories I listen to, the places I have visited, current events, I can say, are all vessels of inspiration for me. I try to write from a space of hopefulness because I want my songs to put listeners and myself in a good mood. For this reason, I too, try to be positive as much as possible. As a singer in Istanbul I have an enriching musical environment in which collaboration and exchanges of ideas nurture me and keep me afloat. Nesli: What is the most difficult part about being a singer in Turkey? Do you think those challenges would be different if you were to have built this career in another country? Özge: There were many times when I would think that everything would be easier if I had built this career in another country. Being a female musician brings on its’ unique set of challenges. If your voice and appearance are good for example, production companies quickly try to make you into some kind of diva. Not only in Turkey, but I’m sure female musicians have struggled with this all over the world. In a technology driven era, globalization has changed the old balance. It’s now possible to spread a song you have recorded alone in a room, all over the world. The old model of production no longer carries the same weight. Many new generation Turkish musicians are making their living touring overseas. It’s a great thing. At the same time, this technological
situation has a disadvantage as well. It means that your music is now very easily accessible and therefore easily consumed. The listener is often more impatient and often doesn’t try to listen to a written song until the end. They want something that’s easy to memorize so that they can sing along too. This creates restrictions that can hamper the production process. But I stopped dreaming about being in another country and tried to concentrate on how to be most productive here. I struck a balance between being a singer and song writer that work well. When I was younger I was always listening to rock, blues, and jazz classics in English. Therefore the music I was making was music that didn’t necessarily belong here. At the end of the day, I am trying to create a music world of my own by incorporating many sounds into my own music.
Photo Credit: Aytekin Yalçın
Nesli: What’s the best part about what you do? Özge: One of the beautiful parts about this is having a space to express my ideas and my feelings. After many years in this business, I value the ability to do this very much. With that in mind, I always try to make my stage performance and the band members whom I share the stage with have a fun and enjoyable time, because if we are having a good time, the audience will feel this energy. Years ago, I made music with my band in a night club. We would go on very late Wednesday nights. Over time, a large following began to accrue and they would come out to hear us play even despite the fact we went on
so late on a weekday. That gig lasted for years. It was an amazing period of time. I haven’t played there for a while, but from time to time I see the people that used to come to those shows, and they tell me how good it made them feel. The best part of what I do is making others feel good, to enable them to forget about the things that bother them in life and just live the moment. That’s why the entertainment part of this business is so important and I am always looking for ways to improve. I work hard before the show, and then while on stage I let it go and have a good time. I like to be reminded myself for a few hours of just how beautiful life is and forget about some things, it gives me hope.