Sebnem Ferah
Encyclopedia
Şebnem Ferah is a Turkish
singer and song-writer. She was the head vocalist of the all-female hard rock band Volvox until 1994, after which she went on to pursue an illustrious solo career. Her music style varies from pop rock
to hard rock
though her later albums have progressively incorporated more of the hard rock sound.
of the Republic of Macedonia
. She first took solfeggio and instrument lessons from her father who was also a teacher. She grew up listening to her father's Rumelian folk songs played with bağlama
, mandolin
and piano
.
She got her first guitar when she was in the first year in boarding at Namık Sözeri Lisesi of Bursa. She got acoustic lessons. During her second year, she hired a studio with her friends and formed the group Pegasus. The group had their first stage experience during a rock festival in Bursa
, in 1987. After a while, Pegasus disbanded. In 1988 with her four friends, Şebnem formed Volvox, which was named after the microorganism named volvox
they encountered in a biology lesson. In 1989 she provided the voice of Ariel for The Little Mermaid
. She also reprised the role in the redub.
After graduating from high school, she attended Middle East Technical University
, studying economics, and moved to Ankara
with her sister. During this time, she met Özlem Tekin
, who has currently also become another recognized pop-rock musician in Turkey, and Özlem joined Volvox. Volvox could not do any practice for a year and a half because the members experienced a hardship with coming together, with the other members except Özlem and Şebnem living in Istanbul
. In her second year at university, Şebnem changed her mind about being an economist, dropped out, and moved to Istanbul.
In Istanbul, she attended classes on English language and literature at the Istanbul University
. For two years she performed in various bars with Volvox, until 1994, when Volvox disbanded.
and Aksu's writing/recording partner Onno Tunç
saw Volvox on television. In a short time, Ferah sang back vocals for Sezen Aksu.
In 1996, Ferah released her first album Kadın, which contained some of her best songs, Vazgeçtim Dünyadan, Yağmurlar, Bu Aşk Fazla Sana, and Fırtına to name a few. They featured a rather polished and clean production, possibly the effect of producer İskender Paydaş; these came off much differently from how she would later perform the songs live. Kadın was a huge hit and lots of club and arena gigs followed its release.
Three years later, Ferah came into the scene with her second album, Artık Kısa Cümleler Kuruyorum. She was working with the same production team of Paydaş and members of Pentagram
, but she had mostly broken free of artificial synths that time. Being a decent rock album, it was more introverted, her sister was died prior to its release. With less catchy songs, Ferah was also beginning to create a fan base who would sing and feel all her lyrics rather than a following who would only memorize the hits and ignore the rest.
In 2001, Ferah come up with a more acoustic third album, Perdeler, two years after her father died at 1999 İzmit earthquake
. Apart from the lead single Sigara, Perdeler fell short of creating hits. She also collaborated with Finnish band Apocalyptica on the title track.
Her next step was the fourth album Kelimeler Yetse, which was released in 2003. The album was a low point in her career although it included "Ben Sarkimi Soylerken(While I'm Singing My Song)" and "Mayin Tarlasi(Mine Field)."
In 2005, she released her fifth studio album Can Kirıkları, produced by Tarkan Gözübüyük
. The album showcased her heavier side and was yet her most distortion-friendly outing. After her nationwide concert tour, a live CD/DVD 10 Mart 2007 Istanbul Konseri was released in 2007.
In December 2009, she was released her sixth and recent studio album Benim Adım Orman, features slow rock song like Bazı Aşklar and Eski while there were hard rock song like, Merhaba and Mahalle. This album indicate her point of view for rock music.
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
singer and song-writer. She was the head vocalist of the all-female hard rock band Volvox until 1994, after which she went on to pursue an illustrious solo career. Her music style varies from pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
to hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
though her later albums have progressively incorporated more of the hard rock sound.
Early life and Volvox
Şebnem Ferah was born on 12 April 1972 in Yalova to ethnic Turkish immigrant parents from SkopjeSkopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
of the Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
. She first took solfeggio and instrument lessons from her father who was also a teacher. She grew up listening to her father's Rumelian folk songs played with bağlama
Baglama
thumb|180px|Cura and bağlamaThe bağlama is a stringed musical instrument shared by various cultures in the Eastern Mediterranean, Near East, and Central Asia....
, mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
and piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
.
She got her first guitar when she was in the first year in boarding at Namık Sözeri Lisesi of Bursa. She got acoustic lessons. During her second year, she hired a studio with her friends and formed the group Pegasus. The group had their first stage experience during a rock festival in Bursa
Bursa Province
Bursa Province is a province in western Turkey, along the Sea of Marmara. Its adjacent provinces are Balıkesir to the west, Kütahya to the south, Bilecik and Sakarya to the east, Kocaeli to the northeast and Yalova to the north. The province has an area of 11,043 km2 and a population of 3,187,000...
, in 1987. After a while, Pegasus disbanded. In 1988 with her four friends, Şebnem formed Volvox, which was named after the microorganism named volvox
Volvox
Volvox is a genus of chlorophytes, a type of green algae. It forms spherical colonies of up to 50,000 cells. They live in a variety of freshwater habitats, and were first reported by Antonie van Leeuwenhoek in 1700. Volvox developed its colonial lifestyle .-Description:Volvox is the most developed...
they encountered in a biology lesson. In 1989 she provided the voice of Ariel for The Little Mermaid
The Little Mermaid
"The Little Mermaid" is a popular fairy tale by the Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen about a young mermaid willing to give up her life in the sea and her identity as a mermaid to gain a human soul and the love of a human prince...
. She also reprised the role in the redub.
After graduating from high school, she attended Middle East Technical University
Middle East Technical University
Middle East Technical University is a public technical university located in Ankara, Turkey...
, studying economics, and moved to Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
with her sister. During this time, she met Özlem Tekin
Özlem Tekin
Özlem Tekin is a Turkish singer, TV show host and occasional actress, primarily known for her music. Though she started out in the hard rock genre, her music has progressed to incorporate different styles such as house, punk, pop and Turkish folk music.-Life and career:Özlem Tekin was born in...
, who has currently also become another recognized pop-rock musician in Turkey, and Özlem joined Volvox. Volvox could not do any practice for a year and a half because the members experienced a hardship with coming together, with the other members except Özlem and Şebnem living in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
. In her second year at university, Şebnem changed her mind about being an economist, dropped out, and moved to Istanbul.
In Istanbul, she attended classes on English language and literature at the Istanbul University
Istanbul University
Istanbul University is a Turkish university located in Istanbul. The main campus is adjacent to Beyazıt Square.- Synopsis :A madrasa, a religious school, was established sometime in the 15th century after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople. An institution of higher education named the...
. For two years she performed in various bars with Volvox, until 1994, when Volvox disbanded.
Solo career
Although short-lived, Volvox gave Ferah what she needed: attention from professionals. Turkish diva Sezen AksuSezen Aksu
Sezen Aksu is a Turkish pop music singer, song-writer and producer who sold over 40 million albums worldwide. Her nicknames include the "Queen of Turkish Pop" and Minik Serçe ....
and Aksu's writing/recording partner Onno Tunç
Onno Tunç
Onno Tunç was a leading Turkish-Armenian musician, working mainly as a composer and an arranger. Tunç also played bass guitar and occasionally double bass, contributing to the albums of several musicians. He was the elder brother of musician Arto Tunçboyacıyan.-Early years :Onno Tunç was born in...
saw Volvox on television. In a short time, Ferah sang back vocals for Sezen Aksu.
In 1996, Ferah released her first album Kadın, which contained some of her best songs, Vazgeçtim Dünyadan, Yağmurlar, Bu Aşk Fazla Sana, and Fırtına to name a few. They featured a rather polished and clean production, possibly the effect of producer İskender Paydaş; these came off much differently from how she would later perform the songs live. Kadın was a huge hit and lots of club and arena gigs followed its release.
Three years later, Ferah came into the scene with her second album, Artık Kısa Cümleler Kuruyorum. She was working with the same production team of Paydaş and members of Pentagram
Mezarkabul
Mezarkabul is a Turkish metal band formed by Hakan Utangaç and Cenk Ünnü. Mezarkabul is known for integrating Anatolian elements into their music. Mezarkabul means 'accepting the grave', or literally 'grave accept' in Turkish....
, but she had mostly broken free of artificial synths that time. Being a decent rock album, it was more introverted, her sister was died prior to its release. With less catchy songs, Ferah was also beginning to create a fan base who would sing and feel all her lyrics rather than a following who would only memorize the hits and ignore the rest.
In 2001, Ferah come up with a more acoustic third album, Perdeler, two years after her father died at 1999 İzmit earthquake
1999 Izmit earthquake
The 1999 İzmit earthquake was a 7.6 magnitude earthquake that struck northwestern Turkey on August 17, 1999, at about 3:02am local time. The event lasted for 37 seconds, killing around 17,000 people and leaving approximately half a million people homeless...
. Apart from the lead single Sigara, Perdeler fell short of creating hits. She also collaborated with Finnish band Apocalyptica on the title track.
Her next step was the fourth album Kelimeler Yetse, which was released in 2003. The album was a low point in her career although it included "Ben Sarkimi Soylerken(While I'm Singing My Song)" and "Mayin Tarlasi(Mine Field)."
In 2005, she released her fifth studio album Can Kirıkları, produced by Tarkan Gözübüyük
Tarkan Gözübüyük
Tarkan Gözübüyük is the bass player of the Turkish heavy metal band Mezarkabul .-Biography:Born in 1970 in Erzurum, he grew up in Bursa...
. The album showcased her heavier side and was yet her most distortion-friendly outing. After her nationwide concert tour, a live CD/DVD 10 Mart 2007 Istanbul Konseri was released in 2007.
In December 2009, she was released her sixth and recent studio album Benim Adım Orman, features slow rock song like Bazı Aşklar and Eski while there were hard rock song like, Merhaba and Mahalle. This album indicate her point of view for rock music.
Personnel
Şebnem's current group consists of Buket Doran (bass guitar), Metin Türkcan (electric guitar), Aykan İlkan (drums), Ozan Tügen (keyboard)and Ceren Akyıldız (vocalist) who have been performing with her in studio and on stage since her 3rd album, Perdeler.And currently Serdar Barçın is joined the group as a flutist.Discography
| Year | Released | Album | Songs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 16 December 2009 | Benim Adım Orman My Name is Forest |
|
| 2007 | 7 September 2007 | 10 Mart 2007 İstanbul Konseri 10 March 2007 Istanbul Concert |
01. Intro 02. Okyanus (Ocean) 03. Can Kırıkları (Pieces of Heart) 04. Çakıl Taşları (Pebbles) 05. Delgeç (Drill) 06. Ay (Moon) 07. Ben Şarkımı Söylerken (While I'm Singing My Song) 08. Babam Oğlum (My Father, My Son) 09. Mayın Tarlası (Mine Field) 10. İyi - Kötü (Dans Pisti) (Nice - Evil [Dance Floor]) 11. Sigara (Cigarette) 12. Dünya (The World) 13. Bugün (Today) 14. Sil Baştan (Start Over) 15. Oyunun Sonu (End of the Game) 16. Yağmurlar (Rains) 17. Deli Kızım Uyan (Wake Up My Loony Girl) 18. Yeniden Doğup Gelsem (If I Were Born Again) 19. Ben Bir Mülteciyim (I'm a Refugee) 20. Fırtına (Storm) 21. Hoşçakal (Goodbye) 22. Vazgeçtim Dünyadan (I've Given Up On The World) 23. Bu Aşk Fazla Sana (This Love Is Too Much For You) 24. Outro |
| 2005 | 21 June 2005 | Can Kırıkları Pieces of Heart |
1. Okyanus (Ocean) 2. Can Kırıkları (The Pieces of Heart) 3. Bir Kalp Kırıldığında (When A Heart is Broken) 4. Delgeç (Drill) 5. Geçmişe Yolculuk (Journey to Past) 6. Ben Bir Mülteciyim (Güç) (I'm A Refugee [Power]) 7. Sana Bilmediğin Bir Şey Söyleyemem (I Can't Tell You Anything That You Don't Know) 8. Çakıl Taşları (Pebbles) 9. Zaman Geçip Gidiyor (Time Goes On) 10. Hoşçakal (Goodbye) |
| 2003 | 24 April 2003 | Kelimeler Yetse If Only Words Were Enough |
1. İyi - Kötü [Dans Pisti] (Good - Evil [Dance Floor]) 2. Babam Oğlum (My Father, My Son) 3. Ben Şarkımı Söylerken (While I'm Singing My Song) 4. Senin Adın Ne (What Is Your Name) 5. Gözlerimin Etrafındaki Çizgiler (The Rings Surrounding My Eyes) 6. Çocukken Sahip Olduğum Kırmızı Rugan Ayakkabılar (The Red Leather Shoes Which I Had When I Was A Child) 7. Mayın Tarlası (Mine Field) 8. Gözyaşlarımızın Tadı Aynı (Our Tears Taste Same) 9. Daha İyi Olmaz Mıydı (Wouldn't It Be Better) 10. Her Şey İnsanlar İçin (Everything Is For People) |
| 2001 | 18 October 2001 | Perdeler Curtains |
1. Sigara (Cigarette) 2. Aşk (Love) 3. Sil Baştan (Start Over) 4. Nereye Kadar (Until Where) 5. Perdeler (Curtains) 6. Günaydın Sevgilim (Good Morning My Darling) 7. Dünya (The World) 8. Saatim Çalmadan (Before My Clock Rings) 9. Korkarak Yaşıyorsan (If You Live With Fear) 10. Perdeler [featuring Apocalyptica Apocalyptica Apocalyptica is a band from Helsinki, Finland, formed in 1993. The band is composed of classically trained cellists Eicca Toppinen, Paavo Lötjönen, and Perttu Kivilaakso and drummer Mikko Sirén... ] (Curtains) 11. Yemen Türküsü [Hidden Track] (Yemen Ballad) |
| 1999 | 6 July 1999 | Artık Kısa Cümleler Kuruyorum I Form Short Sentences Now |
1. Oyunlar (Tricks) 2. Ay (Moon) 3. Bugün (Today) 4. Kalbim (My Heart) 5. Herkes Bilsin İstedim (I Wanted Everyone To Know) 6. Oyunun Sonu (End of the Game) 7. Üvey (Step) 8. Nefessiz Kaldım (I'm Breathless) 9. Yorgun (Tired) 10. Artık Kısa Cümleler Kuruyorum (I Form Short Sentences Now) 11. Bugün [Enstrümantal] (Today [Instrumental]) |
| 1996 | 23 November 1996 | Kadın Woman |
1. Vazgeçtim Dünyadan (I've Given Up On The World) 2. Deli Kızım Uyan (Wake Up My Lonely Girl) 3. İyi Gün Dostlarım (My Nice Day Friends) 4. Bu Aşk Fazla Sana (This Love Is Too Much For You) 5. Bırak Kadının Olayım (Let Me Be Your Woman) 6. Fırtına (Storm) 7. Yağmurlar (Rains) 8. Yeniden Doğup Gelsem (If I Were Born Again) 9. Durma (Don't Stop) 10. Buradan Göçerken (While Departing from Here) 11. Yağmurlar [Enstrümantal] (Rains [Instrumental]) |