Mehmet Barış Manço (born Tosun Yusuf Mehmet Barış Manço; 2 January 1943 – 1 February 1999), better known by his stage name Barış Manço, was a Turkish

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

musician, singer, composer, actor, television producer and show host. Beginning his musical career while attending

Galatasaray High School Galatasaray High School (, ), established in Istanbul in 1481, is the oldest and Selective school, highly selective high school in Turkey. It is also the second-oldest Turkish educational institution after Istanbul University, which was establi ...

, he was a pioneer of rock music in Turkey and one of the founders of the

Anatolian rock Anatolian rock (), or Turkish psychedelic rock, is a fusion of Turkish folk music and rock. It emerged during the mid-1960s, soon after rock groups became popular in Turkey. The most widely known members of this genre include Turkish musicians ...

genre. Manço composed around 200 songs and is among the best-selling Turkish artists to date and the winner of the most awards. Many of his songs were translated into other languages including English,

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, Bulgarian,

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, and

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. Through his TV programme, ''7'den 77'ye'' (''From 7 to 77''), Manço travelled the world and visited many countries. He remains one of Turkey's most popular public figures long after his death.

Early life and career

Barış Manço was born in

Üsküdar Üsküdar () is a municipality and district of Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 35 km2, and its population is 524,452 (2022). It is a large and densely populated district on the Anatolian (Asian) shore of the Bosphorus. It is border ...

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

on 2 January 1943. Born in

Adana Adana is a large city in southern Turkey. The city is situated on the Seyhan River, inland from the northeastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea. It is the administrative seat of the Adana Province, Adana province, and has a population of 1 81 ...

, his mother Rikkat Uyanık, was a famous singer in the early 1940s. His older brother, who was born during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, was named Savaş ("War" in Turkish) while he was named Barış ("Peace" in Turkish) by his parents to celebrate the end of the war. At birth, he was additionally named Tosun Yusuf after his deceased uncle Yusuf nicknamed Tosun (literally: Joseph the Sturdy). However, this name was erased just before he attended primary school. During his time at

(and later in Şişli Terakki High School) in the 1950s he formed his first band, Kafadarlar (The Buddies), allegedly after seeing

Erkin Koray Mustafa Erkin Koray (; 24 June 1941 – 7 August 2023) was a Turkish singer and guitarist who mainly played Anatolian rock. Life and career Koray was active in the Turkish rock music scene since the late 1950s. In 1967, he released his first ...

's band - all students at the nearby

Deutsche Schule Istanbul Deutsche Schule Istanbul (, shortened as DSI), with formal Turkish language, Turkish name Özel Alman Lisesi () or İstanbul Alman Lisesi () or simply Alman Lisesi () is a Private school, private international high school in the Beyoğlu district o ...

(''İstanbul Alman Lisesi'') - performing. Prof. Dr. Asaf Savaş Akat, a famous economist in Turkey, played

saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to p ...

, while

guitarist A guitarist (or a guitar player) is a person who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of guitar family instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselve ...

Ender Enön made his own guitar because it was difficult to find a real one on the market in those years. In 1962 and 1963, with his next band, Harmoniler (The Harmonies), he recorded cover versions of some popular American twist songs and rearrangements of Turkish folk songs in

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...

form, thus marking the beginning of the

movement, a synthesis of

Turkish folk music Turkish folk music () is the traditional music of Turkish people living in Turkey influenced by the cultures of Anatolia and former territories in Europe and Asia. Its unique structure includes regional differences under one umbrella. It includ ...

and

. In this period, his key visual and musical influence was

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

. After graduating from high school in 1963, he moved to Europe, traveling to Paris and

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where he formed bands with local musicians and recorded some singles mainly in English and French but also in Turkish. Then, in 1964, he resumed his studies at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Liège, Belgium. He toured with his band Les Mistigris (not related to Mistigris) in

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and

until 1967. In 1967, he suffered a serious car accident, after which he started to grow his signature moustache to conceal his scar. Frustrated by the difficulties of working with musicians from different nationalities, he formed Kaygısızlar (The Carefrees), featuring

Mazhar Alanson Mahmut Mazhar Alanson (born February 13, 1950) is a Turkish musician, guitarist, member of the popular Turkish pop music band MFÖ, and an actor. Early life He was born on February 13, 1950, to a family of musicians in Ankara, Turkey, where ...

and

Fuat Güner Aziz Fuat Güner (born 1 April 1948), better known as Fuat Güner, is a Turkish musician, member of the renowned band MFÖ. Early life He was born on 1 April 1948 in Istanbul, Turkey to a renowned photographer father, Sami Güner. He is of parti ...

, future members of the band

MFÖ Mazhar Fuat Özkan (MFÖ) was a Turkish pop and rock band consisted of members Mazhar Alanson, Fuat Güner, and Özkan Uğur. While many of their songs poke fun at common Turkish types ("Ali Desidero", "Piskopatım") or satirise prejudice and ...

. He recorded several singles and toured with the band, both domestically and internationally, until the band members protested that they did not want to live abroad. In 1970, he formed Barış Manço Ve... (Barış Manço and...) again with foreign musicians, to record his first hit single, ''Dağlar Dağlar'' (Mountains, Mountains!), which was a success in both Turkey and Belgium, selling over 700,000 copies. It remains one of his most popular songs.

1970s

After the success of ''Dağlar Dağlar'', Manço recorded a couple of singles with

Moğollar Moğollar (''Mongols'' in Turkish) was one of the pioneering bands in Turkish rock music during their early career and one of the founders of Turkish folk rock (or Anatolian rock). They have been active for over 40 years. The band uses multi-lay ...

(The Mongols), another influential Turkish Anatolian rock band. He then decided to return to Turkey where he recorded with the reformed Kaygısızlar for a short period. In 1971, his early works were compiled under his first full-length album ''Dünden Bugüne (''From Yesterday to Today'')'', today commonly referred to as ''Dağlar Dağlar''. In 1972, he formed the legendary Kurtalan Ekspres that would accompany him until his death. While continuing to release singles, in 1975 he also released his first non-compilation LP ''2023'', a

concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...

that included many instrumental pieces. In a last attempt to achieve international success, he released an LP simply entitled ''Baris Mancho'' (1976), a strange transcription of his name. It was mostly completed with the George Hayes Orchestra on the

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label in Europe and South Africa. Although the album did not bring him the fame he was hoping for, it did top the charts in

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and

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. The following year, the album was released in Turkey under the title ''Nick the Chopper''. In 1975 he starred in the movie ''Baba Bizi Eversene'' (Father Make Us Marry), the only movie he starred in during his career. Its music is a compilation of tracks composed by Barış Manço and Kurtalan Ekspres. From 1977 to 1980, he released three more albums in Turkey, partly consisting of compilations of older singles, namely ''Sakla Samanı Gelir Zamanı'' (1977), ''Yeni Bir Gün'' (A New Day, 1979) and ''20. Sanat Yılı Disko Manço'' (1980), all following a similar sound to ''2023''. All these albums are now rarities, but most of the material is available in later compilations ''Ben Bilirim'' and ''Sarı Çizmeli Mehmet Ağa''.

1980s

In 1981, Manço released ''Sözüm Meclisten Dışarı'' with Kurtalan Ekspres. It contained many hit songs including "Alla Beni Pulla Beni", "Arkadaşım Eşek (My Friend the Donkey", "Gülpembe (Pink Rose)", "Halhal" and "Dönence" among others. The album remains one of their most popular works and boosted Manço's popularity during the 1980s. "Arkadaşım Eşşek" quickly grew very popular with children (the song is about rural nostalgia and was not initially intended as a children's song) and he went on to write many other songs primarily for children, becoming an icon among Turkish children in the 1980s and 1990s. On the other hand, "Gülpembe", a requiem for Manço's grandmother composed by Kurtalan Ekspres bassist Ahmet Güvenç, attracted older listeners and is probably Manço's most popular song, "Dağlar Dağlar" being its only real competition. In 1983, ''Estağfurullah, Ne Haddimize'' was released. It contained the hit songs "Halil İbrahim Sofrası (Halil İbrahim's Dinner Table)" and "Kol Düğmeleri" (Sleeve Buttons), a new version of the artist's first song. "Halil İbrahim Sofrası" exemplified Manço's typically moralistic lyrics, a rare feature in

Turkish pop music The roots of traditional music in Turkey span across centuries to a time when the Seljuk Turks migrated to Anatolia and Persia in the 11th century and contains elements of both Turkic and pre-Turkic influences. Much of its modern popular music ...

. In 1985, ''24 Ayar Manço'' (24 Carat Manço) which included "Gibi Gibi" and a long conceptual song "Lahburger" was released. It marked the beginning of a shift in Manço's sound characterised by the heavy use of

synthesiser A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...

s and

drum machine A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument that creates percussion sounds, drum beats, and patterns. Drum machines may imitate drum kits or other percussion instruments, or produce unique sounds, such as synthesized electronic tones. A d ...

s in contrast with older works made up of a group-oriented, rock-based sound. In subsequent years, Manço released ''Değmesin Yağlı Boya'' (1986, A Touch of Oil Paint), ''Sahibinden İhtiyaçtan'' (1988) and ''Darısı Başınıza'' (1989), all containing a couple of hit songs and demonstrating his new sound.

''7'den 77'ye'' and 1990s

In 1988, ''7'den 77'ye'' (''From 7 to 77''), a TV show directed and presented by Manço, began to run on

TRT 1 TRT 1 (''TRT One'') is the first Turkish national television channel, owned by state broadcaster TRT. It was officially launched on 31 January 1968 as a test broadcast, becoming regular by the early 1970s. It was the only channel Turkey until 15 ...

, the Turkish state television channel. It was a combined music, talk show, and documentary programme which was a major hit during the eight years it was on air. Manço traveled to almost 150 countries for the show. "Adam Olacak Çocuk (The Child Will Become A Man)", a section of the show dedicated to children, strengthened Manço's popularity among younger audiences. Although his fame continued in the 1990s thanks to the success of his TV show, which was popular with all age groups, his music in this period was not as successful as it had been in previous decades. The albums ''Mega Manço'' (1992, Great Manço) and ''Müsadenizle Çocuklar'' (1995) were considered the weakest offerings of his career despite the limited success of the 1992 children's hit ''Ayı'' (The Bear). On the other hand, in 1995 he toured in

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

with Kurtalan Ekspres, which leding to ''Live In Japan'' (1996), his only live album. He released two albums in that country and gained recognition as "the man who writes songs about vegetables", referring to "Domates, Biber, Patlıcan" ("Tomato, Pepper, Aubergine") and "Nane, Limon Kabuğu" (Mint, Lemon Rind), two of his hit songs from the 1980s.

Death

On 1 February 1999, Barış Manço died at his Moda house after suffering a sudden

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

before the release of his newly completed last work ''Mançoloji'' (''Mançology'' or ''Manchology'') (1999), a double album containing new recordings of his hit songs along with an unfinished instrumental song "40. Yıl" (The 40th Year), celebrating his 40th year in music. His sudden death caused almost unanimous shock in Turkey with millions of people mourning and tens of thousands of people attending his funeral. He was interred in

Kanlıca Cemetery The Kanlıca Cemetery () is a burial ground located on the Asian part of Istanbul, Turkey. It is administered by the Metropolitan Municipality. Many prominent figures from the world of media and music rest here. Situated on a hillside east of K ...

Legacy

Barış Manço was one of Turkey's most influential pop musicians. In his early career he and his different bands contributed to the Turkish rock movement by combining traditional Turkish folk music with

influences, which is still one of the main characteristics of many of modern Turkish pop music. His image, featuring long hair, a moustache and several outsized rings, moderated the reaction of otherwise conservative Turkish public opinion. Manço pioneered the

progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed " progressive pop", the ...

-influenced

movement of the 1970s and his experimentation with electronic instruments a decade later contributed to the sound of Turkish popular music in the 1990s. His lyrics, covering diverse themes but mostly presenting a somewhat modernised version of the "aşık" (wandering folk poets) tradition, were marginal to the pop music scene of the 1980s which was mostly dominated by love songs. In 2002, a tribute album was released under the name ''Yüreğimdeki Barış Şarkıları'' ("Songs of Barış (Peace) In My Heart"), featuring fifteen popular Turkish artists from such diverse genres as

arabesque The arabesque is a form of artistic decoration consisting of "surface decorations based on rhythmic linear patterns of scrolling and interlacing foliage, tendrils" or plain lines, often combined with other elements. Another definition is "Foliate ...

, and pop and rock (both Anatolian and western style), demonstrating his wide range of influences. Manco Kosk Baris Manco

On 2 January 2013, Google Doodle celebrated Barış Manço's 70th birthday.

Discography

Albums

* ''Dünden Bugüne'' (1972) (Sayan) * ''2023'' (1975) (Yavuz Plak) * ''Sakla Samanı Gelir Zamanı'' (1976) (Yavuz) * ''Baris Mancho'', released as ''Nick The Chopper'' in Turkey (1976) (CBS Disques/Grammofoonplaten S.A.B.V., CBS 81784, Yavuz LP) * ''Yeni Bir Gün'' (1979) (Yavuz ve Burç Plakçılık) * ''20 Sanat Yılı Disco Manço'' (1980) (Türküola) * ''Sözüm Meclisten Dışarı'' (1981) (Türküola) * ''Estağfurullah ... Ne Haddimize!'' (1983) (Türküola) * ''24 Ayar Manço'' (1985) (Emre Plakçılık) * ''Değmesin Yağlı Boya'' (1986) (Emre Plakçılık) * ''30 Sanat Yılı Fulaksesuar Manço - Sahibinden İhtiyaçtan'' (1988) (Emre Plakçılık) * ''Darısı Başınıza'' (1989) (Yavuz ve Burç Plakçılık) * ''Mega Manço'' (1992) (Emre Plak) * '' Müsaadenizle Çocuklar'' (1995) (Emre Plak) * ''Barış Manço Live In Japan'' (1996) (Emre Plak) * ''Mançoloji'' (1999) (Emre Plak) * ''Barış Manço Golden Rollers'' (2018) (Tunas Tunes) * ''Manlac Blues 9 - Demo 1965 - 1966 Volume 1 '' (2019) (Tunas Tunes)

Singles

With Harmoniler * Twistin USA / The Jet (1962) (Grafson MGG 515) * Do The Twist / Let's Twist again (1962) (Grafson MGG 516) * Cit Cit Twist / Dream Girl (1963) (Grafson MGG 566) With Jacques Denjean Orchestra * Baby Sitter / Quelle Peste / Jenny Jenny / Un Autre Amour Que Toi (1964) (Rigolo 18.726) With Les Mistigris * Il Arrivera / Une Fille (1966) (Sahibinin Sesi 45-AX 3092) * Bien Fait Pour Toi / Aman Avcı Vurma Beni (1966) (Sahibinin Sesi 45-AX 3093) * Bizim Gibi / Big Boss Man / Seher Vakti / Good Golly Miss Molly (1967) (Sayan) With Kaygısızlar * Kol Düğmeleri / Big Boss Man / Seher Vakti / Good Golly Miss Molly (1967) (Sayan FS-144) * Kızılcıklar / I'll Go Crazy (1968) (Sayan FS-171) * Bebek / Keep Lookin' (1968) (Sayan FS-179) * Karanlıklar İçinde / Trip - To a Fair (1968) (Sayan FS-180) * Boğaziçi / Flower of Love (1968) (Sayan FS-194) * Runaway / Unutamıyorum (1969) (Sayan FS-199) * Aglama Değmez Hayat / Kirpiklerin Ok Ok Eyle (1969) (Sayan FS 204) * Kağızman / Anadolu (1969) (Sayan FS 213) With Barış Manço Ve * Derule / Küçük Bir Gece Müziği (1970) (Sayan FS-223) * Dağlar Dağlar 1 / Dağlar Dağlar 2 (1970) (Sayan 229) With

* İşte Hendek İşte Deve / Katip Arzuhalim Yaz Yare Boyle (1971) (Sayan FS-266) With Moğollar / Kaygısızlar * Bin Boğanın Kızı / Ay Osman (1971) (Sayan FS-271) With Kaygısızlar / Les Mistigris * Fil ile Kurbağa / Je te Retrouverais (1972) (Sayan FS 279) With Kurtalan Ekspres * Ölüm Allah'ın Emri / Gamzedeyim Deva Bulmam (1972) (Yavuz YA 1544) * Lambaya Püf De / Kalk Gidelim Küheylan (1973) (Yavuz YA 1548) * Gönül Dağı / Hey Koca Topcu Genç Osman (1973) (Yavuz YA 1554) * Nazar Eyle Nazar Eyle / Gülme Ha Gülme (1974) (Yavuz YA 1562) * Bir Bahar Akşamı / Estergon Kalesi (1974) (Yavuz YA 1569) * Ben Bilirim /2023 (1975) (Yavuz Plak YA 1573) * Çay Elinden Öteye Rezil Dede / Vur Ha Vur (1976) (Yavuz Plak YA 1580) * Ride On Miranda (1976) (CBS / Sony Music) * Blue Morning Angel (1976) (CBS / Sony Music) * Tell Me Old Man (1976) (CBS / Sony Music) With George Hayes Orchestra / Kurtalan Ekspres * Nick the Chopper / Lonely Man (1977) (Yavuz YA 1584) With Kurtalan Ekspres * Hal Hal / Eğri Eğri Doğru Doğru Eğri Büğrü Ama Yine De Doğru (1981) (Türküola 239)

Filmography

* ''Baba Bizi Eversene'' (1975)''Baba Bizi Eversene'' (1975)
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References

External links

Barış Manço Rock Derneği Resmi SitesiBarış Manço House MuseumBarış Manço & Les Mistigris, ''Discogs''Barış Manço & Les Mistigris, ''Last FM''Barış Manço on MyTurkıshRock
{{DEFAULTSORT:Manco, Baris 1943 births 1999 deaths Death in Istanbul Alternative rock musicians Anatolian rock musicians Burials at Kanlıca Cemetery Composers of Ottoman classical music Composers of Turkish makam music Galatasaray High School alumni People from Adana Province Turkish rock musicians Turkish male singer-songwriters 20th-century Turkish composers 20th-century Turkish songwriters Turkish nationalists Turkish rock guitarists Turkish pianists Turkish male guitarists Turkish pop musicians