------Turkish Progressive Music presents : -------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------MOGOLLAR-------------------------------------------------- This is since : 1968 : Cahit Berkay, Taner Öngür, Engin Yörükoglu, Murat Ses 1975 : Cahit Berkay, Engin Yörükoglu, Michel Solobir, Romen Didier 1994 : Cahit Berkay , Taner Öngür , Engin Yörükoglu , Serhat Ersöz ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DISCOGRAPHY : --------------------- Singles : (all in my possession) (thanks, Ender Ayanoglu for the missing pieces) ° played in my Radio Program 1968 Eastern Love (Kara Dut Parmak Gibi)°/ Artik Çok Geç Mektup / Lazy John ° Ilgaz / Kaleden Kaleye Sahin Uçurdum Everlasting Love / Hard work (Darildin Mi Gülüm Bana) 1969 Sessiz Gemi / Indim Havuz Basina 1970 Dag ve Çocuk / Imece Aglama / Yalnizligin Acikli Güldürüsü Garip Çoban / Berkay Oyun Havasi Ternek / Haliç'te Günesin Batisi 1971 Behind the Dark °/ Madimak / Lorke Hitchin / Hamsi Iste Hendek Iste Deve / Katip Arzuhalim Yaz Yare Böyle (: with Baris Manço) Karsiki Yayla *° /Mogol Halayi *°(: version on TV program by Selda & Mogollar) Binboganin Kizi (:with Baris Manço) 1972 Alageyik Destani / Mogol Halayi Çigrik °/ Sila Yalan Dünya / Kalenin Dibinde ( : Selda bagcan) 1973 Anayasso (with Selda Bagçan) Obur Dünya / El Çek Tabib ( : Cem Karaca) Gel Gel/Üzüm Kaldi (: Cem Karaca) 1974 Tanrilarin Arabalari / Bu Nasil Dünya? (Baris Manço Mogollar ?) Namus Belasi / Gurbet (Cem Karaca) Ihtyar Oldum / Edali Gelin / Deniz üstü Köpürür (Cem Karaca Mogollar) (These songs released on LP by Cem Karaca thanks to Apaslar, Kardaslar, Mogollar and Ferdy Klein Orchestra, but Namus Belasi & Asri Gurbet released it as 7" also) Çökertme (released in Germany ; this is the same as "Deniz Ustu Kopurur") 1976 Ihtarname (Ihtarname was recorded by CEM KARACA and Mogollar but it was being played live with Kardaslar ). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LP's 1971 Danses et Rythmes de la Turquie.D'hier à Aujourd'hui (Guilde Internationale du disque (France) Yavuz plak (Turkey) Did receive the price (Grand Prix) of the Academie Charles Cross. * 1- Toroslar * * 2- Lorke * * 3- Ilgaz * * 4- Madimak *° * 5- Iklig *° * 6- Peri Bacalari (Chinney Of Fairies) * * 7- Haliç'te Gün Batisi (Sunset In Golden Horn) *° * 8- Agri Dagi Efsanesi (Legend Of Mount Ararat) *° * 9- Hamsi * * 10- Vahsi Çiçek (Wild Flower) *° * 11- Ziganalar'dan Geçis (Cahit's Tune) *° * 12- Elazig'a Varis (To A Clear Mind) *° * 13- Müzik Mogollar (Kaleidoskopic Dream) *° 1975 Hittit Sun (RCA (France) Coskun Plak (Turkey)) (also called Turkish Modern Folk Music "Düm Tek" ?)* * 1- Düm Tek * * 2- 7\8-9\8 * * 3- Rue De L'oriant E.5. (Sark Yolu)* * 4- Kapali Çarsi *° * 5- Sun Flower (Güne Bakan) * * 6- Magic Moon (Sihirli Ay) *° * 7- Blue Mood (Gam Yükü) *° * 8- Water Lily (Nilüfer) * * 9- Elif *° * 10- White Dear (Alageyik)* * 11- Fairy Tales (Peri Bacalari)*° * 12- Sparrow (Serçe)* ? Mogollar (Diskotür) * 1-Katip Arzulahim Yaz Yare Boyle * 2-Bahçelere Geldi Bahar * 3-Hicaz Mandira * 4-Uskudara Giderken * 5-Karsiki Yayla * 6-Yine Bir Gulnihal * 7-Sehnaz Longa * 8-Drama Koprüsü-Bolu Beyi * 9-Canakkale Içinde Aynali Carsi *10-Misket *11-Özum Kaldi The remarks of the following tracks that should be on "Düm Tek" seems to be actually on this LP 1993 MOGOLLAR ANADOLU POP 70'li YILLAR * (1993 : Diskotür, Distribution : Ada Müzik) Collection with earlier recorded material from 1970-1974 Not published before are : * 1- Cannakale Içinde (1974, from "Düm Tek" ?)* * 2- Karsiki Yayla (1974, from "Düm Tek"?)*° * 3- Katip Arzuhalim Yaz Yare Böyle (1974, from "Düm Tek" ?)*° * 4- Haliç'te Günesin Balisi (1971) *° * 9- Ternek *° * 11- Dag ve Cocuk *° * 13- Garip Coban *° 1994 (Berkay Müzik Distribution : Ada Müzik) Mogollar' 94 *( -I only possess a bad condition tape) * 1- Dinleyiverin Gayri * * 2- Issizligin Ortasinda * * 3- Alageyik * * 4- Dörde Özlem * * 5- Bu Dünya Bizim * * 6- Kesisleme * * 7- Sen Varsin Orada * * 8- Beni Hor Görme Kardasim *° 1996 4 Renk (or "Dört Renk")* * 1- Bisey Yapmali * * 2- Ben Anlamaz * * 3- Keyfim Yerinde *° * 4- Ekimin Günahi Yok * * 5- Ipler Kimin Elinde * * 6- Buzlar Çözülmeden * * 7- Çok Geç Olur * * 8- Gümgüm *° * 9- Ters Pabuç * * 10- Alageyik 2000 *° * 11- Hep Ayni *° * 12- Bebek * 1998 30. Yil (30 years of) ( Emre Plak ) * 1- Hudey Hudey * 2- Kanitlar Kanatli * 3- Ölüler Altin Takar mi? * 4- Bir Ileri Bir Geri * 5- Mogol Mektubu * 6- Toprak Ana * 7- Göz Yaslari * 8- Yollarda * 9- Izlerin Ötesinde 2000 1968-2000 ( Emre plak ) * 1- Agri dagi efsanesi * 2- Düm-tek * 3- Çigrik * 4- Dag ve çocuk * 5- Kesisleme * 6- Bisey yapmali * 7- Dinleyiverin gari * 8- Kapaliçarsi * 9- Gam yükü * 10- Ternek * 11- Madimak * 12- Agri dagi efsanesi (remix) * 13- Issizligin ortasinda * * 14- Alarm * 15- Sihirli ay * 16- Haliçte gün batimi * 17- Ilgaz * 18- Alageyik destani * 19- 7/8-9/8 * 20- Nilüfer * 21- Günebakan * 22- Dört'e özlem * 23- Peri bacalari * 24- Berkay oyun havasi ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BIOGRAPHY OF THE GROUP : ----------------------------------------- Mogollar (The Mongols) was established in December 1967 when Aziz Azmet (vocal, guitar), Murat Ses (hammond organ), Cahit Berkay (guitar, saz, tambur), Hasan Sel (bass) and Engin Yörükoglu (drums) joined forces to rock the Turkish music scene. Less than a year later, Hasan quit and Taner Öngür took his place. In February 1968 they released their first single; ".." They spent the entire year of 1969 travelling all over Anatolia making themselves known and became very popular. At the same time they set the stage for a new kind music that was to be called "Anatolian Rock." With this music evolving as an alternative to then prevailing music style which merely imitated the west's, they decided to create a unique form of rock music by taking advantage of the already rich musical heritage in Anatolia. Mogollar defined Anatolian Rock as a mutual adaptation of rich colours (rhythm, melodies) in Anatolian folk music and modern popular music. In an interview published in a popular music magazine in 1970, they explained their style and objectives as follows: "What we want to prove is that our folk music has a spirit of orchestration. Also, the proximity of our folklore to our kind of rock music... Our under-developed pop music would gain some strength of character by uniting with advanced technology and our rich folklore. Our aim with Anatolian rock is to blend advanced technology with unique folklore elements..." For a while they only produced rock music. Mogollar style. In September 1970 Mogollar went to Paris to produce an LP for the Guilde Internationale du Disque and a single for CBS ("Behind the Dark-Hitchin'") Mogollar became what seemed to be a reaction to stagnation by musicians who had decided that it was time to stop imitating the music of the western world. Mogollar incorporated Anatolian rhythms, harmonies, and instruments into their music. In 1971 they won the French Academie Charles Cros Grand Prix Du Disque (previously bestowed upon Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd) for their album Danses et Rhythmes de la Turquie D'hier A'Aujourd' hui. In January 1971 they returned to Turkey and performed concerts for the first four months and then they proceeded to work together with singers such as Cem Karaca and Baris Manco. They produced a few singles, performed live concerts and appeared on several TV shows. Mogollar continued their work for five more years, going abroad from time to time and working with many different groups. They disbanded in 1976, and the ensuing years of political turmoil and military coups in this Middle-Eastern country appeared to all but thwart what had been a thriving Anatolian rock scene. In January 1993 Cahit Berkay, Taner Öngür and Engin Yörükoglu put the band together again. A series of newspaper articles in a leading Turkish newspaper requesting the band to reform, and the idea of inspiring a new generation of Turkish musicians, prompted Mogollar to get their act back together again. They performed their legendary comeback concert in Istanbul on the 30th of May 1993. Their subsequent CD, Mogollar '94 proved the group hadn't lost any of its fury or fire. When they performed atop a 35-foot-high concrete stage in front of a crowd of about 1,000 at an amusement park surrounded by rollercoasters, cotton candy vendors and fireworks-the scene was suitably dramatic. Mogollar did not disappoint their loyal fans; they rocked out on tunes written by Asik Veysel, traditional folk songs and their own material, particularly "Kesisleme," a corching instrumental featuring Cahit Berkay on saz. Berkay also playing bowed tambour and guitar (an instrument that he picked up in the early 1960s after hearing Hank Marvin of the Shadows). Bandmate Engin Yörükoglu is a master of the drums and darbuka, (it's said he's the best drummer in Turkey) while Taner Öngür plays bass. The original members of Mogollar have been joined by 24-year-old keyboardist Serhat Ersöz and today they continue to regularly please their audience in Jazz Stop, which is owned by Engin Yörükoglu, and still appear live in concert all over Turkey and Europe. With their second wind, they've begun writing songs about the social, ecological and human rights problems of Turkey. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BAND MEMBERS : Who is Mogollar now ? * Cahit Berkay was born in Isparta in 1946. He began with Black Pearls in 1962 and moved on to play with Selçuk Alagöz. There he met Engin Yörükoglu and they formed Mogollar together. He plays guitar, bowed tanbur, iklig, saz, and many more. He has also made a lot of film music since Mogollar disbanded in 1976. He was awarded the Golden Orange in 1978 with Firat'in Cinleri (The Evil's of Firat), Kirik Bir Ask Hikayesi (A Broken Love Story) in 1982, and Gizli Yüz (Hidden Face) in 1991. Cem Karaca, Cahit Berkay and Ugur Dikmen performed together for "Nerde Kalmistik?" in 1992 then Cem Karaca, Cahit Berkay, Engin Yorukoglu and Ahmet Guvenc performed together for another project "Bindik Bir Alamete" released in 1999.He made three albums "Cahit Berkay Film Musics Volume I-II-III" within past 5 years in the first two albums Serhat Ersoz helped him to cover some songs, in the third album Cahit renamed the stuff as "Cahit Berkay Film Musics Band" where Cahit Berkay, Mert Onal, Serhat Ersoz, Yahya Dai,Alp Ersonmez performed together. * Taner Öngür was born in Istanbul in 1949 .He started his music life with Volkanlar when he was 16, playing contrabass. Then he worked with Meteorlar, Okan Dinçer Kontrastlar, and Erkin Koray. He joined Mogollar in 1969, and played bass guitar. When Mogollar disbanded he worked with Cem Karaca Dervishan. He set up another rock band in Frankfurt, Germany and continued his musical activities dedicated to psychedelic-rock, made a project called "TANK" with Figo. He released an album himself in 1991 "ALARM", He's known as bassist in most bands such as now with Mogollar and before Erkin Koray, he played electro-guitar too in his experimental album "ALARM" He rejoined Mogollar in 1993. * Engin Yörükoglu was born in Istanbul in 1945. His musical life started in Golcuk in 1963 and he was in a band with Selcuk Alagoz. He and Cahit Berkay worked together until they brainstormed Mogollar into reality. He lived in Paris between 1971-91. And put together some jazz trios and quartets. He returned home to Turkey in 1991 and now owns a bar in Beyoglu called Jazz Stop also Farm-Stop Restaurant at Bodrum. He performed in Cem Karaca's last albumme "Bindik Bir Alamete" with Cahit Berkay and Ahmet Guvenc. * Serhat Ersöz was born in Eskisehir in 1972.He's been a professional musician for 10 years, joining the group in 1993, he's the youngest member of the band. Since 1993 he's brought a variety of musical flavours to the band and on the last two albums he has some instrumental compositions. He's also performing with "Cahit Berkay Film Musics Band" Written by Roni Askey-Doran -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Live interview "Psyche van het Folk", Radio Centraal, Antwerpen with Mogollar. According to me Taner Öngür from Mogollar is a very important figure for Turkish music (history). His very beautiful bass playing affected me very much and that was one of the main reasons how I became so much interested in Turkish music. It's a honour to have had an interview with him on the phone : G : "You experienced a long musical history with and without Mogollar. How was your period before Mogollar ?" T : "I began in 1962 to play music, with a kind of amateur feeling and instruments with a band called Volcanar. I started with contrabass. There was no electric bass because that was a new futuristic instrument for us in that time. We played contrabass, drums, acoustic piano and guitar. Sombody told me about a new electric bass guitar in a shop. I went and bought it. Everyday we played before the movies started as a cinemashow band or something. We played between 1962-'64 all the Animals, Rolling Stones and Beatles songs, five time a day. But then another band came to that cinema from another part of Istanbul. In that time had met a lot of people. I was between 16 and 18 and that's how it goes between youngsters. I met also Murat Ses and Azmet who came with the band Meteorlar. I liked them very much. Up to the years we brought a band together, although I also played with other bands, dance music bands like Ocarniçar and Kontrastlar and some others. Then in 1968 I went to London. London was a kind of Mekka for young musicians, because Beatles, Rolling Stones and so on came all from this city. I went there three or for months to live there. But some old friends wanted to form this group Mogollar so I quickly returned and formed that band with them." G : "Why this name : "Mogollar " ?" T. : "When we decided to form this band they were in Izmir (Aziz, Murat, Engin, Jaid). They met this music magazine writer from Holland. We talked about the new group and the ideas around that. This music writer (I believe his name was Anton) suggested the name Mogollar, because in Europe most pop groups had wild names, like Animals or Rolling Stones, and to dress with sheepskins and playing old instruments, because that would seize better. So since that day we still have the name 'Mogollar'. G. : "Where you thinking internationally, because your first record was recorded in France and some of your own songs were in English as well ?" T. : "In 1970 we went to Paris, very unplanned to meat some record companies. With CBS we made a three year contract. With 'Guilde Internationale du Disque' in Paris we made an LP, not in pop, beat or rock format but with ethnic instruments. That turned out to be very good for us because in 1971 we received the 'Grand Prix' of the 'Academie Charles Cross' for it. In Paris we meat also Baris Manço and we decided to work together. Back in Turkey we made a big tour with him. We were very sensational in Turkey at that time because Baris Manço just had its big hit "Daglar Daglar" which had made nr°1 in the charts. And also we were very actual in Turkish media. We went to Turkey as Manço Mogols or Baris Manço Mogollar. It was a very good tour, but after the first army happening in Turkey in 1971there was no possibility for us any more for making concerts, recordings. Also Baris was very sick at that time and we both didn't want to play together any more. So at the end of '71 we went back to Paris. May be it's better to speak with Engin about that period after that because he know more about that period then me." G." mmm.." (wanting to continue with a few more questions towards Taner first) "..So.. you disbanded Mogollar at that time for a while ?" T.: "Euh..Yes..." G. " How did all these changes came, like Murat who left the group. Was it because now you all had to find your own way first ?" T. : "In some way it was not really a disbanding, but more a melting. Engin stayed in Paris. Me and Jaid, Murat went back to Turkey to find a new drummer (: Isar Tanger). We played one and a half year under this format in Turkey as Mogollar. Then the left overs worked with Cem Karaca as Cem Karaca Mogollar. Then me and Isar left, Jaid stayed with Cem to find a few other musicians to work further under this Cem Mogollar name for one year longer until he left to go to Paris with me and Engin once more. They made two LP's under the Mogollar name while I was not there. At that time I continued working with Cem Karaca, Edip Akbayram, my first hard rock band Tank etc. but that's another story. Engin knows the Mogollar story now much better than me." -(trying to refer to Engin who is waiting on the phone to continue the interview, but I wanted to ask a few more questions to Tanger first).- G. " I have another question about the period after the disbanding in 1976. How did you survive the period of (political) changes, and also after 1981 ? " T. "In '78-'79" I had to go to the army with 8 years lating. There was no possibility at the end of the seventies ('78-'79) to make music. There was a kind of war going on inside with very much politisation. For musicians it was impossible to have concerts or making albums. So it was better that I went to the army then : 18 months. There, in Izmir I met some musicians. After the army we formed together another band with which we went to Germany in 1980. We worked with this group for ten years in Frankfurt. But most of the time with Figo we made home recordings, experimental things like psychedelic music or punkjazz. In 1991 I went back to Turkey. In Istanbul I merely worked as a sound engeneer in Istanbul. Engin also came back from Paris in that time. When we met we were talking about what we should do about reforming the band because may be nobody remembered this name. But then we saw a campaign of a caricature magazine Zeman. Something like : Mogollar must form back, they must give a concerts for youngsters, we want to see them, etc.." They collected 6000 signatures. They gave us all the letters. So we were going to try to find out and were playing once more together how it went after 16 years of pause. After some examination it seemed that it was still all right because we all had continued in making music. Then we talked with Murat Ses, at that time, and now still living in Austria. But he had trouble in coming over all the time so he didn't came. We found Serhat Ersöz, at that time our new keyboard player (now playing with us for another 8 years). Then we did that concert. At that time the second life of Mogollar had started. And from 1993 until now it's going very well. This time we have more social and politic critics in our music. Half of our work is instrumental, the rest is critic on what's happening in Turkey the last years." Some questions to Engin : G. : "Drums are not usual instruments in Turkey. Where did you find your education ?" E. : "At that time there were only two musical schools, both only teaching classical. But I did not want to learn classical, so I had to find out myself." G. "Now, how did that go : you just bought a drum and started ?" E. "No, My father was a military soldier. We always had musicians in officer clubs. I always was involved in the music, also in the family. Then I started with Selçuk Alagöz. We started professionally in 1965. We learned by books, listening, trying things, thinking of how we could put Turkish rhythms into drums. We do have folk like drumming in Turkey. I tried to find a synthesis between this Turkish drumming and the Western drumming." G. "What was your nicest period with Mogollar ?" E. "Mogollar is like life. It's been 33 years now, if you don't count 16 years of emptiness. For me being with Mogollar is the same as Pink Floyd, Deep Purple were doing the same thing in their way. That's the same feeling for me. Living in a rock band or living in music is like living together for music." (Then the tape recording of the interviews ended here, almost at the end of it ; but I hope you enjoyed this). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Go back to the page of Mogollar by using your return button or by pasting http://progressive.homestead.com/Mogollar.html