Arif Susam (read Turkish version here | listen to music samples)
Introduction
In the Turkish music scene of the 1980s, Arif Susam stands out as one of the rare names who directed the rise of the fantasy and arabesque genres with a technical musical foundation. The artist, who took the stage every night for 14 years at Köşem Restaurant in Tarabya, Istanbul, remaining at the heart of live performance, is also known for the connection he established with the audience through sincere conversations made between his songs. Susam, who brought an original interpretation by blending his conservatory education with fantasy and arabesque genres, has earned an important place in Turkish music history with the album "Tavernada Yıldönümü". This work, which made its mark on the era, is among the best-selling albums of the period with sales figures varying between 1.2 and 1.5 million and is recorded as the only artist work to receive a platinum record in Turkey. In a musical atmosphere where artists such as Cengiz Kurtoğlu, Ümit Besen, and Atilla Kaya were active, Susam, who built his own style, shaped his career at the intersection of classical music discipline and taverna culture. Although clear information regarding the final period of his life is not accessible, the cultural works he left behind and his place in the memory of 80s Turkish music have made the artist one of the most recognized names in this genre.
Biography
Arif Susam is considered one of the representatives with a strong technical foundation in the fantasy and arabesque scene of Turkish music in the 1980s. The 8-year process he spent at the Istanbul Conservatory where he received Classical Western Music education shaped his musical identity, while there is no complete overlap in sources regarding the records of his first information about life. Although it is stated that he was born in 1956, in addition to the common view that his birthplace is Elazığ, Harput, there is also a claim that he was born in Istanbul.
Susam, whose stage career began in 1978, performed on stage for many years at Köşem Restaurant in Tarabya, Istanbul. The 14-year process he spent here, performing every night, is recorded as one of the most important turning points of his career. He built his unique style on the sincere connection he established with the audience with the conversations he made between songs. The artist completed his military service as an orchestra conductor at Yeniköy Armed Forces Club, married Perihan Susam in 1980, and had two sons. It is also known that he is a Galatasaray S.K. fan.
Arif Susam, who made his musical debut with the album "Efsane Aşk" published in 1984, achieved his major commercial success with the album "Tavernada Yıldönümü" released in 1986 (mentioned as 1985 in some sources). Although sales figures for the album vary between 1.2 million and 1.5 million in different sources, its most striking feature is being recorded as the only artist to receive a platinum record in Turkey at that period. The artist who released many albums such as "Kader Utansın", "Tavernada Yıldönümü", "Kara Kara", "Kararsız Gönlüm", "Unutulmuyor", and "Best Of Arif Susam", contains Fantasy, Arabesque, Classical Music, Taverna Music, and Turkish Folk Music elements in his repertoire.
Throughout his career, Susam appeared in films such as "Kader Utansın", "Hatıram Olsun", and "Veda Gecesi" and established musical relations with important names of the era such as Cengiz Kurtoğlu, Nejat Alp, Ümit Besen, Atilla Kaya, and Mehmet Yüktaşır. Remembered as a figure accompanying the rise of fantasy and arabesque music in 1980s Turkey, there are no clear details about the artist's current living situation. Current sources do not include the artist's death date and official award lists.
Musical Style and Interpretive Language
Arif Susam is considered one of the rare artists who gave a different technical foundation to the rise of fantasy and arabesque genres on the Turkish popular music scene of the 1980s. The eight-year Classical Western Music education he completed at Istanbul Conservatory created a distinct discipline in his voice and phonological stance; this was the most basic feature that distinguished him from the ordinary tavern musicians of the period. He managed to develop a unique synthesis by blending classical music discipline with the free structure of folk music and fantasy genres.
The most striking detail in his stage character and interpretive language is the conversations he squeezed in between songs. This interaction allowed him to strengthen the connection he established with the audience not only through melodies but also through the stories told and a sincere language. His repertoire consists of compositions that highlight themes such as love, fate, longing, and entertainment, generally suitable for a wedding, anniversary, or gathering atmosphere. This atmosphere was reflected in its most distinct form in works such as "Tavernada Yıldönümü", and he signed one of the most commercially successful successes of the period with album sales figures.
His emotional world in music contains both a deep longing and the enthusiasm of taverna culture. Songs such as "Kader Utansın", "Sevenler İçin", and "Resmini Ateşe Attım" are characteristic works that blend lyrical content with technical interpretation. The tradition of performing on stage every night for 14 years at Tarabya Köşem Restaurant is the most concrete proof of how much his music was integrated with live performance and the venue. The style created during this process remains not only as music of a period but as a legacy that has found its place in the institutional memory of the fantasy and arabesque scene in Turkey.
Musical Journey and Outstanding Works
Arif Susam's discography is woven with works that left their mark on the brightest period of the Fantasy and Arabesque scenes of the 1980s. The artist presented the technical foundation he received from 8 years of Classical Western Music education at Istanbul Conservatory and the stage career he started in 1978, blending it with these genres. His first album "Efsane Aşk" was published in 1984, announcing the beginning of Susam's professional recording journey. However, the biggest turning point in his musical career was the album "Tavernada Yıldönümü" published in 1986. This album ranked among the best-selling works of the period, achieving sales figures varying between 1.2 and 1.5 million nationwide in Turkey, and earned Susam a platinum record.
Along with the title tracks from this album, "Tavernada Yıldönümü", works such as "Kader Utansın", "Sevenler İçin", "Ölümsüz Sevdim", "Resmini Ateşe Attım", "Nikah Memuru", "Bitmiyor Geceler", and "Düğünümüz Mahşere Kaldı" are among the representative songs carved into the artist's memory. In particular, the song "Kader Utansın" took the name of the 1988 album, and at the same time, also gave its name to the artist's 1987 film "Kader Utansın". Susam's conversations between songs and storytelling strengthened the connection he established with the audience as part of the taverna culture and the stage discipline of that period.
Susam, who continued his productivity with albums such as "Kararsız Gönlüm" (1987), "O Kadın İçin" (1988), and "Hasreti Kutluyorum" (1989) towards the end of the 1980s, deepened his musical legacy in the 1990s with works such as "Evliler De Sevebilir", "Beni Düşün", "Sevenler İçin" (1992), "Boncuk Gözlüm" (1993), and "Unutulmuyor" (1994). Although years passed, he continued his path with albums such as "İşte Yeniden" (1996), "Sakın Unutma" (1998), and "Aşkımız Bitmesin" (1999), and made studio recordings again in 2011 with the album "Ölümsüz Sevdim". The compilation "Best Of Arif Susam" released in 2020 is a reflection of this long journey. Although there are differences in sources regarding the release years and sales figures of some albums such as "Kara Kara" (1985/1986), the claim that Arif Susam was the only artist to receive a platinum record in that period and the success of "Tavernada Yıldönümü" are the most distinct elements in his musical career.
Context
Arif Susam is one of the important figures who brought the fantasy and arabesque movement of Turkish music in the 1980s together with a technical foundation and traditional entertainment music. The 8-year classical Western music education he received at Istanbul Conservatory, the technical depth it added to his stage performances, stands out as the basic feature that distinguishes him from many artists of his time. In addition to this classical background, the intimate connection he established with the audience with the conversations he made between his songs turned his music from just a vocalization activity into a narrative experience.
One of the most distinct turning points in the artist's career is the process during which he performed on stage continuously for 14 years at Köşem Restaurant in Tarabya, Istanbul. This long-lasting performance placed him at the center of 80s nightlife and taverna music culture. Susam, who published his first album with "Efsane Aşk" in 1984, reached the peak of his commercial success with the album "Tavernada Yıldönümü" published in 1986 (some sources also mention it as 1985). This work, which achieved sales between 1.2 and 1.5 million in Turkey, is recorded as the only artist to receive a platinum record at that period.
It is stated that the artist was born in 1956, and there are different information in sources regarding his birthplace as Elazığ Harput or Istanbul. Information exists about his personal life that he married Perihan Susam in 1980 and had two sons, he is a Galatasaray fan, and he completed his military service as an orchestra conductor at Yeniköy Armed Forces Club. Susam, who shared the same period with names such as Cengiz Kurtoğlu, Nejat Alp, and Atilla Kaya, is known with a sound where Turkish Folk Music and fantasy genres intertwine.
There is no official award list or definite death date for Arif Susam in current sources. Nevertheless, the sales success achieved by the album "Tavernada Yıldönümü" and the stage discipline spanning many years at Köşem Restaurant stand out as the most concrete data determining his place in Turkish music history. The "Best Of" work published in 2020 is an important album that brings this legacy to the current music listener.
Artistic Legacy
Arif Susam is mentioned as an important name accompanying the rise of fantasy and arabesque genres in the 1980s Turkish music scene with a technical foundation. The 8-year classical education he received at Istanbul Conservatory transformed his voice from being just a performer into a stage performance creator with his unique conversation and storytelling tradition he established between songs. This approach made him one of the basic characteristic features that distinguished him from other fantasy artists of that period.
The most distinct cultural imprint in Arif Susam's career is the continuity he created by performing on stage every night for 14 years at Köşem Restaurant in Tarabya. This marathon is not only his personal success but also remained as a ritual engraved in the memory of Istanbul's nightlife in the 80s. Commercially, the album "Tavernada Yıldönümü" is recorded with the title of the only artist to receive a platinum record in Turkey at that period. Although there are small differences between sources regarding the album release year (1985 or 1986) and sales figures (1.2 or 1.5 million), it is the common view that this success was a turning point in the commercial music world of the period and represented the peak with sales figures.
Although some biographical details such as birthplace or death date are not clarified in sources, indicating the diversity of biographical data, his musical legacy is carried to the 21st century with best-of works and turning point albums. Being located on the same stage line with artists such as Cengiz Kurtoğlu, Ümit Besen, and Atilla Kaya positions him among the names who represent the 80s fantasy scene. As a result, Arif Susam is mentioned as a musician who deserves to be remembered, who could combine academic music education with the tavern spirit, and who made his mark on the era with stage energy and commercial success.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Arif Susam's musical style and technical foundation? Arif Susam received Classical Western Music education for 8 years at Istanbul Conservatory. He developed an original synthesis by blending this technical discipline with fantasy and arabesque genres. One of the most defining features of his side is the intimate connection he established with the audience with the conversations he squeezed in between songs.
Which is the most commercially successful album in his career? It is the album "Tavernada Yıldönümü" published in 1985 or 1986. The album, with sales figures varying between 1.2 and 1.5 million, is among the best-selling works of that period and is recorded as the only artist work to receive a platinum record in Turkey.
Is there a venue or process that stands out in his stage career? Yes, he performed on stage every night for 14 years at Köşem Restaurant in Tarabya, Istanbul. This process is considered one of the most important turning points of the artist's career and is concrete proof that his music is integrated with live performance.
Have biographical details such as birthplace and death date been clarified? No, there are differences in sources regarding some details. While it is stated that he was born in 1956, there is an inconsistency between the view that his birthplace is Elazığ, Harput and the claim that he was born in Istanbul. Also, the artist's death date and official award lists are not included in current sources.
What is known about his private life? He married Perihan Susam in 1980 and had two sons. He completed his military service as an orchestra conductor at Yeniköy Armed Forces Club and is known to be a Galatasaray S.K. fan.