PROFILE - Remembering Turkish music legend, TV host Baris Manco

By Faruk Zorlu

ANKARA (AA) - Baris Manco Turkey's legendary singer, composer, television host and actor is one of the most popular figures of all time, remembered as the cultural ambassador of Turkey on what would have been his 76th birthday.

With his long hair, silver jewellery and authentic stage costumes, he was best known as a great musician, but he was also a television programmer, a traveler, and the cultural ambassador of Turkey.

Beside his wonderful career, Manco was fond of Victorian furniture and an important collector of Japanese and Chinese porcelain, 19th-century Orientalist paintings and Art Deco and Art Nouveau glassware.

- Personal life

Baris Manco was born on Jan. 2, 1943 in Istanbul during the ongoing World War II. So his family named him Baris, meaning peace in Turkish, to celebrate the end of the war.

Manco received his early education in Galatasaray High School in Istanbul. He later graduated from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Belgium in 1969, where he studied graphic and textile design.

In 1978, he married Lale Caglar, who gave birth to two children -- Dogukan Hazar and Batikan Zorbey.

Suffering from a heart attack, Manco died on Jan. 31,1999, just before the release of his album Mancoloji, celebrating his 40th year in the music sector.

Millions of people gathered together in Istanbul for his funeral.

- Career

With his passionate voice and combination of ethnic folk-rock themes, Manco modernized folk poets (Asik) with diverse themes in his spiritual lyrics.

He began his career by forming his first band Kafadarlar (The Buddies) when he was in high school.

The father of Turkish rock recorded his first singles in the early 60s with his next band, Harmoniler (The Harmonies), which is one of the first examples of the Anatolian rock genre combining a Turkish folk song with rock instruments.

In 1970, he formed the band Baris Manco Ve ... (Baris Manco and ...) -- recording his first hit single, Daglar Daglar (Mountains, Mountains) which sold over 700,000 copies.

He later formed the legendary Kurtalan Ekspres in 1972, the band he would concentrate on until his death. His first and only live album was released after he toured with Kurtalan Ekspres in Japan in 1996.

Manco started his TV career in 1988, directing and presenting the show ''7'den 77'ye" (From 7 to 77). The program was a combination a talk show, music and documentary one which aired for 10 years.

He traveled to nearly 150 countries from the equator to the arctic, and he presented the culture of the countries on his TV show, which was broadcasted on Turkish national television TRT 1 from 1988 until his death.

In the 90s, he became more popular across the world, as 20,000 attended his live concert in Japan, where Turkish and Japanese flags were waved together in harmony.

Manco wrote and recorded more than 200 songs over his career, some of which were translated into many languages including English, Japanese, French, Italian, Greek, Persian, and Arabic.

His major albums are: Baris Mancho (1976), Nick the Chopper (1976), Sakla Samani Gelir Zamani (1977), Yeni Bir Gun (1979), 20. Sanat Yili Disco Manco (1980), Sozum Meclisten Disari with Kurtalan Ekspres (1981), Estagfurullah (1983), Ne Haddimize (1983), 24 Ayar Manco (1985), Degmesin Yagli Boya (1986), Sahibinden Ihtiyactan (1988), Darisi Basiniza(1989), Mega Manco (1992) and Musadenizle Cocuklar (1995).