Evolving sounds of Turkey: Murat Evgin finds his style and path in music

ISTANBUL — When Murat Evgin was 12 years old, he declared he would be a musician. He was told no. The son of Erol Evgin — Turkey’s biggest pop superstar from the 1980s — had to study something that would ensure his financial stability.

Just as his father went to school to study architecture before launching his music career, Evgin limited his musical passions to private lessons and got his degree in radio, TV and cinema from Marmara University.

However, his formal education didn’t stop him from releasing his first album at the age of 19. Over his 25-year music career, Evgin has released rock albums and pieces with more Middle Eastern sounds created by traditional instruments like the ney flute, the oud—a type of lute, and the darbuka drum, known for its goblet shape. Evgin specifically composes with different instruments because he said it used to be that pop music couldn’t consist of ethnic sounds.

“Learning a new instrument is like learning a new language,” Evgin said. “It opens up new doors in your imagination, in your vision.”

While he enjoyed collaborating with the elder Evgin for a father-son concert tour, Evgin said he’s not his dad. He has unique career goals and a different style. He even has his own signature sartorial style — his white fedora with a piano-key band around its base.

Evgin eventually worked his way into the film and TV industry as a composer. He creates melodies for some of Turkey’s most popular TV shows, including “Arka Sokaklar,” Turkey’s longest running detective series.

Aside from the financial stability he has achieved, Evgin said he likes composing music for TV because every project is different, yet the music has a way of reaching diverse audiences and tapping into their emotions.

The 46-year-old Turkish composer received an email from a Catholic Latino priest thanking him for writing a song for a Turkish TV show that resonates with his life.

“I think music really brings — it's a very cliche sentence — but it really brings people together,” Evgin said.

Although he chose to follow his passions after earning a practical degree, Evgin said if his child were to ever decide to pursue music as a career, he would encourage it wholeheartedly.

“You only live once, and you should do the job you want,” Evgin said. “You should choose the occupation that will make you happy.”