A leading star of the Anatolian rock scene which fused Turkish folk music with funky riffs and psychedelic blues jams in the late 1960s, Cem Karaca was a bohemian revolutionary who became a political outlaw and influential pop pioneer.

Born in the Bakirkoy district of Istanbul, his parents were both theatre actors with his mother Toto Karaca being particularly renowned for her performances in operettas, while Cem started taking piano lessons from his aunt while in high school and played in covers bands and an Elvis Presley tribute group. As front man of folk rock pioneers Apaslar, Karaca released his first album in 1967 and cut his teeth touring in Germany, but despite becoming established as one of Turkey's great new generation of bands they split in 1970 over political arguments and strained egos. Karaca further cemented his reputation as a charismatic counterculture rebel with Turk-rock outfit Mogollar and scored the major hit 'Namus Belasi', becoming involved with progressive groups Kardaslar and Dervisan who melded traditional folk melodies with modern pop and heavy rock grooves.

He also became an outspoken, free-thinking political voice during a time of great change in the country with his 1977 solo album 'Yoksulluk Kader Ollamaz' and produced his most acclaimed work on 'Safinaz' in 1978. As civil war raged, his controversial left-wing stances and anti-establishment criticisms forced him into exile in Germany in the 1980s when he was stripped of citizenship and a warrant was issued for his arrest, but he was given amnesty after eight years and returned with landmark album 'Merhaba Gencler ve Her Zaman Genc Kalanlar' in 1987. He also featured on the album 'Tore' by Oguz Abadan Orchestra and became a much more conciliatory figure singing of patriotism, peace and religious spirituality. His iconic dark shades, bushy moustache and long hair remained as the years passed, but he recorded his final song 'Hayat Ne Garip' with singer-songwriter Mahsun Kirmizigul before his death aged 58 from a heart attack.

Cem Karaca

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