Mirkelam

Mirkelam — Biography

Fergan Mirkelam (born 20 May 1966, Istanbul), known simply as Mirkelam, is a Turkish pop singer, songwriter and composer. His family roots trace back to Birecik in Şanlıurfa, and his father Nazım Mirkelam was a lawyer and musician who composed Gül Ağacı Değilem, Her Gelene Eğilem. He began writing songs in middle school and sang in the Saint Joseph High School orchestra, and after graduating from Yıldız Technical University's geophysics engineering department in 1990 he worked as a radio DJ.

He rose to fame in 1995 with the song Her Gece, whose video — featuring him running — earned him the nickname "Koşan Adam" (The Running Man). His self-titled debut album sold strongly, and he followed it with Joker, Unutulmaz, Kalbimde Parmak İzin Var, Mutlu Olmak İstiyorum, the Kargo collaboration RRDP and Denizin Arka Yüzü. He is remembered as one of the defining pop voices of 1990s Turkey.