Erkan Aki (born June 20, 1969 in
Sursee
Sursee is a municipality in the district of Sursee in the canton of Lucerne, Switzerland. Sursee is located at the northern end of Lake Sempach, not far from where the ''Sure'' (or '' Suhre'') river exits the lake ("See"), hence the name "Sursee ...
) is a Swiss cross-over singer between pop music and classics with
Turkish descent. The classically trained tenor sings in seven languages.
Career
Erkan’s professional journey on the way to becoming one of the world’s best tenors started at the age of seventeen. After attending a performance of Johann Strauss’ operetta "Die Fledermaus" at the
Zurich Opera House, he decided to study classical singing. The radiant elegance of this all-encompassing work of art which combines sophisticated operetta with the visual dazzle of architectural splendor left a lasting impression on young Erkan. Up to that point, his musical preferences had been more along the lines of contemporary sounds, e.g. the band Eurythmics and their lead singer Annie Lennox whose voice made a huge impression on Aki. While studying under Swiss tenor and music teacher Paul Späni, Erkan specialized in Applied Vocal Music. However, in parallel to his singing lessons Erkan also successfully completed his education in business management during the period 1986 to 1989. After the death of his music teacher Paul Späni in 1993, Erkan decided to relocate to his second home away from home, back to his family’s roots in Istanbul, where he studied Music Theory for three years. On his return, he put himself in the capable hands of music professor Jane Thorner-Mengedoht of Zurich Music Conservatory. She has been mentoring him to this day and also teaches artists like Ana Maria Labin and
Ruben Drole.
Erkan happened to make a studio recording with Atilla Sereftug, the composer of Grand Prix d‘Eurovision 1988 winning song "Ne partez pas sans moi" made world-famous by Céline Dion. By sheer stroke of luck, this recording made it into the hands of renowned concert promoter and agent David Lieberberg who helped Erkan get his first record contract Aki recorded with producer Nigel Wright his first album "Here`s to the Heros". The album stormed the German charts.
In 2013, Erkan accompanied
soprano Sarah Brightman on her
Dreamchaser World Tour
The Dreamchaser World Tour was the fifth worldwide concert tour by English soprano singer Sarah Brightman in support of her album ''Dreamchaser'' (2013). The North American tour had been planned to begin in early 2013, but all dates were resche ...
, joining Brightman for the songs "Canto Della Terra" and "The Phantom of the Opera."
Life
Erkan Aki was born 20 June 1969 in the Swiss community of Sursee. His parents, mom Remziye and dad Ahmet, emigrated from Turkey to the Swiss
Canton of Lucerne in the late 60s. Erkan and his two older brothers, Aykut and Harun, the latter having died in an accident in 1994, grew up as the product of two very different cultures. Both cultures have retained a powerful influence over Erkan’s life to this day, and are the driving force behind his active interest in integration processes. His awards in recognition of his efforts on behalf of intercultural projects include the 2002 German-Turkish Friendship Award. Until he was eleven years old, this Swiss with a Turkish background spent his childhood close to his native town of Willisau, a small-sized tourist attraction famous to this day for its international Jazz Festival. In 1980 the family relocated to Neftenbach in the greater
Winterthur
, neighboring_municipalities = Brütten, Dinhard, Elsau, Hettlingen, Illnau-Effretikon, Kyburg, Lindau, Neftenbach, Oberembrach, Pfungen, Rickenbach, Schlatt, Seuzach, Wiesendangen, Zell
, twintowns = Hall in Tirol (Austria ...
area where the parents opened a coffee house.
Later on, Erkan Aki moved to
Zurich. In 1998, he had to cope with another second stroke of fate after the early death of his brother Harun: only four years after his brother died, his father Ahmet also died at 62. Erkan Aki then got to know his wife Anna Steiner through their music teacher Jane Thorner-Mengedoht. In 2010, their son was born. Erkan Aki is also committed to social activities, amongst others, to the José-Carreras-Foundation and UNICEF.
Awards
The artist received the
German-Turkish Friendship Award for his work in intercultural projects in 2002.
Releases and appearances
In 1999, Erkan Aki performed at the
Brandenburger Tor
The Brandenburg Gate (german: Brandenburger Tor ) is an 18th-century neoclassical monument in Berlin, built on the orders of Prussian king Frederick William II after restoring the Orangist power by suppressing the Dutch popular unrest. One ...
his song "Here’s to the Heroes". As a follow-up album, he released the album "Pop Classics".
His close affinity to
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
and the
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
-speaking countries and the fact that he had more success here than elsewhere were the main reasons behind Erkan’s decision to record his following album "Zeit der großen Gefühle" (Time of Deep Emotions) only in German. He recorded several titles for this album with international stars like
Xavier Naidoo
Xavier Kurt Naidoo (German: kseːviɐ naɪˈduː born 2 October 1971) is a German soul and R&B singer, songwriter and record producer. He is a founding member of German band Söhne Mannheims, and started two record labels, Beats Around the ...
and
Patricia Kaas
Patricia Kaas (; born 5 December 1966) is a French singer. Her music is a mix of pop, cabaret, jazz, and chanson.
Since the appearance of her 1988 debut album '' Mademoiselle chante...'', Kaas has sold over 17 million records worldwide. She h ...
, including the
Maffay classic "Über sieben Brücken musst du gehen". The song "Unter der Haut" by Patricia Kaas was recorded in a German-
French version and became the title song of TV drama "Sturmzeit".
Aki’s fourth studio album, "Songs for Lovers", included a guest performance by
Montserrat Martí, the daughter of
Montserrat Caballé
Montserrat Caballé i Folch or Folc (full name: María de Montserrat Bibiana Concepción Caballé i Folch (, , ; (12 April 1933 – 6 October 2018), known simply as Montserrat Caballé, was a Catalan Spanish operatic soprano. She sang a wide v ...
. His fifth album is named "Music in my Heart" and contains reinterpretations of hits like "
The Power of Love" and "
Time to Say Goodbye". Two more albums follow in quick succession: "In Love for Europe", which features him singing in seven different languages, and the
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...
album "Romantische Weihnachten".
In 2008, Aki performed live in
Xanten
Xanten (, Low Rhenish: ''Santen'') is a town in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the district of Wesel.
Xanten is known for the Archaeological Park, one of the largest archaeological open air museums in the wo ...
Arena together with Montserrat Caballé a mix of popular classic hits and
opera
Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...
aria
In music, an aria ( Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompa ...
s. In 2009 he toured
South and
Central America
Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...
with
Sarah Brightman, and in 2010,
Japan,
China,
Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
, and
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. In 2009, he also released the best-of album "Nur die Hits" ("Just the Hits"). In September 2010, he performed in a gala held in the
Palace of Tranquil Longevity within
Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
’s
Forbidden City
The Forbidden City () is a palace complex in Dongcheng District, Beijing, China, at the center of the Imperial City of Beijing. It is surrounded by numerous opulent imperial gardens and temples including the Zhongshan Park, the sacrifi ...
.
Discography – CD and DVD
Previously published albums
1999 "Here's To The Heroes"
2000 "Pop Classics"
2001 "time of great emotion"
2002 "Songs for Lovers"
2005 "Music in my Heart"
2008 "Romantic Christmas"
2008 "In Love for Europe"
2009 "Only the hits"
2012 "True Love" (MOKOH Music)
DVD Great voices, great songs "
DVD The gala night of the German Tenors "
External links
Erkan Aki's official homepageBeitrag über Erkan Aki auf powernewz.ch, dem Dialogmagazin von ewz.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aki, Erkan
1969 births
Living people
People from Sursee District
Swiss male singers
German-language singers of Switzerland
Swiss people of Turkish descent