The full name of the popular singer sounds like this: Husamettin Tarkan Tevetoglu. The first word in translation from Turkish means "sharp sword", the second name was given by the musician's parents Ali and Neshe to their son in honor of the hero of the popular book.
Childhood and youth
The musician was born in 1972 in the German city of Alzey. A large Turkish family emigrated to Europe because of the crisis that began in their homeland. They returned when Tarkan was thirteen. The teenager was always interested in music, so he chose this direction for education. He started at the music school in Karamürsel, then entered the Istanbul Academy. In parallel with his studies, he worked as a singer at weddings - the money was sorely lacking.
Carier start
Mehmet Soyutoulu, whom the singer met during a visit to Germany, helped the twenty-year-old Tarkan release his debut collection. The album was named "Yine Sensiz". It was the result of the productive work of the novice performer and composer Ozan Cholakolu. Their collaboration continues today. The first experience brought success to the young man. He gained particular popularity among young people, new music brought Western notes to the local flavor.
Soon, the "brave guy with green eyes" - as the Western media dubbed Tarkan - released his second disc titled "Aacayipsin". The authorship of two compositions from this collection belongs to Sezen Aksu. She became the author of the single "Sikidim", which brought the singer worldwide fame in 1999. A year later, their creative union broke up, and the composer sold the copyright to other performers. This is how numerous covers of this composition arose, among them "Oh, Mama Shika Dam" by Philip Kirkorov. At the same time, Tarkan visited America, to continue his career he needed new musical knowledge and English.
Army
The third album "I will die for you" appeared in Turkey in 1997. His success inspired the performer to release a compilation titled "Tarkan" for European listeners. The artist's creativity found its fans, he received a prestigious international award. After recognition in Europe, the artist did not return to his country. By that time, all the deferrals from the army had ended, and upon returning home he would have been immediately called up for service. The singer's behavior was vigorously discussed in society, the state authorities considered the issue of depriving Tarkan of Turkish citizenship. The case helped. After the Izmit earthquake in Turkey, a decree was issued stating that if a citizen contributes a certain amount to provide assistance to victims of the disaster, the term of his military service can be reduced to 28 days. In addition to the accomplished duty, the musician gave a charity performance.
World glory
In 2001, Tarkan became the face of the Pepsi company, and in 2002, the mascot of the Turkish national team at the world football championship. The next album "Karma" in Europe alone has sold a million copies. The musician also gained unprecedented fame in Russia. The title of the collection testified to the changes taking place with the singer. The "period of karma" was marked, first of all, by a change in his appearance. Many guys tried to imitate him - they grew their hair, wore tight trousers and unbuttoned shirts.
New album and new success in 2003. The composition of the same name from the collection "Dudu" was recognized in Russia as the winner of the "Song of the Year". The singer's appearance has undergone changes again. The glamorous style was replaced by a haircut and simple outfits. The artist emphasized that, first of all, music is important, and not how he looks.
2005 was marked by the release of the collection in English. The musician had been hatching this idea for ten years. This was followed by a tour of Europe. The new album, which appeared two years later, was more intended for compatriots, since the language of performance in it is Turkish. Many songs were remixes of old Tarkan songs. The audience liked their new sound, videos for these songs appeared. The eighth studio album also featured an alternation of new songs with old ones. After this collection, the singer took a short break. He rarely gave concerts, but devoted all his time to creativity.
He came out of the shadows in 2016 and pleased with the new album "Ahde Vefa". All songs of the ninth disc were created on the basis of folk music. Surprisingly, he was in the lead not only in the Turkish charts, but also in 19 countries of the world. The jubilee album with the simple title "10" returned the performer to dance music with a local flamboyant bias.
How he lives now
The personal life of the Turkish "prince of pop" has always attracted the interest of the public. His many youthful romances were short-lived. At the height of his success, he met Bilge Oztürk. The girl immediately won the heart of the artist, their relationship lasted for seven whole years. But great love did not end with the wedding. The separation of the couple gave rise to many rumors about the singer's unconventional orientation, his hobby for drugs and alcohol.
Tarkan married Pinar Dilek in 2016. Soon, the wife gave her husband a daughter, Leah. The family lives in Istanbul, sometimes visits New York, where the singer bought an apartment.
The period of his biography, when his songs sounded from every Turkish window, and offers from television and radio came almost daily, Tarkan has already passed. But he is still recognizable and loved by the audience. Most of the time, a musician from Turkey is engaged in creativity, and the rest of the hours he spends next to a caring wife and child, and also plants trees on his own ranch.
