SoundTreks: Turkish Pop

But today we want to share with you some of the fantastic new things the not-so-hipster sect of Turkey's contemporary music industry have been up to lately -- namely, its mainstream pop artists. For instance:

Tarkan, Metamorfoz
The German-born Tarkan is arguably the Turkish world's most successful pop star: the Washington Post compared him to Elvis circa 1957, while he's viewed as a little more Jacksonian by the hometown crowd, which dubbed him the "Prince of Pop." But unlike his American counterparts, Tarkan shows no signs of slowing down or falling off the deep end, 15 years into his career. His latest release, this year's Metamorfoz, plays like JT à la Turka: slick, funky beats tricked out with the modal melodies and drama-ridden vocals of Turkey's Arabesque pop style. (Which is actually what he's always done, so maybe Justin Timberlake's actually the American Tarkan?) Don't miss: "Vay Anam Vay," "Çat Kapi," "Hop Hop"

Sultana, ?öhret Yolu
Next up, Sultana, the female emcee with decidedly feminist leanings (and come on, one of the raddest hip-hop monikers ever) who got banned from Turkish TV and radio for a while for her song "Ku?u Kalkmaz," the title of which translates to "Can't Get It Up." Uh … yeah. Not so mainstream, we guess. But Sultana's gotten a lot of attention in the male-dominated world of Turkish (okay, most) hip-hop -- and not just because she likes to shake things up. Her second album ?öhret Yolu (which dropped in July) is a little cross-culturally old-school, featuring both the kinds of scratchy vintage beats American producers can't get enough of these days and plenty of references to classic Turkish pop and folk. But what's perhaps most compelling about Sultana is her flow: effortless and commanding but with this distinctly sassy, almost bratty quality to it. The perfect complement to her rhymes, which appear to be as rabidly political as ever. Don't miss: "Petroil," "Dibidik" and "Taklaya Geldin" (featuring the primary rival to Sultana's throne, German-Turkish emcee Aziza).

Demet Akalin, Dans Et
Also out this year is Dans et from Demet Akalin, a former beauty queen turned dance music diva. On this album cover at least, she looks a bit like Christina Aguilera crossed with Heidi Montag, which is kind of, well, an odd look for a Turkish pop star, but it kind of speaks to her music, which is far less flavored by classic Turkish pop and folk genres than it is by a heaping helping of contemporary Eurodisco. Don't worry -- she doesn't sing like Heidi, too. It's decent, and surprisingly diverse, Euro-pop (we're especially digging the hints of synth-accordion on "Selam Söyle"), but what makes this collection of overwrought ballads, driving dance tunes and the occasional Arabesque-esque hip-twitcher work are those deep, throaty, powerhouse vocals so favored by Turkish pop divas. Demet's got that style -- and the attitude to match it -- in spades. Check out this video for her hit "Tatil" (and don't miss "Gururum," "Gölge Etme" and "Kina Yak" from Dans et).

Further Reading:
SoundTreks: Curumin, Juana Molina & more [PLAY]

Further Listening:

Various Artists, Powertürk Müzik Ödülleri 2008

Various Artists, Radyo Klas En ?yiler

Various Artists, The Best of Turkish Rap & RnB Vol. 1