Biography:
Intriguing lyrics, catchy choruses, and an attractive media persona are the three factors that come into mind to define Teoman, one of the most popular Turkish singers of the 2000s. He first came to mainstream attention in the second half of the `90s. Apart from music, he is also actively involved in commercial films and TV series. His night life and relationships have been at the forefront of his career most of the time, more so than his music. Apart from his controversial live performances, similarities of his songs to international acts haven`t helped him; he is praised and degraded at the same time by many. However, he is accepted as one of the most important singer/songwriter figures of his generation.
Fazli Teoman Yakupoglu was born in November 20, 1967. He started his early music career during his university years in the Bogazici University in Istanbul. After Mirage, he worked with Murat Özyüksel. Teoman sang on four songs in his band Isigin Yansimasi on the album Bir Çiçek Yili Sonra which was released in 1994. Two years later, he won the best song prize at the "1st Roxy Music Days" with "Ne Ekmek Ne De Su." His self-titled debut album was also released that year. Teoman was quick to follow his debut with O in 1998, gaining widespread attention from young listeners as well as the critics. The album showcased the singles "Sus Konusma," "O," and "Kardelen." His third album, Onyedi, was released in 2000. The album, with hits like "Paramparca," "Onyedi," "Ik_ Yabanci," "Gunduz Tarifesi," and of course "Zamparanin Olumu" was the turning point for the singer. With the success of the album, he sold out many concerts all around Turkey and also became a famous face in the celebrity scene of Istanbul.
Crushed by the pressure of nationwide fame, 2001`s Gönülcelen fell short from satisfying high expectations. A reprise of his previous song "Zamparanin Olumu (2nd and Last Part)" and two more cover songs on a 10-track album were the signs of his worn-out songwriting skills. After releasing a remix EP of the song "Istanbul`da Sonbahar," Teoman tried to revive his original influences in 2003`s (again) self-titled album. A sound close to the Cure and U2 or two weak covers of songs by Cem Karaca and Baris Manco couldn`t rescue the album from being a disappointment. This wasn`t a surprise as he has already lost his focus on songwriting. He starred in three films in 2002 Mumya Firarda, Banka, and Romantik (which was released five years after its original production). To cover up for the fall of his last two albums, Teoman went back into the studio quick and came out with a darker and an edgier album in 2004, En Güzel Hikayem. With even more explicit lyrics he again found himself an original songwriter. The addition of the ten-minute album closer title song made En Güzel Hikayem his bravest attempt to that date.
In 2005 he wrote, directed, produced, and acted in Balans ve Manevra. He wrote the music for the film, which was also released as an album. 2006 released his seventh album, Renkli Rüyalar Oteli, on which he experimented with different vocal styles and more political topics. In 2007 he released a live album recorded during a few dates he played with the legendary Bülent Ortaçgil. A tribute album called Söz- Müzik Teoman was released in 2008. Famous Turkish musicians like Sezen Aksu, Candan Erçetin, Izel, and many more young stars recorded their versions of Teoman songs.
