Nazan Öncel
Reviewed on this page:
Yağmur Duası - Bir Hadise Var - Ben Böyle Ask Görmedim - Göç - Sokak Kızı - Demirden Leblebi - Yan Yana Fotoğraf Çektirelim - 7'n Bitirdin - Hatırına Sustum - Hayvan - Bazı Şeyler -
Durum Şarkıları
Born in İzmir in 1956, Turkish singer/songwriter Nazan Öncel has had an unique career: A child actress at five, she cut one shelved record in the late '70s, released one in the early '80s, couldn't get into the studio for the next ten years, had a huge string of hit records through the '90s, lost everything after an album that - to put it mildly - challenged the status quo, and somehow climbed back to the top, having possibly her greatest success in her fifties, until the industry collapsed. She's recorded in a variety of styles, but is best known for Turkish pop music - using Near Eastern melodic movement, some traditional instruments and strings within a recognizable Western pop/rock framework. And as Turkish pop is often built around the clavé, it can deliver Phrygian/Phrygian dominant melody, Latin rhythm, and both high-tech and folk instrumentation, all in one neat package.
Öncel writes nearly all her own songs as well as notable hits for other artists, and shows a consistent knack for distilling disparate influences to enrich her own emotional expression; though I'm not competent to judge, she's also widely praised for her lyrical prowess.
For me, though, her crowning glory is her seasoned, sweet/sour voice, which always sounds unforced and confident even - or especially - when she's at her most sorrowful.
I've only read one English-language piece that gives Öncel her due - a book chapter by Levent Donat Berköz callled "Singing the Unspeakable, Resisting Power: Nazan Öncel, Popular
Music and Women’s Rights in Modern Turkey" - and it's on the net but I don't know if it's supposed to be so I'm not linking it. It's not easy to express the range of her talents, but I'll make a couple of culturally insensitive comparisons: imagine the hit-making ability of Daniela Mercury with the gravitas of Mercedes Sosa, or if you can, picture Joan Armatrading crossed with Robert John "Mutt" Lange. And while at first glance she and Catherine Ringer have nothing in common, my gut says they're analogous somehow. She has a pretty amazing artist site with loads of videos including her hits and most of the ones she wrote for others.
(DBW)
Öncel won a song contest with the self-penned "Annem" in 1975 at the age of nineteen and began appearing on TV around the same time, but by the time she made it inside a recording studio, she was working with three people named Koyutürk I suspect were brothers: writer/singer Erdener, composer Özdener, and arranger/producer Necdat. They have a distinctive style, best heard in their work with the identical twin disco act Meral – Zuhal ("Defne Dalı," in 9/8) but they weren't the right partners for Öncel, and nothing was released at the time except for one single: "Sana Kul Köle OlmuŞtum" - oddly peppy for a song which translates as "I Was Your Slave" - backed with "Kader Bu," a zippy tune which suddenly shifts tempo like many a Koyutürk production. (DBW)
Bizden Sesler (Various Artists: 1981)
A few years later, though Öncel was already performing her own songs on TV ("Bir Zamanlar" had a full-blown music video) including some entries in the Eurovision Song Contest ("Neden"), she released only three more Koyutürk numbers plus the previous A-side as part of a compilation album. The new material includes two duets with Erdener (İŞte Sensin Sevdiğim" and "Ne Günlerdi Onla"). Though none of the material is very good, Öncel is game and the brothers(?) give it their all, with some unexpected touches like Match Game '74-style brass on "Ne Günlerdi Onla," surprise walking bass in the middle of "Ey Arkadaşım" and skating rink organ on the ballad "Olmayacak." Decades later, these tracks plus the original single's B-side (in vocal and instrumental versions) and one outtake ("Dertli Aşık") were released on CD as Nazan Öncel Ve Erdener Koyutürk D&#uuml;etleriyle.
(DBW)
 Yağmur Duası (1982)
After one more Eurovision entry ("Hırçın Kız"), Öncel finally recorded and released a full-length LP, writing half the songs ("Şahane Gözler").
Unpolished and at times listless, her debut is nonetheless impressive in its scope: the opener "Zalimin Zulmü" is disco; "Demedim Mi?" is bubblegum pop with a gimmicky bell hook; "Hüdaverdi" is reasonably effective funk-rock. The title track points in the direction of future successes, while "Geçti Güzelim" less effectively foregrounds Near Eastern melodicism and instruments (bağlama in particular). Many of the tracks, though, are undistinguished ballads that could have been recorded almost anywhere by almost anyone ("Kaderimde Hep Güzeli Aradm"), and that includes many of the songs she wrote. Produced by Saffet Başlıoğlu and arranged by Osman İşmen, who went on to work with a veritable Who's Who of Turkish artists including Ahmet Kaya. Apparently Türkiye's national broadcasting corporation, which had a lot to do with her previous rise, banned several songs from this album - there was a military coup in 1980 which led to a crackdown on culture, I don't know if the two are related.
(DBW)
Öncel had married in her teens to escape an abusive home life, and in 1985 she divorced that guy and moved to Istanbul, where she worked odd jobs while trying to break back into the music industry.
Bir Hadise Var (1991)
Though Öncel wrote all the tunes this time out, it's weak on both the composition and production sides, with plenty of '80s gimmicks like stuttering sampled vocals ("Ayni Nakarat," present in two mixes) and overly bouncy pop-reggae ("Asık Degilim Olabilirim"). Most of the ballads are forgettable as well (title track), though at least they have forceful singing to recommend them. "Boncuk" and "Hadi Hadi Nazlanma" are solid, in her trademark "dignified yet danceable" style, but it's easy to find better examples of same.
(DBW)
 Ben Böyle Ask Görmedim (1994)
A dramatic jump in quality, as the arrangements are varied and precise, and the songs are memorable. The power ballad "Geceler Kara Tren" was her breakthrough hit; the title cut is a throbbing chant of the sort that's very difficult to pull off but is hypnotic when done right.
More remarkable still, "Nazınla Dünya Sozınle Dünya" - a dance track with a singsong children's choir and a stentorian operatic choir - manages not to seem ridiculous.
"Bunu Bir Ben Bilirim Bir Allah" weaves a striking number of indigenous instruments into an arrangement that's far from traditional, while "Avare Yıllar" isn't innovative in how it combines cello, flute and piano to outline a simple mournful vocal, it's wallop-packing nonetheless.
(DBW)
 Göç (1995)
No sooner did Öncel demonstrate her mastery of contemporary pop than she shifted gears for a set of acoustic songs played on traditional instruments. But if you're afraid it's some sort of lazy Unplugged record, forget it: the compositions and arrangements are all over the map, using a broad palette of sounds to convey a wide swath of feelings.
The solemn ballad "Sen Beni Öldürüyorsun" and the vigorous, guitar-led "Aşk Olmali" are equally heartfelt and captivating.
Players include Hüseyin Cebeci on a bunch of string instruments, Özer Arkun on cello, and Erdem Sökmen on guitar.
In Türkiye this is generally considered her landmark, but if you're a neophyte to this kind of music (as I am) you'll do better to start with one of her more broad-based efforts.
Around this time Öncel wrote at least one song for her sister, Pınar Güvenel, "Aşıkmışız."
(DBW)
 Sokak Kızı (1996)
Not to be pigeonholed, Öncel's followup opens with a distorted electric guitar and angry vocals ("Ben Sokak Kızıyım"), and continues largely in that vein.
As an exercise in claiming new territory it's admirable, though overall the rock elements feel a bit forced ("Bana Özel"): guitars and bass are played by Alper Erinç so I suppose I could blame him, but I'm pretty sure Öncel was calling the shots.
But there's still a lot to dig here: "Gerberik" and "Erkeklerde Yanar" mix the guitars with sweeping strings and thrilling hooks that achieves the monumental impact Orphaned Land is always going for.
Sezen Aksu is among the backing vocalists, and Ahmet Koç contributes bağlama (which sounds like a cross between a bouzouki and a sitar).
Apparently she was accused of glamorizing "street girls" on the almost-title track, but I don't know how much of a stir that criticism created.
(DBW)
Demirden Leblebi (1999)
The two songs here that derailed her career were the title track, half-rapped over a fluid looped drumbeat with occasional bursts of melody recalling Madonna's "Justify My Love," and "Sokarım Politikana," a laid-back if bitter love song. The controversies being, "Demirden Leblebi" is about molestation by her stepfather (addressed to her mother), and "Sokarım Politikana" means "Fuck Your Politics" - Öncel later said referring to politics caused more problems than saying "fuck." As should be clear by now, I can't read Turkish, but in translation the lyrics to both songs are plenty powerful. Musically the album is solid though not a high point: "Zor Dünya" has a contemporary synth-based arrangement, while the mostly acoustic "Hizli Yakarsen" sounds like mid-60s folk rock.
Then there's what I nerdily refer to as Öncel's superpower: uptempo songs as danceable as they are melodic, as international-friendly as they are unmistakably Turkish ("Kötülere Bi'şey Olmaz"; "Aşiklar Parkı"). What keeps the disc below the top rank of Öncel's work is that the slow songs are not up to her usual standard ("Sokarım Politikana," despite its unusual half-spit delivery).
(DBW)
 Yan Yana Fotoğraf Çektirelim (2004)
Ater five years in the wilderness, Öncel returned with a classic album, accomplished and confident, using her whole spectrum of approaches.
"Atıyorsun" works in bağlama, funk guitar, a rap, and a Marilyn Monroe shoutout, all without becoming contrived; "Beni Hatırla" also features acoustic bağlama, but on on a bed of synth loops. "Ruh Hali" is a sophisticated reinterpretation of the main hook of Cerrone's "Supernature."
"Nereye Böyle" and the endlessly hooky hit "Hay Hay" are collaborations with Tarkan; "Hokka" and "Ukala Dümbeleği" are the sort of buoyant but restrained roofraisers she seems to toss off so easily. Not that I know what I'm talking about, but I think it's a high point not only for her but for türkpop in general.
(DBW)
7'n Bitirdin (2006)
Not the most eye-opening of her albums but probably the most consistent.
Here Öncel works within the Turkish pop parameters she's established - from guitar-based ballads ("Bırak Konuşsunlar"; "Kiş Baba") to synth-driven dance music ("El Kızı") - convincing at every stop along the way (the irresistable #1 hit "Aşkım Baksana Bana").
The blend of synth, guitar and drums with bağlama and other traditional instruments is smoother than ever,
and as usual her worldly voice brings gravity to the bouncier tunes ("Ekilmekteyim") and spirit to the slower ones ("Zehirli Sarmaşık," almost a dirge).
(DBW)
 Hatırına Sustum Sustum (2008)
A bit more spare and melancholy than the past few albums, not unlike Sazan Aksu's release the following year. At times the mostly acoustic instrumentation recalls Göç, though it doesn't have the same emotional range (the closing "Çiçekçi Geldi" is about as lively as it gets). There aren't as many striking tunes, either ("Ali"; title track), though "Ankaralı Sevgilim" shows that she knows what to do with one when she's got it, and "Öp Barisalim" - a canny slice of 80s R&B - and the whistling refrain of "Canim Benim Nasilsin" (featuring Vic Chesnutt) show how Öncel continues to expand her musical vocabulary.
Also in 2008, Öncel contributed a new song ("Leyla") to the compilation album Güldünya Sarkilari.
(DBW)
In 2010, Öncel released the single "Tuttum Bırakmam."
Hayvan (2011)
From the opening "Normal," this one has electric guitar and bubbly synth at the forefront, and by and large it's successful: "Bebişim" opens with ominous guitar distortion, then shifts into a hypermodern dancefloor groove with bizarrely appropriate harpsichord.
There's still room for sober contemplation ("Bebek Sevgilim") and 80s-style Quiet Storm ("Böyle Konuşma").
Not top-shelf Öncel - midtempo cuts like "Canın Bir Yanlış Yapmak İstiyor" and "Beni Düşün" are well-made but not exactly a breath of fresh air
- but her second and third shelves are worth rummaging through too.
And "Korkunun Üstüne Yürüyorum" is a revelation: spooky retro-disco that emulates the original form's emotional punch rather than its campy mindlessness.
(DBW)
Bazı Şeyler (2014)
Öncel doesn't have any new tricks up her sleeve - it's the same mix of Western song structures and rhythms with Near Eastern stringed instruments and melodies ("Harita"). As there are no loud guitars and not many downbeat songs ("Ne Güzel Olur," the record's most affecting cut, is an exception), the sound is closest to Yan Yana Fotograf Çikilarim, right down to the Tarkan cameo on the leadoff single ("Hadi O Zaman"). So far so great, except that the deft touches and small intricacies her work is usually so rich in are sadly absent... Though expressive as ever, her voice never drops to a whisper or rises to a shout; she cruises in mid-gear, one familiar-sounding theme after another ("Affola"; "Dostlar Kahvesi" is a rewrite of "Kötülere Bi'şey Olmaz"). So there are no fizzles but no fireworks either, and I would gladly have suffered through a lot of the former for even a little of the latter.
(DBW)
Starting around this point, Öncel has put out more non-album singles than albums. In 2016, she released "Sakin Ol Şampiyon," a catchy midtempo tune in three very different incarnations (if you only listen to one, make it the Radio Versiyon), backed with the less interesting "Madalyon."
Durum Şarkıları (2018)
US-centric as I am, even I'm aware that this has been a rough few years for progressive/inclusive forces in Türkiye, and that may partly explain Öncel's dour mood ("Illegal," a sax-led rocker but more Morphine than Mick).
Not a light listen but there's a lot to like here, including gorgeous, sophisticated string arrangements unlike anything she'd previously attempted ("Girizgah").
There's still some room for her usual gently propulsive pop ("Kimler Gelmis," featuring Manus Baba), and her sense of groove is so strong that even the dripping-with-bitterness "Mükemmel Kusur" is catchy as hell.
The same year, the compilation Ve Nazan Öncel Şarkıları featured many of her hits interpreted by stars like Sıla, Tarkan and Sezen Aksu.
(DBW)
Kara Plak Geceye Bir şarkı (2023)
So far I'm hearing this as a continuation of the previous album's downbeat tone but I'm still absorbing it.
Also this year she collaborated with Sade İnsanlar on her song "Deniz Tutmaz."
(DBW)
Gidelim burlardan.
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