http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=126974Pinhani on its way to become a successful crossover rock act
I first saw Turkish rock band Pinhani this April at Antalya's Gizli Bahçe.
Members of Pinhani, (from right) vocalist and guitarist Sinan Kaynakçı, bass guitarist Zeynep Eylül Üçer and drummer Hami Ünlü with producer-guitarist Akın Eldes.
A small and welcoming venue, the audience of two hundred or so -- mainly university students and 20-30-year-olds -- were treated to an intimate performance of laid-back, powerfully melodic rock music. The playing was incredibly tight, every song strong. I was impressed -- this was clearly an extremely talented group.
It wasn't until the summer, though, that I got around to looking for their first album, "İnandığın Masallar" (Fairy Tales You Believe In). I drew a blank in the first store. The second said they'd have it in stock in a few days. The owner of the third said it was sold out -- come back Friday. "Are they that famous?" I asked incredulously, thinking back to April's small-scale gig. He shrugged and smiled, replying, "It's because of the TV show." I hadn't realized that some of the band's most recent songs were being used in the popular TV series "Kavak Yelleri" (Young and Carefree).
Pinhani has reached a new audience, and here I am on Sunday evening at Antalya's premier venue, the cavernous Cam Piramit (glass pyramid), surrounded by them. There are a few "oldies" in the crowd, and some in their 20s, but most of these new-found fans are in their teens. Artificial fog drifts lazily above our heads, luridly lit by green, purple, blue and red strobe lights. The thump of techno gradually fades and the audience hushes as the band hits the stage. Then the teenage girls around me scream as they recognize the opening bars of the ballad "Beni Al" (Take Me) and, arms aloft, sway from side to side as they sing along word for word.
"God willing, this will be a long concert," announces lead singer and band founder Sinan Kaynakçı, to yet more screams from a crowd at least quadruple that at Gizli Bahçe in April. Sinan, palely handsome in his trademark long-sleeved T-shirt, is an able front man (as well as a gifted songwriter), greatly complimented by the wonderful guitar-playing of Akın Eldes.
"Hele bi Gel" (Once You Come) has become the band's most popular song and when Pinhani launches into it toward the end of the first half of their set, the crowd sings along so loudly and enthusiastically it's hard to hear Sinan's voice. The only slight disappointment in the first set is that the Dire Straits-like guitar sound of the wonderfully melancholic "İstanbul'da" (In İstanbul) is lost in the mix somewhere.
You may well think you've never heard a Pinhani song. But if you've been exposed to any Turkish TV, the chances are you have. The melodic "Haftanın Sonu" (End of the Week) with its distinctive whistling, is now an advertising jingle for a Turkish bank. As far as tonight's audience is concerned, it's the highpoint of the second set.
The show's all over by 8 p.m. As the Cam Piramit empties, I head backstage to see if I can talk to the band. Fifty teenage girls are jostling and screaming at the door, desperate for a glimpse of their hero, Sinan. Security turns me away, saying, "They don't want press."
On my way back past the stage I notice guitarist Eldes leaning against the barrier, chatting to some roadies. I congratulate him on the band's performance and ask him when Pinhani will be in town next. "I guess around December," he replies, and answers my next question by telling me their second album is due out in the spring of 2008. I then start talking to a very pleasant lady without whom there would be no Pinhani -- Sinan's mom, Neslihan. She tells me that Sinan is from İstanbul's Bakırköy district, and formed the group in 2004. He has a degree in management information systems and speaks German and English. She said he couldn't talk to me now because of the crowds of girls, but gave me a number to call him later.
I get through to Sinan just after midnight (he's back in İstanbul having flown straight back after the gig). I want to know what his musical influences are. "Oh, all the British bands, you know, Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Coldplay, Radiohead." His Turkish heroes turn out to be Turkish rock veterans Bulutsuzluk Özlemi and singer-songwriter Bülent Ortaçgil. Perhaps more interestingly, he expresses a love of Turkish folk music, particularly the great Aşık Veysel. He is enthusiastic to be able to talk about his influences, telling me that "Hele Bi Gel" uses a 7/8 time signature. "This signature," he goes on to say, "is a common feature of Greek and the Greek-derived music of the Black Sea -- and I have played bouzouki music with many Greek musicians in İstanbul."
Sinan is clearly no average rock star, and I ask him how it feels to have rocketed to fame, at least in part, due to the use of his songs as jingles and in TV series. "After the TV show, we were forced to make the jump to bigger venues. But we make music that challenges people -- listen to my lyrics -- and the TV show means more people have a chance to listen to challenging music."
Rock music is still a minority interest in Turkey. Does it gall Sinan that he is unlikely to reach as big an audience as less talented artists from the UK and US just because he sings in Turkish? "We could sing in English, I used to sing [Red Hot] Chili Peppers' songs in English all the time. We'd like to share our music with the world, maybe like some Swedish bands do."
Rock music is a tricky business, but if Pinhani's second album is anywhere near as good as the first, they have the potential to become Turkey's first successful crossover rock act. They have the brains and the musical talent -- what's needed now is the determination and a slice or two of luck.
14.11.2007
TERRY RICHARDSON ANTALYA
Pinhani Forum
