Who is Tanju Okan?

Tanju Okan (born August 27, 1938; Tire, Izmir - date of death. May 23, 1996), Turkish singer, musician and film actor.

Hayatı
Born on 27 August 1938 in Tire, Tanju Okan completed his primary education in Manisa and his high school education in Balıkesir. Okan's father, whose interest in music comes from his family, was a music teacher, while his mother played the violin well. Okan, who started singing in primary school, also appeared on the stage in high school and in the military. Then taking vocal training in Italy, he returned to Turkey. Although he first started his professional music career in Ankara in 1961, he returned to Istanbul a year later.

First works
In 1964, he participated in the Balkan Music Festival held in Yugoslavia with the National Orchestra, where he was the vocalist with Erol Büyükburç and Tülay German. Okan said here four parts, has seen a great interest from the audience and won the contest Turkey. “Kundurama Sand Filled”, the first song she sang in this competition, was released in an EP released in Yugoslavia, and this record was Okan's first work to be released. In 1965, his first record titled “Kundurama Sand Filled” was published by Sahibinin Sesi. In the same period, one of Turkey's first football plaque "Spades Mini bus" was published. In 1967, Frank Sinatra released his forty-five "Two Strangers" in which he interpreted the hit "Strangers in the Night" in Turkish. However, this record remained in the shadow of Ajda Pekkan, who interpreted the same piece with the same name but with different words. Meanwhile, Nur joined his life with Erbay, and a son named Tansu was born. This marriage lasted about 8 months.

The artist, who was also interested in cinema during this period, first appeared on the silver screen in 1964 in the movie Cüppeli Gelin. The Flame Inside of 1966 was the artist's first leading role. In the same year, he increased his popularity with “Deniz ve Mehtap”, which he voiced in the movie Fakir Bir Kız Sevdim, with Cüneyt Arkın.

At the end of the 1960s attracted the attention of French artist Patricia Carlier artists began to record in Turkey, France did go French records. Two of these recordings (Le Sourire De Mon Amour and S'il N'y Avait Que Toi Au Monde) were published in France in 45s. However, the difficulties experienced during the release of the record continued after the release of the record. Okan's a kind atılamazk steps for the promotion abroad, Tanja is also due to the great success of the artist's record Okan Turkish foreign graduated from the start of his career and he continued to musical life in Turkey.

Years of fame
In 1970, he interpreted Georges Moustaki's “Le Métèque” with the name “Hasret” in Turkish lyrics written by Şükran Akannaç and Nino Varon. This record became a piece that introduced Tanju Okan to large masses. "If I Were Rich" in the second face of this forty-five has achieved similar success. In 1972, "Koy Koy Koy" written by Tuğrul Dağcı and "If I Were So Drunk" by Güzin Gürman reinforced its reputation with their forties. In 1973, he published the work “Friend Dur Wait / Who Separated Lovers” with Nilüfer and Modern Folk Trio for Philips. Meanwhile, Okan decided to work with Carli one more time and embarked on the project of opening the famous song "Samanyolu" to Europe with French lyrics. However, Tanju Okan could not go to France due to financial difficulties. The song "Oh Lady Mary" by David-Alexander Winter was a hit in many countries in Europe. In 1974, the song "My Woman", released by the artist, who worked with Mehmet Teoman this time, became one of Okan's best-selling forties.

All My Songs, a collection of popular songs released by the artist between 1970-1974, was released in 1975 and became the artist's first longplay. The two forty-five songs released in the same year and arranged by Onno Tunç were Tanju Okan's last hits. Among them, Mehmet Yüzüak and Rıfat Şanlıel were "Violinist", and the other was "Friends", composed by Selami Şahin. Tanju Okan asked Selami Şahin to perform the song "My Friends", which is known with the words "My best friend is my drink, my cigarette". In the same year, Tanju Okan married Zerrin Erdogan, who inspired the song "My Woman", and sat at the wedding table for the second time. This marriage lasted 14 months.

1980s and 1990s
Okan made his debut in the 1980s by releasing the album Yorgunum, which was his last longplay and released by Kent. After this album consisting of original songs, Okan, who was taken to Urla after he appeared on television programs a few times and Arabeskin started to attract more attention, did not produce new works for a long time. 1980 Turkey Okan decided to embark on policies in local elections, first announced his independent candidacy in Urla. Later, he decided to switch to ANAP. While ANAP became the second party in Urla with 1989%, SHP candidate Bülent Baratalı won the mayoralty.

Returning to music with the reintroduction of Turkish pop music into the mainstream in the early 1990s, Okan released the album Kadınım / Good Think, with the label Emre Plak in 1991 after a long silence. This album was followed by the album Yıllar Later - Kırlangıç, which was released from Prestij Müzik a year later. Here is Tanju Okan 1995, which came out of Marş Müzik in 95, and it was the last album.

The last years
In the mid-1990s, Tanju Okan was diagnosed with cirrhosis. Towards the end of December 1995, the artist, who was in danger of getting gangrene, had her left leg amputated above the knee. The artist, who spent the new year in the hospital, was discharged at the beginning of January. The artist, who took the stage for the last time on January 26, 1996, sang the song "My Woman" at a night held in Urla at the request of the audience. However, the situation of the artist, who could not quit smoking despite his illness, worsened again. On April 15, 1996, the Ministry of Culture and POPSAV organized a special night for the artist and names such as Sezen Aksu, Barış Manço and Cem Karaca performed for Okan. Tanju Okan passed away on May 23, 1996, shortly after this concert. He was buried in Iskele Cemetery in Urla upon his will. There is a Tanju Okan Park and Tanju Okan Statue in this district.

Discography 

45's 

• İnan Yağcı I'm Not / Spades Dolmuş (Owner's Voice-1965)
• Sand Filled in Shoes / Sta Sera Pago Io (Owner's Voice-1965)
• Little Fatoşum / I'm a Street Man (Owner's Voice-1966)
• Two Strangers / Drunk (Owner's Voice-1967)
• Like My Father / Uninhabitable In The Same House (with Rüçhan Çamay and Durul Gence 5.) (Regal-1968)
• Life is Three Act / Haydar Haydar (Regal-1968)
• Longing / Oh If I Was a Rich (Clover-1970)
• Le Sourire De Mon Amour / S'il N'y Avait Que Toi Au Monde (Riviera-1970)
• My Mother / If You Have Chances (Arya-1971)
• If That Day Come / Life Is This Nermin (Arya-1971)
• There Was a Fortune Teller / Crying Eyes (Balet-1971)
• Black Sea Folk Song / I Have Life Too (Odeon-1971)
• Title Coin / Coming Death (Odeon-1972)
• I Loved You My Life / If I Was So Drunk (Fonex-1972)
• Put It Put It / Go Out Go Out of Me (Philips-1972)
• Darla Dırlada / Liar (Fonex-1972)
• Someone / Can't Be (Ballet-1972)
• Darla Dırlada / You Called, I Ran You (with Ayten Alpman) (Melody-1972)
• Friend, Stop Wait / Who Separated Lovers (with Modern Folk Trio and Nilüfer.) (Philips-1973)
• Beautiful, No Exemplary, I Love You / I Love You (Philips-1973)
• I Smile When I Cry / Every Day Every Night (Signal-1973)
• I Could Not Find a Friend / You Forget Inside (Fonex-1973)
• I Was Nothing / Send It Away (Disco-1974)
• With Tears / Love in Your Eyes (Philips-1974)
• My Woman / Journey (Discotheque-1974)
• Cheers / You'll Find Love (Philips-1974)
• My People / We Are Artists by Birth (Discotheque-1975)
• Drunk / Are You Drinking (Istanbul-1975)
• Violinist / In Your Eyes When You Laugh (Gönül-1976)
• My Friends / My Destiny (Nova-1976)
• Anniversary / I Loved It Crazy (Philips-1976)
• Sleeping in the Park / My Childhood (Philips-1978)

Albümler 

• All My Songs (Philips-1975)
• I'm Tired (Kent-1980)
• My Woman / What To Whom (Emre-1991)
• Years Later / The Swallow (Prestige-1992)
• Tanju Okan 95 (March-1995)

One of Odeon Records after his death Zammoments, two albums have been released with the name Best Of Tanju Okan.

Films 

• Crying Bride, (1964)
• Candy Are You Wow Wow, (1965)
• Liar's Candle, (1965)
• I Loved a Poor Girl, (1966)
• Law of Love, (1966)
• The Flame Inside Me (1966)
• Berduş Girl, (1970)
• If I Were Rich, (1971)
• Tweezers Ali, (1971)
• Torn Niyazi, (1971)
• My mother-in-law is Kudurdu, (1973)
• Siribim Şiribom, (1974)
• What News, (1976)
• The Wind of Wrath, (1982)