İbrahim Ferman Akgül (born 25 December 1979) is a Turkish singer, songwriter, TV host and actor. He is the lead singer of Turkish rock band ''

maNga Manga ( Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is use ...

.'' In 2015 he opened the independent record labe
06 Records
and released his first solo single " İstemem Söz Sevmeni" in early 2016.

Early years

Born on the 25 December 1979 in Ankara. Akgül's interest for making music started in high school. He quickly discovered he had a talent for composing. In 1998, he started studying architecture at

Gazi University Gazi University ( tr, Gazi Üniversitesi) is a public university primarily located in Ankara, Turkey. It was established in 1926 by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk as Gazi Teacher Training Institute. In 1982, it was reorganized by merging with the Bolu ...

. He was drawn towards the Ankara underground music scene and started connecting with different rock bands. He had a vision to create a new type of rock band and set out to find his band members. He was inspired by the 90's nu metal bands and wanted to play the turn table. However a twist of faith made him temporary fill the role as the lead singer and Akgül decided singing was the best way to express himself. In 2001, he ended his search for a band when he became a member of maNga. "I studied architecture, and the discipline of “looking for beauty” which my professors taught me, has inevitably affected my music." said Akgül. Upon graduation Ferman started working as an architect. He got an honorable mention award for a project he worked on together with the respected Turkish architect Yavuz Selim Sepin, while he was recording maNga's first album. In 2009 Akgül completed his master in cinematography from

Marmara University Marmara University (Turkish: ''Marmara Üniversitesi'') is a public university in Istanbul, Turkey. The university is named after the Sea of Marmara and was founded as a university in 1982. However, it was created in 1883 under the name of ''H ...

. He later used his skills to direct several of music videos for maNga and other bands.

Career

Inside Turkey

Prior to the release of their first album the band moved to Istanbul in a bid to start their professional music career. The first album, released as ''

'' in December 2004 is one of the most successful and most sold album in Turkish rock history. The band received a Golden Record and a host of other awards following the release. Between the years of 2005-2009 the band toured Turkey and Europe extensively. In 2006, their song "Bir Kadın Çizeceksin" was used as the FIFA06 soundtrack. The second album ''

Şehr-i Hüzün ''Şehr-i Hüzün'' ( English: ''City of Sorrows'') is the second album by Turkish rock band Manga Manga ( Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the l ...

'' followed in 2009 and became an even bigger success. In 2012 the '' E-akustik'' album was released to rave reviews. The eclectic acoustic project broadened maNga's fan base and established their name as a strong force in the European music community. Radio and television stations rallied to have the band perform live acoustic sets. In 2014 maNga released their fourth album ''

Işıkları Söndürseler Bile Işıkları Söndürseler Bile ( English: ''Even If They Turn Off the Lights'') is the fourth album by Turkish rock band maNga. It was released by Poll Production Poll, polled, or polling may refer to: Figurative head counts * Poll, a forma ...

'' and once again topped the charts. In 2015 maNga made the soundtrack for and appeared in the movie ''Hadi İnşallah''. The song became a major hit.

International experience

In 2009 Akgül and the other members of maNga had their sights set on international success. In 2009, they received the Best European Act award at the

MTV Europe Music Awards The MTV Europe Music Awards (originally named MTV European Music Awards, commonly abbreviated as MTV EMA) are awards presented by Paramount International Networks to honour artists and music in pop culture. It was originally conceived as an a ...

and the same year, they released the ''Şehr-i Hüzün'' album. Their big international break came in 2010, when they came second in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "

We Could Be the Same "We Could Be the Same" ( tr, Aynı Olabiliriz) is a song by Turkish band maNga that was performed as the Turkish entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2010, held in Oslo, Norway, and which came in second place. There are 3 versions available on ...

". The exposure made them known around Europe and in 2011, "Fly to Stay Alive" written and composed by Akgül, was released. The single topped the charts in several European countries including #1 on the MTV Adria Rock Chart. The single has since been used as commercial music for TV, featuring athletes from teams such as

LA Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

and

Manchester United Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...

. maNga has performed as opening act for

Korn Korn (stylized as KoЯn, or occasionally KoRn) is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The band is notable for pioneering the nu metal genre and bringing it into the mainstream. Originally formed in 1993 b ...

Linkin Park Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. The band's current lineup comprises vocalist/rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Mike Shinoda, lead guitarist Brad Delson, bassist Dave Farrell, DJ/turntablist Joe Hahn and dr ...

Nine Inch Nails Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN and stylized as NIИ, is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland in 1988. Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Trent Reznor was the only permanent member of the ban ...

The Cure The Cure are an English rock band formed in 1978 in Crawley, West Sussex. Throughout numerous lineup changes since the band's formation, guitarist, lead vocalist, and songwriter Robert Smith has remained the only constant member. The band's ...

The Offspring The Offspring is an American rock band from Garden Grove, California, formed in 1984. Originally formed under the name Manic Subsidal, the band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Bryan "Dexter" Holland, lead gui ...

Limp Bizkit Limp Bizkit is an American rap rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Its lineup consists of lead vocalist Fred Durst, drummer John Otto, guitarist Wes Borland, turntablist DJ Lethal and bassist Sam Rivers. The band's music is marked b ...

, and Skin. They have headlined countless festivals and shows (

Rock'n Coke Rock'n Coke was the biggest open Turkish rock festival sponsored by Coca-Cola. It was traditionally held at the Hezarfen Airfield in Istanbul, Turkey. Famous headliners like Limp Bizkit, Motörhead, Travis, Moby, Nine Inch Nails, Muse, Franz Fe ...

, Fanta, Vitebsk Slavianski Bazaar Belarus, Sziget Hungary, The Balkan Concerts Bosnia & Herzegovina, Balkan Music Awards Bulgaria, Belgrade Festival Serbia) and toured extensively through Europe. Across the pond they performed at

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

’s “Istanbul Live”

Central Park Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West Side, Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the List of New York City parks, fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban par ...

and London's

O2 Academy Islington The O2 Academy Islington, formerly known as the Carling Academy Islington, is an indoor music venue situated in the N1 Shopping Centre accessible via Upper Street and Liverpool Road, in the London Borough of Islington. It is run by the Academy ...

Solo projects

Akgül has engaged in several successful collaborations with other Turkish artists such as Göksel and

Ozan Çolakoğlu Ozan Çolakoğlu (, born 1 April 1972) is a Turkish composer, songwriter and music producer; famous for his work with various Turkish pop singers and his multiple film scores. He co-founded the production company ''Sarı Ev'' (Yellow House), but ...

. He has released two electronic music singles with Turkish DJ Birol "Beegee" Giray and subsequently toured Turkey's club scene. Akgül directed the music videos of noteworthy Turkish musicians such as

Sagopa Kajmer Yunus Özyavuz (born 17 August 1978), better known by his stage name Sagopa Kajmer (), is a Turkish rapper, songwriter, record producer, and DJ. He was born in 1978 in Samsun, and finished his primary and high school there. He then started wor ...

, and Cartel. maNga's music video of their song "Yalan", directed by Akgül in 2007 received the Best Music Video Award by Radio Boğaziçi. Akgül has directed and hosted three seasons of the music program ''Kulaktan Kulağa'' on Turkish state TV,

TRT Müzik TRT Müzik is a Turkish television channel owned and operated by TRT. It broadcasts 24 hours music TV programmes featuring music magazines and talkshows. TRT Müzik can also be watch A watch is a portable timepiece intended to be carrie ...

. The program is shot on location in different cities in Turkey and in the studio. The concept of the program is to explore the local music culture and pair local musicians with contemporary Turkish stars. A fourth season will be produced. In 2008, Akgül created a music column for ''

Billboard Türkiye ''Billboard Türkiye'' was a Turkish language publication in agreement with the American ''Billboard''. The magazine existed between 2006 and 2010. History and profile ''Billboard Türkiye'' magazine was launched in November 2006. It included ...

'' and continued to write for the magazine for 2 years. After the magazine stopped being published in Turkey, he continued as a columnist for '' 46 Magazine''. Akgül is a regular arts and music columnist for Turkish newspaper ''

Vatan ''Vatan'' ("Homeland" or "Motherland") is a Turkish daily newspaper founded in 2002 by the Doğan Media Group. The paper was purchased by DK ( Demirören & Karacan) Corporation in April 2011 and was totally acquired by Demirören Holding Demiö ...

''. Akgül is an eager short story writer and is working on publishing a collection of short stories. In the beginning of 2016 Akgül released his first solo single " İstemem Söz Sevmeni" under his own labe
06 Records
in cooperation wit
EMI - Universal Music Turkey
Akgül starred in the Turkish production of ''The Little Prince'' at the Zorlu Performance Centre. He played one of the lead roles, the Pilot.

Discography

Studio albums (with maNga)

* 2004: ''

'' * 2006: '' maNga+'' * 2009: ''

'' * 2010: ''We Could Be the Same'' ( EP) * 2012: '' e-akustik'' * 2014: ''

Studio albums (solo)

* 2017: '' Yürüyorum İçimde''

Singles

* 2016: ''İstemem Söz Sevmeni'' * 2016: ''Dırdır'' (feat.

Pascal Nouma Pascal Olivier Nouma (born 6 January 1972) is a French former professional footballer who played as a midfielder or striker. Career Nouma started his career in the Paris Saint-Germain youth team before moving around other teams in France. He pl ...

) * 2018: ''Efsaneyiz'' (feat. Fatma Turgut) * 2020: ''100 kere 23 Nisan'' (with İskender Paydaş and Nilüfer Children's Choir)

Awards

Akgül and maNga have won over 200 world recognized awards in over 25 countries. * 2002 - “Sing Your Song”: Runner-Up Prize (Kal Yanımda) * 2005 - Golden Butterfly Awards: The Best New Band (Bir Kadın Çizeceksin) * 2006 – “Bir Kadın Çizeceksin” was included in the soundtrack of FIFA * 2006 - MÜ-YAP Music Industry Awards: Golden Record Award * 2006 - Our Future Magazine: Best Band * 2006 - Jetix TV Awards: Best Band * 2006 - Beyaz Show Oscars: Best Performance * 2006 - Kemal Sunal Culture and Art Awards: Best New Band (Bir Kadın Çizeceksin) * 2006 - Popsay Awards: Best Rock and Alternative Band * 2006 - Popsay Awards: Best Music Video (Bir Kadın Çizeceksin) * 2007 - Radio Boğaziçi: Best Animation Music Video (Yalan) * 2007 - Kanaltürk Award Ceremony: Best Band * 2007 - Kanaltürk Award Ceremony: Best Music Video (Bir Kadın Çizeceksin) * 2007 - Yıldız Technical University: Best Band Award * 2009 - Yıldız Technical University: Best Band Award * 2009 – Best Band in Balkan Music Awards * 2009 - MTV Europe The Best Band of The Year * 2009 - 13. İstanbul FM Golden Awards: Best Band * 2009 - Pal FM Best Awards: Best live Performance * 2009 - Pal FM Best Awards: Best Song (Dünyanın Sonuna Doğmuşum) * 2009 - 17. İTÜ EMOS Success Awards: Most Successful Band of the Year * 2010 - 16. Kral Music Awards: Best Band * 2010 - 55. Eurovision Song Contest: Runner-up Prize (We Could Be The Same) * 2011 - Balkan Music Awards: Best Band of Balkans * 2012 - Balkan Music Awards: Best Band of Balkans * 2012 - Radio Klas Music Awards: Best Band * 2012 - Blue Jean Awards: Band of the Year * 2012 - Blue Jean Awards: Album of the Year (E-Akustik) * 2012 - Golden Spider Media Awards: Best Website (www.manga.web.tr) * 2015 – Turkey Youth Awards: Best Band * 2015 - Magazinci.com 15th Year Internet Media Bests of the Year: Best Band of the Year * 2015 - Radio Boğaziçi: Best Band * 2015 - Radio Ege: Best Band * 2015 - Gazi University: Best Band * 2015 - Istanbul Technical University: Best Band

Co-written songs

* Rezalet Çıkarasım Var ** ''Music'':

Yağmur Sarıgül Yağmur Sarıgül (; born 26 August 1979) is a Turkish songwriter and the electric guitarist of the rock band ''maNga''. He writes both lyrics and music. Yağmur "Yamyam" Sarıgül was born in Antalya, Turkey on 26 August 1979 but grew up a ...

** ''Lyrics'': with

* Hayat Bu İşte ** ''Music'': with

Haluk Kurosman Haluk Kurosman (born 1 March 1975, Istanbul) is a Turkish music producer and co-founder (together with Hadi Elazzi) of GRGDN, a music production – management company and record label; producing, mixing and mastering the albums of successfu ...

** ''Lyrics'':

* Hani Biz (Feat.

Yıldız Tilbe Yıldız Tilbe (born 16 July 1966) is a Turkish singer of Kurdish descent and one of the best-selling musical artists in Turkey, known especially for her eastern-infused ballads. Life and career Yıldız Tilbe was born in the Gültepe district ...

) ** ''Music'': with

* Beni Benimle Bırak ** ''Music'': with

** ''Lyrics'': with

, Cem Bahtiyar * We Could Be The Same ** ''Music'': with

** ''Lyrics'': with Evren Özdemir,

, Fiona Movery Akıncı * Bir Kadın Çizeceksin * Ben Bir Palyaçoyum ** ''Music'': with

** ''Lyrics'': with

* Bitti Rüya ** ''Music'': with

** ''Lyrics'': with

, Özgür Can Öney,

* Dursun Zaman ** ''Music'': with

** "Lyrics": with

* Fly To Stay Alive ** ''Music'': with

** ''Lyrics'': Rigael Damar Drake * İtildik ** ''Music'': with

** ''Lyrics'':

* Cevapsız Sorular ** ''Music'': with

** ''Lyrics'': with

* Kapkaç ** ''Lyrics'': with

* Sakın Bana Söyleme ** ''Lyrics'': with

References

External links

maNga official site
(TR-EN)
Ferman Akgül official site
(TR-EN)
06 Records official site
(TR-EN) {{DEFAULTSORT:Akgul, Ferman 21st-century Turkish singers 1979 births Living people Musicians from Ankara Turkish rock guitarists Turkish rock musicians Turkish songwriters Nu metal singers 21st-century guitarists Eurovision Song Contest entrants of 2010 Eurovision Song Contest entrants for Turkey