Tarkan in the Nil Özalp Interview

Today the Turkish daily Akşam has printed Sibel Özavci’s interview with Nil Özalp, whose debut album “Acıkolik” was released on March 18. The metaphorical title of the interview highligts the support Nil has received from the two pop symbols of Turkey: “Serdar Ortaç opened the door and Tarkan gave the final touch”

In the first part of the interview, Özalp talks about how music “had” her when she was a child: “I was always interested in music when I was a student. My teachers were also telling me that I was a musical child.” Nil Özalp started singing for “Denizaltı Orkestrası” in Silivri, an Anatolian rock orchestra of which her aunt was the singer and her grandfather was the agent. She became the orhestra’s lead vocal when she was only 15 years old: “I learned a lot from them. They were all older than me… and very experienced… Then I moved to İstanbul and got onto the stage on my own. I was comfortable and happy singing Anatolian Rock but I had always wanted to sing pop.” (Later from the interview we find out that Nil Özalp studied public relations at university and has a PR and casting company.)

In the interview, Özalp says. “I really wanted to make an album. I had some demos and talked to some record companies. I was very enthusiastic. And then my friend Sertaç Ortaç said to me, “Why do you do all this on your own? Why don’t you ask for help from us? We will support you. Let’s do it together.” This is how it all started. We first completed “Fotoğraf”, an Ersen Üner song, which boosted my motivation. Serdar was then working on a new song “Kalp Boş”, which I wanted to get. I also wanted to sing Serdar’s old song “Değmez”. Serdar completed the songs and gave them to me on my birthday.” Nil Özalp also emphasizes that she and Serdar Ortaç are very good friends and if Ortaç hadn’t belived in her, he would have stopped her making the album.

Nil also talks about Tarkan in the interview: “While the album was in progress, Tarkan listened to the songs and wanted to give me a hand. He believed in me, in my work and my songs. “Acıkolik” was a present to me.” As TarkanPLUS International has reported earlier, Tarkan got involved in this album in the last moment. Özalp, in the interview, says: He gave us the last song of the album and gave our work a final touch. “Acıkolik” fits the album so well.”

In the interview Nil Özalp is inevitably asked whether there is any romantic affair between herself and Tarkan and this is her answer: “Those who heard that we would work in the studio together started all these rumors. But I wouldn’t like to talk about this at a time when I’m doing promotional work for my album. I don’t feel comfortable talking about my own private life.”