Uzay Heparı

Uzay Heparı — Biography

Born Rony Uzay Heparı in Istanbul on 24 July 1969, he trained in classical music as a child before joining the Istanbul Gelişim Orchestra under conductor Garo Mafyan during his high-school years, where he honed his skills on electric keyboard. An admiration for the band MFÖ pulled him toward pop music, and while studying at the Istanbul Technical University Turkish Music State Conservatory, he took his first professional step at just 19, playing piano on Zuhal Olcay's 1988 album Küçük Bir Öykü.

From the early 1990s Heparı became one of the era's most in-demand arrangers and joined Sezen Aksu's inner circle of collaborators. His arrangements shaped a string of bestselling records, including Aşkın Nur Yengi's Hesap Ver and Sıramı Bekliyorum, Sertab Erener's Sakin Ol! and Lâ'l, Sezen Aksu's Deli Kızın Türküsü, and Levent Yüksel's Med Cezir, and he appeared in several music videos as well. In 1993 he branched into acting, taking the lead role in Atıf Yılmaz's film Gece, Melek ve Bizim Çocuklar.

While working on Demet Sağıroğlu's debut album, Heparı was seriously injured on 20 May 1994 when his motorcycle collided with a stalled car near the Etiler Koç Bridge. After eleven days in critical condition, he died on 31 May 1994. Though his career was cut short, he is remembered as one of the most gifted arrangers in the history of Turkish pop music.