Orhan Osman

Orhan Osman is a successful bouzouki player who is appreciated for his technique and musical ideas. Orhan was born in Germany, Turkish origin and a Greek citizen… He has been living in Istanbul since 1996. During this time, he released five albums: “Devr-i Alem”, “Gökkuþaðý”, “Maziden”, “Kolik” and “Ýstanbul Rebetleri”, respectively, and has contributed either with compositions or his bouzouki playing to several collective albums, soundtracks, TV series and movies with some of the most prominent musicians of Turkey. Currently, he hosts a show in TV 8, one of the leading national TV channels in Turkey, and is watched with admiration through out the country he lives.

Orhan Osman is regarded as a player of significant value, especially with respect to Balkan music. He is often referred to as one of the most prominent representative of Balkan music with his arrangements and covers.

The polyphony, multiculturalism, energy and dynamism in his music, stem from his multicultural life. The “western” mosaic in which he grew up and the “eastern” culture that comes from his family traditions, became a point of origin for creating new formulations in his view of life and his music. His musical life started in Komotini, Greece. In his childhood, after Germany, music was always his passion and point of origin for him, keeping him calm within the difficulties of living as part of a minority. Even thinking of being a musician was not acceptable in a period when Turkish families were continuing their lives as country folk. However, despite of all these conditions, he started his musical life with his first instrument which he made using a piece of wood, 4 nails and 2 pieces of clothes lines. As a result of growing up in such a culture, he embraced bouzouki as an instrument that is closest to himself and articulates his feelings. His debut was in weddings in Western Thrace. He became famous as the bouzouki player who plays "Selanik" the best at the weddings in front his family’s house and neighborhood. Later on, he performed in taverns with non-stop live music till morning; in the places of Athens where rebetiko culture was kept alive. However, to interpret the music he felt inside of him he had to search. Orhan went to America and Bulgaria where he immersed himself within African music, jazz, and stroking Bulgarian music. After he settled in Istanbul, he has often gone abroad and has continued sharing his works, both in festivals and private concerts.

The common feature of his albums released in Turkey is that they all carry the essence of different cultures and create unique bridges. His experiences from wedding orchestras to date became the most significant process that orientates his music. This process spoke of itself in the concerts he performed in the prominent culture-art centers in Istanbul. In his show, that he put on the stage under the title “Devr-i Alem”, he performed Turkish, Greek, Balkan, Georgian and Indian music together with theatrical expression and dance shows.

With the breadrth of Orhan's works, he often defined as “ethnic-jazz" and “world music” as opposed to only that of Balkan music. It was an unusual breakthrough when a Turkish muscian started to play jazz on stage with an Greek ethnic instrument, with his bouzouki. In Istanbul concerts with world renowned drummer Dave Weckl, he created his own fusion with Anatolian themes. Music circles commented on this concert which took place in December 2008, saying “this meeting has a lot of different meanings”.

Other than all these musical notes, Orhan Osman is a father of two children and produced an albuum called “Kolik”,which was made for babies with colic. The Marmara University Institute of Medical Sciences, took this album as a research subject and approved it as successful after research. Thus, he became this first musician who appeared in Turkish Medical Literature with his music.

Orhan Osman, who meets his fans on TV and with his new album “Ýstanbul Rebetleri”, continues to work in order to expand musical sharing and leave his mark.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Born in 1976 in Germany. He is of Turkish origin and Greek citizen.
• He started his musical career in Greece by playing bouzouki in wedding orchestras when he was 13 years old.
• He moved to Athens and played bouzouki on the stages of rebetiko places and taverns
• He lived in America and Bulgaria for a short term where he worked on musical projects.
• In 1996, he moved in to Istanbul. He plays bouzouki in the most known taverns and stages of Istanbul.
• The year 2000 became a milestone for his musical life. He started to perform on stage with Muammer Ketençoðlu, the most important accordion player of Turkey. After attending the event titled “Klezmer & Greco Turkish Music / Crossroad Ýstanbul – New York” in Germany as a trainer with Ketençoðlu, he started to work on new styles that he could perform with his bouzouki.
• He actualized his first project, “Balkan