Mirkelam

Mirkelam — Biography

Mirkelam, born Fergan Mirkelam, is a singer, songwriter and composer who became fixed in the memory of 1990s Turkish pop through a single song and a single video image: running in the clip for Her Gece in 1995 earned him the nickname "Koşan Adam" (the Running Man). He has released seven studio albums, and the tribute album Mirkelam Şarkıları appeared in 2017.

He began making music by composing in middle school and first sang in the Saint Joseph High School orchestra. After graduating from Yıldız Technical University as a geophysics engineer he worked as a radio DJ; in 1986 he entered the Turkish Eurovision heats, placed songs on other artists' albums and sang backing vocals. In 1994 he was a producer and presenter at Best FM. His breakthrough came on May 19, 1995, after a television appearance: with İskender Paydaş's arrangement and Umur Turagay's video, Her Gece was known before the album was out. His debut, released on May 31, 1995, sold 200,000 copies in a day and 750,000 in total.

Later came Joker (1998), Unutulmaz (2001, with the song "Kokoreç"), Kalbimde Parmak İzin Var (2004), known for its melancholy tone, and Mutlu Olmak İstiyorum (2006). In 2008 he teamed up with the band Kargo and released RRDP in 2010, parting ways in 2011; Denizin Arka Yüzü followed in 2013. As Didem Uzel's coach on the contest Şarkı Söylemek Lazım, he reached third place.