Ümit Besen

Ümit Besen — Biography

Ümit Besen (born 14 October 1956 in Osmaniye) is a Turkish musician, pianist and actor, best remembered for the slow romantic songs he performed during the 1980s. His first instrument was the melodica, but in his high school years he turned to keyboards and founded the Tayfunlar Orkestrası; finding he could not combine music with his studies, he dropped out of school. In 1976 he went to Kütahya for his compulsory military service, where a general who heard him perform had him transferred to the officers' club in Zonguldak. After completing his service he returned to Adana and worked in nightclubs, until the celebrated footballer Metin Oktay heard him there and recommended him to club owners in Istanbul, where his first venue was Köşem Bistro. In 1980 he recorded his first record with the songwriters Selami Şahin and Ahmet Selçuk İlkan, which proved a commercial success. In 2015 he re-recorded his signature hit Nikah Masası as a duet with Ajda Pekkan, accompanied by the Enbe Orchestra. His 2016 album Başka reinterpreted his classic songs in a rock style, featuring duets with artists such as Feridun Düzağaç, Pamela and Cem Adrian. Besen has also appeared in films, including Nikah Masası (1982), Seni Seviyorum (1986) and Olur Olur! (2014).