Ferman Akgül facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ferman Akgül
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Akgül at the 12th Radio Boğaziçi Music Awards, May 2015
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| Born |
Ferman Akgül
25 December 1979 |
| Education | Gazi University |
| Occupation |
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| Spouse(s) |
Bettina Kuperman
(m. 2021) |
| Children | 2 |
| Musical career | |
| Genres |
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| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Labels |
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Ferman Akgül (born December 25, 1979) is a talented Turkish singer, songwriter, TV host, and actor. He is best known as the lead singer of the popular Turkish rock band maNga. In 2015, he started his own music company called 06 Records. He released his first song as a solo artist, "İstemem Söz Sevmeni", in early 2016.
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Ferman Akgül's Early Life
Ferman Akgül was born on December 25, 1979, in Ankara, Turkey. His grandfather, Aziz Üstün, was a traditional Turkish folk poet and singer called an ozan. He even worked with the famous folk poet Aşık Veysel.
Discovering Music
Ferman's interest in music began when he was in high school. He quickly found out he was good at writing songs. In 1998, he started studying architecture at Gazi University. He became interested in the underground music scene in Ankara and met many rock bands.
Ferman dreamed of creating a new kind of rock band. He wanted to play the turntable, which is used to create cool sounds in music. But by chance, he ended up singing for a band temporarily. He soon realized that singing was the best way for him to express himself. In 2001, he joined the band maNga, and his search for a band was over.
Architecture and Film Studies
Ferman once said, "I studied architecture, and my teachers taught me to 'look for beauty.' This definitely influenced my music." After finishing his architecture degree, Ferman worked as an architect. He even won an award for a project he worked on while recording maNga's first album.
In 2009, Ferman earned a master's degree in filmmaking from Marmara University. He later used these skills to direct several music videos for maNga and other bands.
Ferman Akgül's Music Career
Before their first album came out, maNga moved to Istanbul to start their professional music journey.
Success in Turkey
- First Album Success: Their first album, maNga, was released in December 2004. It became one of the most successful rock albums in Turkish history. The band won a Golden Record award and many others.
- Tours and FIFA: From 2005 to 2009, maNga toured all over Turkey and Europe. In 2006, their song "Bir Kadın Çizeceksin" was even used in the FIFA 06 video game!
- More Albums: Their second album, Şehr-i Hüzün, came out in 2009 and was even more popular. In 2012, they released E-akustik, an acoustic album that helped them gain more fans in Europe. Their fourth album, Işıkları Söndürseler Bile, was released in 2014 and topped the music charts again.
- Movie Soundtrack: In 2015, maNga created the soundtrack for the movie Hadi İnşallah, and the song became a big hit.
International Achievements
In 2009, Ferman and maNga aimed for international success.
- MTV Europe Award: In 2009, they won the Best European Act award at the MTV Europe Music Awards.
- Eurovision Song Contest: Their biggest international moment came in 2010. They came in second place at the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 with their song "We Could Be the Same". This made them famous across Europe.
- Chart-topping Single: In 2011, "Fly to Stay Alive," a song written by Ferman, was released. It reached number one on the MTV Adria Rock Chart and topped charts in several European countries. This song has even been used in TV commercials featuring famous athletes.
Performing with Big Names
maNga has opened concerts for many famous bands like Korn, Linkin Park, Nine Inch Nails, The Cure, The Offspring, Limp Bizkit, and Skin. They have also performed at many big festivals around the world, including Sziget Hungary and Rock'n Coke in Turkey. They've played in places like New York City's Central Park and London's O2 Academy Islington.
Ferman Akgül's Solo Work and Other Projects
Ferman Akgül has also worked on many projects outside of maNga.
Music Collaborations
He has worked with other Turkish artists like Göksel and Ozan Çolakoğlu. He also released two electronic music songs with Turkish DJ Birol "Beegee" Giray and toured clubs in Turkey.
Directing Music Videos
Ferman has directed music videos for well-known Turkish musicians, including Sagopa Kajmer. In 2007, a music video for maNga's song "Yalan," which Ferman directed, won the Best Music Video Award from Radio Boğaziçi.
TV Host and Columnist
Ferman has hosted three seasons of a music TV show called Kulaktan Kulağa on Turkish state TV, TRT Müzik. The show explores local music culture and brings together local musicians with famous Turkish stars.
From 2008, Ferman wrote a music column for Billboard Türkiye magazine for two years. He later continued writing for 46 Magazine and is now a regular arts and music columnist for the Turkish newspaper Vatan.
Solo Music and Acting
Ferman is also a short story writer and is working on publishing a collection of his stories.
In early 2016, Ferman released his first solo song, "İstemem Söz Sevmeni", through his own company, 06 Records. He also starred in the Turkish play The Little Prince at the Zorlu Performance Centre, playing the main role of the Pilot.
Discography
Studio Albums (with maNga)
- 2004: maNga
- 2006: maNga+
- 2009: Şehr-i Hüzün
- 2010: We Could Be the Same (EP)
- 2012: e-akustik
- 2014: Işıkları Söndürseler Bile
Studio Albums (solo)
- 2017: Yürüyorum İçimde
Singles
- 2016: İstemem Söz Sevmeni
- 2016: Dırdır (feat. Pascal Nouma)
- 2018: Efsaneyiz (feat. Fatma Turgut)
- 2020: 100 kere 23 Nisan (with İskender Paydaş and Nilüfer Children's Choir)
Awards and Recognition
Ferman Akgül and maNga have won over 200 awards in more than 25 countries! Here are some of their notable awards:
- 2002: “Sing Your Song” Contest: Runner-Up Prize
- 2005: Golden Butterfly Awards: Best New Band
- 2006: MÜ-YAP Music Industry Awards: Golden Record Award
- 2006: Jetix TV Awards: Best Band
- 2006: Popsay Awards: Best Rock and Alternative Band
- 2007: Radio Boğaziçi: Best Animation Music Video (for "Yalan")
- 2009: MTV Europe: The Best Band of The Year
- 2009: Balkan Music Awards: Best Band
- 2010: Eurovision Song Contest: Runner-up Prize (for "We Could Be The Same")
- 2011: Balkan Music Awards: Best Band of Balkans
- 2012: Blue Jean Awards: Band of the Year
- 2012: Blue Jean Awards: Album of the Year (for E-Akustik)
- 2015: Turkey Youth Awards: Best Band
