I am hoping to get some opinions about Bergen and Arabesque music.I read that Bergen was very infuential and creating arabesque music, is it even true? Or she made it popular and someone else created it. I can find her songs but for some reason can´t find any concerts or music videos from her. I wondered how popular she actaully was. Or maybe she was not that popular but was reckognized more for artistic acheivement.If she is so influential, can we hear this in Sibel Can´s Unuttu Seni? And I wondered if Bengü´s song yaralı would be considered Arabesque?Her voice sounds like crying, which singer first started that?In Arabesque music, was it that Turkey tried to incorporate Arab music into Turkish music?

Another question related. I noticed on the JoyTurk Website they have a radio station "Efkar".

http://karnaval.com/stations.php#/station.php?station_id=13

What is the significance of Efkar when related to Music, is it a genre in Turkish music?

Efkar is the plural of fikir in Arabic. Fikir means idea, thought. In Turkish we say fikirler (plural) instead of efkar. Efkar has another meaning in Turkish. It means melancholy. I dont know why it means that. Maybe because melancholic people get lost in their thoughts Efkar is not a music genre. Maybe because the main character of Turkish music is melancholy, so no need to make it a music genre

That makes sense. I understand Arabesque music is moody or on the sad side.

This station sounds a bit like that.

Could Bengü´s yaralı be considered Arabesque?

Bengü is a pop singer as far as I know. I dont know if the song can be called arabesque because it is sad. There must be other criteria. But I dont know much about music. So I hope you can find someone who can answer you.

I never thought arabesque is necessarily sad. But emotional it is. Energetic. Hot hot.

I am not an expert but I have understood typical features of arabesque are long overtures and a sort of dialogue between the strings and the vocalist.

Ebru Gündeş has some songs that I consider arabesques. Like Yalan, Dertler benim olsun, Senin olmaya geldim (a very happy and bright song, not melancholic at all).

Bengü´s Yaralı? Nope, too flat.

Arabesque is something more than ´just sad music´. It is a sub-culture.

A few years ago in a column I wrote the text below about arabesque:

"But I would like to have a few words about our pop music´s illegitimate baby conceived from the folk music: Arabesque!

Sometimes it is called as  "yoz music -degenerated music ", "gecekondu -shanty town/ night buildings-  music" or as "minibus music.". This music contains almost every single aspects of the folk music but the songs mainly come from city life and culture, opposed to the rural culture which gave life to folk music. This music takes its material from the changing cultural structures of the cities after mass immigrations. The separation of the cultures in big cities and difficulties of adaptation have been the main contributers of this music. The main themes in this kind of music have  always been constant hopelessness and expressions of pain and That is the reason why some people (like me) show a negative attitude!!

 I think the name ´Orhan gencebay´  specifically should be mentioned when we talk about arabesque music in Turkey as his unique style brought the term  "arabesque music" itself."

Thanks everyone, this is helping me a lot!

Dialogue between the strings and the vocalist - cool!

Bengü´s Yaralı I thought had an Arabic sound even before I had heard of the term Arabesque (from my friend at the döner). Not only is the lyrics on the sad side but the song has a lot strings, and the percussion and rhythm I thought sounded Arabic or Arabesque. Is it possible her song is not considered Arabesque because of her association with "pop" music?

But I can see the other side. If someone from Turkey started recently listening to American Pop music and then heard a ballad or Country sounding song from Miley Cyrus and asked me about it, I would be like (yeah whatever), no that´s just a pop song.

Something that I am starting to notice is that Turkish pop singers still have a strongly developed "other" side, being a softer or traditional or ballad style. Sure, Bengü has a lot of pop/dance stuff, which doesn´t interest me, but then she has this other side with tracks like: Yaralı, güller yaniyor, ucuz mumlar, rüya, Unut beni. A bit like Madonna, a strong pop side, but lots of good ballads too.

Interesting article you wrote!

I didn´t understand your critique of Arabesque Music. I got the impression that you are more of a Turkish Traditionalist when it comes to Turkish Music and you don´t think Arabesque measures up.

But what I don´t understand is this: 2 amongst the strongest Turkish singers, İbrahim Tatlıses and Sibel Can, are Arabesque according to this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabesque_Turkish_music. Is that article inaccurate? Or are you unimpressed with İbrahim Tatlıses and Sibel Can?

Keep in mind, I´ve only listening to Turkish Music for a short time, not even a year.

Back to Bergen, I asked someone in Turkey last weekend if she was popular and I did not get much of a response.

And what about the fantazy muzik?

How about Gülay?

http://www.gulaysezer.com/diskografi.html

Is she arabesque? Is she popular.

Some of her rhythms are very complicated, I can´t even count to them. Is that from Traditional Turkish music or Arab music or something?