Edip Akbayram
Ahmet Edip Akbayram was a Turkish rock music artist, composer and socialist. He was the lead singer of Dostlar, one of the first rock bands in Turkey. He was excluded throughout his childhood due to polio. During his artistic career, he was censored and oppressed because of his socialist stance. As a result of a disability in his right leg, he was rejected by some groups and organizers due to limited mobility. He reacted to this by saying: "I sing with my voice, I don't sing with my foot. Why are you looking at my feet, brother!"
He was diagnosed with polio when he was nine months old. In the Siyah Örümcekler group they founded in high school, they played and sang psychedelic rock style compositions they made on the folk songs of Pir Sultan and Karacaoğlan. They made their first record Kendim Ettim Kendim Buldum during their high school years. The record was released in two different editions under the titles Siyah Örümcekler – Gaziantep Orkestrası and Edip Albayrak – Siyah Örümcekler. After Gaziantep, Adana became their second address where he first took the stage with the orchestra he founded. Later, he started working in a nightclub called Beyaz Saray there.
After graduating from high school in 1968, he went to Istanbul to take the university entrance exam but failed. He passed the university entrance exam in 1971 and was admitted to faculty of dentistry in Istanbul University, which he had always dreamed of. However, his passion for music took over and he gave up this profession and devoted himself to music. After coming to Istanbul, he participated in the Golden Microphone in 1971. He won the first place with his first composition, Kükredi Çimenler, inspired by a poem by Aşık Veysel in 1972. He founded the Dostlar in 1973 with Vecdi Ören. Later, he received awards with his singles Deniz Üstü Köpürür and Garip, and became an artist whose fame was heard throughout the country. He broke sales records and won the Golden Record with his songs Aldırma Gönül Aldırma and Gidenlerin Türküsü, and has around 250 awards given by various organizations.
The 80s were difficult years for him and other socialist musicians. Between 1981 and 1988, their compositions were banned from being played on the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation, the only broadcaster of the period. But from the mid–90s onwards, he made a new breakthrough, especially with the album Türküler Yanmaz, and showed that he continued to walk on his own path without deviating. This album was dedicated to those who lost their lives in the Sivas Massacre. He died on March 2, 2025, due to multiple organ failure.
Early life
Edip Akbayram was born on December 29, 1950, in the Akyol neighborhood of the Şahinbey district of Gaziantep, as the son of a car mechanic. Growing up in a poor family, Akbayram experienced various hardships at a young age. According to his own account, due to poverty, he could only afford new shoes once every three holidays. When he was just nine months old, he contracted polio, which caused permanent paralysis in his right leg. That leg was shorter and weaker than the other, so he had to walk with a limp. Despite this, he started attending Akyol Primary School in Gaziantep. Since he had difficulty walking to school, his aunt carried him in her arms to and from school. As there was no treatment available, his illness gradually worsened and became permanent. Akbayram, whose childhood was marked by health problems and exclusion, described those days as follows:Due to his physical disability, he was unable to play games like his peers. He tried to overcome the sense of pessimism brought on by his disability by attending theater plays and concerts. Hoping to cure his leg, Akbayram initially wanted to become a doctor, but during these years, he also began to develop an interest in music. He was inspired by the singers he saw at the concerts he attended and wanted to be like them. In 1968, while attending a concert held as part of the Golden Microphone music contest, he raised his bağlama into the air during the performance of the TPAO Batman and shouted, "I want to be able to play like that, too!" Because of the traumas he had experienced in childhood, he saw music as a form of escape. At home, he would stand in front of a mirror and imitate the singers he had seen at the rock and pop concerts he attended.
After graduating from Gaziantep Atatürk Middle School, he was accepted into Şahinbey Atatürk High School. While attending high school, his music teacher, Mr. Ferit, discovered his vocal talent and gave him significant support on his path to becoming a singer. He included him in the school's marching band and assigned him to conduct the İstiklal Marşı during Monday morning ceremonies. This support played an important role in guiding him toward a musical career. As his passion for music deepened, and with Mr. Ferit's encouragement, he and his friends decided to form a music band. They went to a mechanic's shop, had some welding done, added foot pedals, and built their own drum set. By collecting a broken accordion, a bass guitar, an acoustic guitar, and a snare drum, they officially formed their band in 1966. To attract attention, they named the group Siyah Örümcekler.
Career
Early years (1966–1973)
Siyah Örümcekler
During his first performance with the band Siyah Örümcekler at a school event, Edip Akbayram played the drums while also serving as the lead vocalist. At the time when Berkant's Samanyolu had become a national hit, they performed the same song seven times in a single night due to popular demand. They saved the money they earned and used it to have blue jackets and black trousers made, inspired by The Beatles. Their performances were well received, and they began receiving offers to perform at weddings and local events. As demand from nearby cities increased, they eventually performed at Beyaz Saray, a popular nightclub in Adana. Their repertoire included a wide range of artists, from Aşık Veysel to Cem Karaca, Barış Manço to Tom Jones. During rehearsals, they also began composing songs using poems by Pir Sultan Abdal and Karacaoğlan. Akbayram later recalled a memory with his friends Mesut Mertcan and Hasan Bora:After graduating from high school, Siyah Örümcekler did not continue and disbanded. Akbayram took the university entrance exam for the first time and went to Istanbul for the exam, but he did not succeed. As he continued with music, he started working with the Gaziantep Orchestra, which was founded by Mehmet Zeki Dinçer and was the first music ensemble in Gaziantep. As he kept singing at weddings and ceremonies, they began receiving performance offers from nearby provinces, especially from Adıyaman and Diyarbakır. The group, which made a name for itself in Southeastern Anatolia, came to an agreement with Aziz Plak, a wholesale record distributor in Gaziantep. Since they did not have enough money, they recorded the single Kendim Ettim Kendim Buldum on the condition that the revenue from the record would be used to cover studio expenses. The record was released under two different titles: "Siyah Örümcekler Edip Albayrak" and "Siyah Örümcekler Gaziantep Orchestra". It attracted more attention than expected in the Southeast and achieved high sales.
Nejat Taylan Orchestra
In 1970, he took the university entrance exam for the second time, and when he did not succeed again, he found himself in Adana. There, he began working with the Nejat Taylan Orchestra. With the support of the city's local record dealer, Seç Plak, Akbayram entered the studio again with the orchestra and recorded the single İşte Hendek İşte Deve in 1971. However, due to the studio's lack of technical infrastructure, there was an acoustic distortion in the sound recording. The record was released under the name of the orchestra. Afterward, he began to focus on the exams again and came to Istanbul to take the university entrance exam for the third time. There, he was living under very difficult conditions in the basement floor of a cheap hotel with his friends. As the allowance sent by his father was not enough, he began looking for work as a musician. Although he stated that he could play drums and sing, he could not find a job. Unwillingly, he continued to live in hardship in the basement with his friends.His participation in the Golden Microphone
Despite not abandoning his dream of becoming a doctor, Akbayram entered the university entrance exam for the third time, under family pressure, and was accepted into the Dentistry Faculty at Istanbul University. He traveled back to Istanbul in 1971 to see the school campus and came across a billboard announcing the revival of the Golden Microphone competition by Günaydın newspaper. This contest had previously launched numerous talents. Inspired, he chose Aşık Veysel's poem Kükredi Çimenler, composed music for it, recorded it at home playing bağlama, and sent it for submission. During this period, his former Siyah Örümcekler bandmates Zeki Dinçer, drummer Cumhur Teker, and guitarist Zafer Doğulu also assisted him.He felt intimidated by the presence of established names like Salim Dündar, Ömer Aysan, İskender Doğan, Nur Yoldaş, and Kartal Kaan among the contestants, believing that coming from Anatolia was a disadvantage. At that time, he abstained from alcohol and cigarettes, and prepared with milk and honey. He passed the eliminations, performed his song on stage, and then sat aside to listen to other contestants, even quietly evaluating their performances. Suddenly, someone approached and asked, "Son, where are you from?" When he replied Gaziantep, the person asked if he recognized him. Akbayram replied, "I'm new, amateur–I didn't recognize, sir." The man introduced himself as Selmi Andak from Cumhuriyet newspaper, saying: "Let me tell you something: I was on the jury, and I've never heard such a different voice. I gave you a hundred out of a hundred and even put a star on it. You are the winner of this contest, my son." These words brought him immense joy.
He learned he had definitely won while staying in a hotel in Aksaray. A boy serving tea ran over to him, saying, "Edip brother, Edip brother, you're in the newspaper–have you seen it?" At first he didn't believe it, but then he looked and saw his photo at the bottom of the article showing he'd passed the Golden Microphone elimination round. His exact rank didn't matter–the newspaper feature was enough for him. At 22, he told them he would start looking for work with that paper. During the lead-up to the finals, his father initially objected: "I educated you until now – will you become a musician? I won't pay. I'm not sending your allowance." As a result, their dialogue was cut off. But once the newspaper photo appeared, his father phoned and said, "My brave boy, well done." Edip told him he intended to go to the contest but had no suit, asking for money. His father said, "Of course – I'd give my life, son" and sent the money. He used it to buy a black suit and participated in the competition.
In the final, he competed before a 12-member – including Cem Karaca – and won the 1972 Golden Microphone contest by a landslide with 3,350 public votes. As part of his prize, he worked to record Kükredi Çimenler as a single. Since the format required a 45 rpm record, he placed Mahzuni Şerif's Boşu Boşuna on the B–side. The music company paid the necessary copyright fees. During the production, composer Norayr Demirci transcribed and arranged the songs. Accompanied by the Süheyl Denizci Orchestra, Akbayram recorded his first solo single.
The single was released by the İstanbul Plak label, but it failed to attract much attention. Disappointed, he told Norayr Demirci: "What am I to do? I was the winner. I dreamed of so much but this record didn't catch on." Demirci responded, "Son, go back to your hometown Antep." Akbayram snapped back, "I'd kill myself–I'll never go back." Despite these setbacks, he continued his music and signed a two–year contract with one of the era's leading labels, Sayan. He had formed his musical identity, aiming like –Cem Karaca and Fikret Kızılok– to reinterpret folk poets songs in a rock style and reintroduce them to the public. Having earned insufficient income from records to even pay his rent, he realized that winning the Golden Microphone was not enough in itself to change his financial situation.
After winning the contest, he was introduced to the prominent organizer Zeki Tükel, leaving contact information for possible work. Tükel later declined to hire him based on his physical appearance an experience that deeply affected Akbayram. He told Tükel the conditions would change someday and that if Tükel offered him work then, he would decline it which would later happen. Years later, during a difficult financial period, Tükel called with a job offer, but Akbayram refused, citing their past and said that decision gave him great honor.
In the meantime, readers of Hey magazine selected him "Most Promising Male Singer of the Year." He went on his first tour with Selda Bağcan, and in the same year recorded Anam Ağlar Baş Ucumda Oturur with Zafer Dilek. He was then invited to collaborate with Orkestra Dönüşüm, a prominent Anatolian rock band, leading to the single Deniz Üstü Köpürür in 1973. At that time, Moğollar were looking for a vocalist; when Akbayram asked Cahit Berkay not to overlook him, Berkay said they would consider it. Hey magazine published a feature titled "Two vocalists for Moğollar: Ersen Dinleten and Edip Akbayram", but the band chose Ersen for his more energetic style. Akbayram, who was not accepted due to his paralyzed leg, responded: "I sing with my mouth, not my leg!".
Curious about the origin of Boşu Boşuna the song that won him acclaim, he asked the studio staff who owned it. Upon learning it belonged to Mahzuni Şerif, he traveled to his village Berçenek to meet him. During their conversation, Mahzuni Şerif said: "You sang my ugly folk song so beautifully." He granted Akbayram permission to perform his songs for free for life. Following this meeting, Akbayram later said he gained much knowledge about the social and political dimension of art.