A Milestone in the History of Turkish Pop Music: Zeki Müren and Song Translation (1964)

Abstract

This research explores the previously unacknowledged importance of Zeki M & uuml;ren's collaboration with Fecri Ebcio & gbreve;lu in rewriting and performing Charles Aznavour's "La Mamma" [Mama] in Turkish in 1964 as "Annem". At that time, M & uuml;ren was already a celebrated figure in Turkish art music, while Ebcio & gbreve;lu had made a name for himself in the music industry through earlier releases, most notably "Bak Bir Varm & imath;& scedil; Bir Yokmu & scedil;" [Once Upon a Time], the inaugural song of Turkish pop music, translated from Bob Azzam's "C'est Ecrit Dans Le Ciel" [Written in Heaven]. This collaboration is a significant event in the realms of cultural history, translation history, and music history, yet it has been largely ignored by scholars and deserves closer examination. M & uuml;ren's established fame in Turkish art music played a crucial role in the acceptance of this new genre by the Turkish audience (1), enhanced Ebcio & gbreve;lu's own reputation (2), and reciprocally boosted M & uuml;ren's popularity through the translation of a global pop hit (3). Utilizing the concept of aranjman, a song-translation practice unique to Turkey, the study asserts that M & uuml;ren's rendition not only retains culture-specificity but also infuses it with their distinct style. This unique style is not merely a queer performance but is tied to M & uuml;ren's stature as a performer of Turkish art music, composer, lyricist and radio programmer. All these aspects constitute the symbolic capital of Zeki M & uuml;ren. The study aims to show that only by analyzing musical, verbal, and visual elements together can we fully understand the strategies employed and gain a comprehensive understanding of song translation