Cem Adrian is one of Turkiye’s most highly regarded artists of the new millennium. The singer-songwriter was born with vocal cords that are three times the length of an average person’s, giving him a vocal range that straddles bass to soprano.
Since bursting on to the scene as part of indie group Mystica, the multi-talented Adrian has wowed audiences with his skills as a singer, musician, composer and dancer. His debut solo album came in 2005, which featured songs he’d penned between 1997 and 2003.
A turning point in Edirne-born Adrian’s career was being introduced to famous Turkish classical pianist Fazıl Say in 2004, who at that time was also teaching at Bilkent University’s Faculty of Music and Performing Arts. Say took Adrian under his wings, allowing the young artist to learn about his extraordinary vocal range and how to harness it.
During this time, Adrian started working on his second self-produced album. Aşk Bu Gece Şehri Terk Etti, which contained 13 songs written by himself. He released the album in December 2006 and embarked on a nationwide tour, creating a fan base for his distinctive sound.
Since then, Adrian, who is Bosnian descent, has released eleven studio albums that encompass a broad musical repertoire from Turkish Blues to contemporary pop, with themes such as love, loss, freedom, and human rights.
Among the 42-year-old’s most popular songs are his heartfelt ballads, including Sen Gel Diyorsun, Ben Seni Çok Sevdim, and two tracks Kül and Derinlerde, which he recorded with Israeli artist Mark Eliyahu.
Adrian’s latest album, Gökyüzümün Yıldızları (2022), is a fabulous collection of ten songs he has selected and reinterpreted in tribute to the composers and artists who originally popularised them. His release press notes last year stated:
“Recording this album consisting of 10 songs and rearranging such valuable songs was a completely personal matter, a great responsibility and an indescribable honour for me.
“When I was a little child, a young man in love, looking at the dark sky from my room window, the thing called song was the voice of every star… Hope… Dream… Songs were the place I took shelter behind, where I hid myself, where I was protected from the world… It still is… Whatever I felt then, I try to make you feel now. This is what I’m working on…”
You can hear the magical voice and sounds of Cem Adrian when her performs at Indigo at The O2 in April next year.
CONCERT DETAILS
Title: Gise Events Presents Cem Adrian
Date: Saturday 27 April 2024
Time: 8pm
Venue: indigo at The O2, 205 Peninsula Square, Greenwich, London SE10 0ES
Admission: Ticket prices range from £47 to £93 (includes all fees).
Tickets: Buy tickets online from the venue’s AXS shop – click here to access.
