Mahmut Mazhar Alanson (born February 13, 1950) is a Turkish musician, guitarist, member of the popular

Turkish pop music The roots of traditional music in Turkey span across centuries to a time when the Seljuk Turks migrated to Anatolia and Persia in the 11th century and contains elements of both Turkic and pre-Turkic influences. Much of its modern popular music ...

band

MFÖ Mazhar Fuat Özkan (MFÖ) was a Turkish pop and rock band consisted of members Mazhar Alanson, Fuat Güner, and Özkan Uğur. While many of their songs poke fun at common Turkish types ("Ali Desidero", "Piskopatım") or satirise prejudice and ...

, and an actor.

Early life

He was born on February 13, 1950, to a family of musicians in

Ankara Ankara is the capital city of Turkey and List of national capitals by area, the largest capital by area in the world. Located in the Central Anatolia Region, central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5,290,822 in its urban center ( ...

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

, where his father was the head trumpeter in the State Philharmonic Orchestra. He attended

Kadıköy Anadolu Lisesi Kadıköy () is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district on the Asian side of Istanbul Province, Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 25 km2, and its population is 467,919 (2023). It is a large and populous area in the Asian si ...

, commonly known as Kadıköy Maarif College for his high school education in

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

following his father's death. After high school, he attended the State Conservatory in Ankara and graduated in

performing arts The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which involve the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. P ...

, in particular (theater).

Career

He started playing the guitar during his high school years. In 1966, Mazhar formed the band ''Kaygısızlar'' ("The Carefree") along with Fuat Güner and Sadik Kuyas. They played the music of

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

Crosby, Stills & Nash Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN) was a folk rock supergroup comprising the American singer-songwriters David Crosby and Stephen Stills and the English-American singer-songwriter Graham Nash. When joined by the Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Youn ...

and

the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...

and collaborated with the renowned Turkish pop singer

Barış Manço Mehmet Barış Manço (born Tosun Yusuf Mehmet Barış Manço; 2 January 1943 – 1 February 1999), better known by his stage name Barış Manço, was a Turkish people, Turkish rock music, rock musician, singer, composer, actor, television ...

. Later on, Özkan Uğur joined the band, and in 1972 the trio was renamed MFÖ, after the initials of the members. While Özkan was serving his military duty, Mazhar and Fuat released their first album ''Türküz Türkü Çığırırız'' ("We are Turkish, we will sing Türkü"). The album song ''Güllerin İçinden'' ("From in-between the roses") brought the group to a broader audience. In 1974, Galip Boransu and Ayhan Sicimoğlu joined the band, and the

quintet A quintet is a group containing five members. It is commonly associated with musical groups, such as a string quintet, or a group of five singers, but can be applied to any situation where five similar or related objects are considered a single ...

took the name İpucu Beşlisi ("Clue Quintet"). However, the band dissolved after a short time, and the group MFÖ continued to play as a trio again. Between 1972 and 1982, Mazhar Alanson performed as an actor at the Ankara State Theatre, performing a number of leading roles in major plays. MFÖ represented

Turkey in the Eurovision Song Contest Turkey has been represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 34 times since its debut in . The Turkish participating broadcaster in the contest is (TRT). Turkey won the contest once in , and hosted the contest in Istanbul. Since the introduction ...

twice, in

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a n ...

with ''Didai Didai Dai'' (placed 14) and in

1988 1988 was a crucial year in the early history of the Internet—it was the year of the first well-known computer virus, the Morris worm, 1988 Internet worm. The first permanent intercontinental Internet link was made between the United State ...

with ''Sufi'' (placed 15), both written and performed by themselves. Aside from the band, he released two solo albums: ''Herşey Çok Güzel Olacak'' (1999), and ''Türk Lokumuyla Tatlı Rüyalar'' (2002). The album "Türk Lokumuyla Tatlı Rüyalar'' (2002) was written in the U.S. when he was abroad and apart from his group members. He is a former jury member in most viewed TV Show of Turkey ''

O Ses Türkiye ''O Ses Türkiye'' is a Turkish reality singing competition and local version of '' The Voice''. It started on October 10, 2011. ''O Ses Türkiye'' is presented by Acun Ilıcalı (since 2011–2022). One of the important premises of the show is ...

'' (Turkish version of ''The Voice'').

Songwriting

Before MFÖ, he mostly composed folk rock. Mazhar Alanson wrote almost all of the MFÖ's songs, including "Bu Sabah Yağmur Var İstanbul'da", "Güllerin İçinden", "Bodrum", "Peki Peki Anladık", "Gözyaşlarımızı Bitti mi Sandın", "Sen ve Ben", and "Sarı Laleler".

Sufism Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...

items attract attention in his songs, such as "Buselik Makamına", "Uç Oldum", "Adımız Miskindir Bizim" and "Yandım".

Acting

He played in several

TV commercials A television advertisement (also called a commercial, spot, break, advert, or ad) is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization. It conveys a message promoting, and aiming to market, a product, service or idea. ...

and some films. In the film ''Arkadaşım Şeytan'' (''Demon, My Friend''), directed by

Atıf Yılmaz Atıf Yılmaz Batıbeki (9 December 1925 – 5 May 2006) was a renowned Turkish film director, screenwriter, and film producer. He was very much a legend in the film industry of Turkey with 119 movies directed. He also wrote screenplays for ...

, he played the role of

Mephistopheles Mephistopheles ( , ), also known as Mephostophilis or Mephisto, is a demon featured in German folklore, originating as the chief devil in the Faust legend. He has since become a stock character appearing in Mephistopheles in the arts and popular ...

. He wrote also the

film score A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to ...

. In his second film ''Her Şey Çok Güzel Olacak'' ("Everything's Gonna Be Alright") directed by

Ömer Vargı Ömer Vargı is a Turkish film director and producer. He has directed films like '' Everything's Gonna Be Great'' in 1998, ''For Love and Honor'' in 2007, ''Anadolu Kartalları ''Anadolu Kartalları'' (Anatolian Eagles) is a Turkish film direc ...

, Mazhar Alanson shared the leading roles with

Cem Yılmaz Cem Yılmaz (, born 23 April 1973) is a Turkish actor, stand-up comedian, musician, filmmaker, screenwriter, and cartoonist. He has four franchise film series '' G.O.R.A.'', '' Karakomik Fimler'', '' Organize İşler'', '' Vizontele''. Also, H ...

and Ceyda Düvenci. The film, which he also wrote the score for, became the highest-grossing movie in 1998. He shared in 2002 the leading role again with Cem Yılmaz in the film ''Yıldızlı Pekiyi'' ("A+" (letter grade in school)). The same year, he played in the TV series ''Çekirdek Aile'' ("

Nuclear family A nuclear family (also known as an elementary family, atomic family, or conjugal family) is a term for a family group consisting of parents and their children (one or more), typically living in one home residence. It is in contrast to a single ...

") produced for

Kanal D Kanal D (English: Channel D) is a nationwide television channel in Turkey that is part of Demirören Group. It was founded by Ayhan Şahenk and Aydın Doğan in 1993. The network has also run an international channel, Euro D, since 1996, whic ...

. In 2006, he appeared in the Cem Yılmaz movie '' Hokkabaz'' ("The Magician").

Personal life

He married Hale Alanson in 1972. The couple had two children and divorced in 2003. Mazhar got married for a second time to Biricik Suden, a fashion designer. He is a known member of the Istanbul-based

Sufi Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...

Islamic Jerrahi

tariqa A ''tariqa'' () is a religious order of Sufism, or specifically a concept for the mystical teaching and spiritual practices of such an order with the aim of seeking , which translates as "ultimate truth". A tariqa has a (guide) who plays the ...

Discography

Solo albums

* '' Türk Lokumuyla Tatlı Rüyalar ''(2002) * '' Yazan Aşık'' (2019) * '' Senfoni'' (2022)

Other albums

* '' Her Şey Çok Güzel Olacak'' (1997) - '' Her Şey Çok Güzel Olacak'' movie soundtrack * '' Söz Müzik Mazhar Alanson'' (2010) - published together with Mazhar Olmak's book

As guest artist

* '' Komser Şekspir Original Soundtrack'' (2001) - Ömer Özgür ("Bir Sonsuz Yağmur Yağsa") * '' Nil Kıyısında'' (2009) -

Nil Karaibrahimgil Ferhan Nil Karaibrahimgil (born 17 October 1976) is a Turkish singer and songwriter, mostly noted for her distinct lyrics. Biography Nil's passion and admiration for music stems from her father Suavi Karaibrahimgil, who is also a musician alth ...

("İlla") * '' Altüst'' (2014) -

Athena Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretism, syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarde ...

("Adımız Miskindir Bizim")

MFÖ

Filmography

Film

* '' Arkadaşım Şeytan'' (1988) * '' Her Şey Çok Güzel Olacak'' (1998) * '' Hokkabaz'' (2006) * '' Kirpi'' (2008) * '' Pek Yakında'' (2014, cameo)

Television series

* '' Çekirdek Aile'' (2002) * '' Ekmek Teknesi'' (2002) * '' İkinci Bahar'' * ''

Küçük Hesaplar Küçük means "small" in Turkish and may refer to: People Epithet * Küçük Ali (died 1804), also known as ''Ali Đevrlić'', Ottoman janissary and civil servant * Kuchuk Hanem (fl. 1850–1870), Ghawazi famed beauty and dancer * Küçük ...

'' (2012) * '' Osmanlı Tokadı'' (2013)

Theater

* '' Serjeant Musgrave's Dance'' :

John Arden John Arden (26 October 1930 – 28 March 2012) was an English playwright who at his death was lauded as "one of the most significant British playwrights of the late 1950s and early 60s". Career Born in Barnsley, son of the manager of a glass ...

- Ankara State Theater - 1979 * '' Children of the Sun'' :

Maxim Gorky Alexei Maximovich Peshkov (; – 18 June 1936), popularly known as Maxim Gorky (; ), was a Russian and Soviet writer and proponent of socialism. He was nominated five times for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Before his success as an aut ...

- Ankara State Theater - 1978 * '' Erkek Satı'' : Fazıl Hayati Çorbacıoğlu - Ankara State Theater - 1976 * '' Düşüş'' : Nahit Sırrı Örik - Ankara State Theater - 1975 * '' Suçsuzlar Çağı Suçlular Çağı'' :

Siegfried Lenz Siegfried Lenz (; 17 March 19267 October 2014) was a German writer of novels, short stories and essays, as well as dramas for radio and the theatre. In 2000 he received the Goethe Prize on the 250th Anniversary of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's b ...

- Ankara State Theater - 1974 * ''

The Government Inspector ''The Government Inspector'', also known as ''The Inspector General'' (, literally: "Inspector"), is a satirical play by Russian dramatist and novelist Nikolai Gogol. Originally published in 1836, the play was revised for an 1842 edition. Base ...

'' :

Nikolai Gogol Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol; ; (; () was a Russian novelist, short story writer, and playwright of Ukrainian origin. Gogol used the Grotesque#In literature, grotesque in his writings, for example, in his works "The Nose (Gogol short story), ...

- Ankara State Theater - 1973 * '' Karaların Memetleri'' : Cahit Atay - Ankara State Theater - 1973 * '' Ögretmen'' : Tuncer Cücenoğlu - Ankara State Theater - 1972 * '' Evhami'' : Feraizcizade Mehmet Şakir - Ankara State Theater - 1972 * '' Bir Tafsiye Mektubu'' :

Ephraim Kishon Ephraim Kishon (; August 23, 1924 – January 29, 2005) was a Hungarian-born Israeli author, dramatist, screenwriter, and Academy Award, Oscar-nominated film director. He was one of the most widely read contemporary satire, satirists in Israel a ...

- Ankara State Theater - 1972 * '' Alaatinin Sihirli Lambası'' : Ferdi Merter - Ankara State Theater - 1972 * '' Ne Güzel Şey'' : İsmet Kür - Ankara State Theater - 1971

References

* Anatolianrock.com �
''Biography of Mazhar Alanson''
* Anadolupop �

* Biyografi.info �
''Mazhar Alanson''

External links

*
Official website of MFÖ
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alanson, Mazhar 1950 births Living people Musicians from Ankara Turkish male film actors Turkish pop singers Turkish male singer-songwriters Turkish film score composers Turkish-language singers Kadıköy Anadolu Lisesi alumni Male film score composers