Athena (band)
Encyclopedia
Athena is a ska punk
band from Istanbul
, Turkey
. Its current line-up is composed of Hakan Özoğuz
(guitar
and backing vocals), Gökhan Özoğuz
(lead vocals and guitar
), Umut Arabacı (bass
), Emre Ataker (keyboards) and Alican Tezer (drums) .
band, but switched to the ska genre sometime later.
Until 1999 they performed numerous concerts and paved their way to their first album Holigan. Athena's ska sound and songs were welcomed by the local record buying public so much so that the title song Holigan was adopted as a march by football supporters of all ages at the stadiums. The album hit various Turkish charts and stayed at the top for a considerable amount of time. Shortly after releasing the Holigan album, Athena took a large scale tour in Turkey
. One of the significant moments of the tour was their show at Açikhava Tiyatrosu in Istanbul, followed by their role as a support act for the Rolling Stones concert at Ali Sami Yen Stadium
, home to the Turkish football club Galatasaray, which they consider to be the most important performance of their career.
Athena was the face of Turkey as part of the Millennium Concert at Taksim Square
in Istanbul
on the first night of the 2000, and made millions of people experience an unforgettable night welcoming the new millennium. The said concert was broadcast live by NTV channel to the world. Athena was invited to Popkomm Festival held in Köln, Germany and performed with the Beastie Boys
. WDR, the leading radio channel in Germany, broadcast Athena’s concert live.
The second album “Tam Zamanı Şimdi” was released and the first single Yaşamak Var Ya was an instant hit. The album sales reached gold status in an extremely short time. Their tour was sold out as a result of their exploding popularity. They performed a series of concerts in Germany pairing up with the famous German ska band The Fritz. After the tour, their song Devam Boşver included on the album World of Ska Volume 11 which was released in Europe by a pioneering ska label Pork Pie Records. Then came one of the major events in Athena’s career, the 12 Dev Adam (12 Giant Men). The song they recorded for the Turkish National Basketball Team had also an immense success in Europe. The Turkish National Basketball Team finished runner-up in The European Championships and many European newspapers commented that the song, sang by the team’s supporters during the games, led the team play better.
In January 2002, Athena’s new album Her Şey Yolunda was released. Two songs from this album, Öpücük and Beyoğlu were major hits. 2003 was a particularly busy year for Athena. While the large tour for their latest album was in progress, they started an anti-war movement against the Iraqi war, and Athena contributed the movement with a song No Need for War, and performed with many other musicians. Athena was the guest group at the huge dance show directed by Beyhan Murphy for Turkish Opera and Ballet. They also performed as a headliner group at the H2000 Festival June 2003, with Starsailor. Athena ended their tour as one of the local headliners at the biggest event of the year the Rock'n Coke
Festival which included such bands and artists as Pet Shop Boys
, The Cardigans
, Suede
, Simple Minds
, Sugababes
, Dirty Vegas
. In January 2004 Athena performed at a series of concerts in the Netherlands which appealed to the Dutch public.
After that, on May 15, 2004, Athena represented Turkey at the Eurovision Song Contest
with For Real. In an unprecedented result, a punk rock band finished 4th in a contest where punk was thought to be unappealing to a mass audience. Athena were the media darlings of the European media at the time. After Eurovision, Athena’s maxi single For Real was released in Germany and Greece. Athena’s first concert European – Turkish Festival was in Germany – Berlin after ESC was broadcast live by TRT (Turkish National TV).
After this concert, Athena was the guest at TV Total, Germany’s number one talk show. They performed live at the programme, creating a large fanbase in Germany in the process. In June 2004 Athena’s new album US released in Turkey. This album also released in Germany at the end of July. The band also started working on their English album, which then hit the shelves in May 2005. Athena then performed in a series of concerts that sold out to tens of thousands. Athena often performs at Fenerbahçe football games, being die-hard supporters of the club. In 2007 Athena made an album special for Fenerbahçe's 100th anniversary.Than, Athena's last album Pis
was released.
Ska punk
Ska punk is a fusion music genre that combines ska and punk rock. It achieved its highest level of commercial success in the United States in the late 1990s. Ska-core is a subgenre of ska punk, blending ska with hardcore punk.The characteristics of ska punk vary, due to the fusion of contrasting...
band from Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. Its current line-up is composed of Hakan Özoğuz
Hakan Özoguz
Hakan Özoğuz is a Turkish musician. He is the guitarist of the Turkish ska-punk band Athena. He is the twin brother of fellow band member Gökhan Özoğuz, and a founder member of the band.-References:...
(guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and backing vocals), Gökhan Özoğuz
Gökhan Özoguz
Gökhan Özoğuz is the lead vocalist of the Turkish ska-punk band Athena. He is the twin brother of fellow band member Hakan Özoğuz, and a founder member of the band. Born October 11, 1976.- References :...
(lead vocals and guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
), Umut Arabacı (bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
), Emre Ataker (keyboards) and Alican Tezer (drums) .
Band history
Athena (ah-T'hěn-ah) was formed by twin brothers Gökhan Özoğuz and Hakan Özoğuz in 1987. They started their musical life as a metalHeavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band, but switched to the ska genre sometime later.
Until 1999 they performed numerous concerts and paved their way to their first album Holigan. Athena's ska sound and songs were welcomed by the local record buying public so much so that the title song Holigan was adopted as a march by football supporters of all ages at the stadiums. The album hit various Turkish charts and stayed at the top for a considerable amount of time. Shortly after releasing the Holigan album, Athena took a large scale tour in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. One of the significant moments of the tour was their show at Açikhava Tiyatrosu in Istanbul, followed by their role as a support act for the Rolling Stones concert at Ali Sami Yen Stadium
Ali Sami Yen Stadium
Ali Sami Yen Stadium was the home of the football club Galatasaray SK in Istanbul, Turkey, from 1964 to 2010. It is named after the founder of the club, Ali Sami Yen...
, home to the Turkish football club Galatasaray, which they consider to be the most important performance of their career.
Athena was the face of Turkey as part of the Millennium Concert at Taksim Square
Taksim Square
Taksim Square situated in the European part of Istanbul, Turkey, is a major shopping, tourist and leisure district famed for its restaurants, shops and hotels. It is considered the heart of modern Istanbul, with the central station of the Istanbul Metro network...
in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
on the first night of the 2000, and made millions of people experience an unforgettable night welcoming the new millennium. The said concert was broadcast live by NTV channel to the world. Athena was invited to Popkomm Festival held in Köln, Germany and performed with the Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
. WDR, the leading radio channel in Germany, broadcast Athena’s concert live.
The second album “Tam Zamanı Şimdi” was released and the first single Yaşamak Var Ya was an instant hit. The album sales reached gold status in an extremely short time. Their tour was sold out as a result of their exploding popularity. They performed a series of concerts in Germany pairing up with the famous German ska band The Fritz. After the tour, their song Devam Boşver included on the album World of Ska Volume 11 which was released in Europe by a pioneering ska label Pork Pie Records. Then came one of the major events in Athena’s career, the 12 Dev Adam (12 Giant Men). The song they recorded for the Turkish National Basketball Team had also an immense success in Europe. The Turkish National Basketball Team finished runner-up in The European Championships and many European newspapers commented that the song, sang by the team’s supporters during the games, led the team play better.
In January 2002, Athena’s new album Her Şey Yolunda was released. Two songs from this album, Öpücük and Beyoğlu were major hits. 2003 was a particularly busy year for Athena. While the large tour for their latest album was in progress, they started an anti-war movement against the Iraqi war, and Athena contributed the movement with a song No Need for War, and performed with many other musicians. Athena was the guest group at the huge dance show directed by Beyhan Murphy for Turkish Opera and Ballet. They also performed as a headliner group at the H2000 Festival June 2003, with Starsailor. Athena ended their tour as one of the local headliners at the biggest event of the year the Rock'n Coke
Rock'n Coke
Rock'n Coke is a Turkish rock festival sponsored by Coca-Cola. It is traditionally held at the Hezarfen Airfield in Istanbul, Turkey.- Festival :Rock'n Coke is a member of the . The festival is organized by the Turkish concert organizer...
Festival which included such bands and artists as Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....
, The Cardigans
The Cardigans
The Cardigans are a Swedish rock band formed in the town of Jönköping in October 1992.Their debut album Emmerdale gave them a solid base in their home country and enjoyed some success abroad, especially in Japan. It was not until their second album Life that an international reputation was secured...
, Suede
Suede (band)
Suede are an English alternative rock band from London, formed in 1989. The group's most prominent early line-up featured singer Brett Anderson, guitarist Bernard Butler, bass player Mat Osman and drummer Simon Gilbert. By 1992, Suede were hailed as "The Best New Band in Britain", and attracted...
, Simple Minds
Simple Minds
Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band who achieved worldwide popularity from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. The band produced a handful of critically acclaimed albums in the early 1980s and best known for their #1 US, Canada and Netherlands hit single "Don't You ", from the soundtrack of the...
, Sugababes
Sugababes
The Sugababes are an English pop girl group based in London, consisting of members Heidi Range, Amelle Berrabah and Jade Ewen. The Sugababes were formed in 1998 with founding members Siobhán Donaghy, Mutya Buena and Keisha Buchanan. Their debut album, One Touch, was released in 2000 under London...
, Dirty Vegas
Dirty Vegas
Dirty Vegas is a Grammy Award-winning British house music trio made up of Ben Harris and Paul Harris on instruments and production and Steve Smith on vocals...
. In January 2004 Athena performed at a series of concerts in the Netherlands which appealed to the Dutch public.
After that, on May 15, 2004, Athena represented Turkey at the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
with For Real. In an unprecedented result, a punk rock band finished 4th in a contest where punk was thought to be unappealing to a mass audience. Athena were the media darlings of the European media at the time. After Eurovision, Athena’s maxi single For Real was released in Germany and Greece. Athena’s first concert European – Turkish Festival was in Germany – Berlin after ESC was broadcast live by TRT (Turkish National TV).
After this concert, Athena was the guest at TV Total, Germany’s number one talk show. They performed live at the programme, creating a large fanbase in Germany in the process. In June 2004 Athena’s new album US released in Turkey. This album also released in Germany at the end of July. The band also started working on their English album, which then hit the shelves in May 2005. Athena then performed in a series of concerts that sold out to tens of thousands. Athena often performs at Fenerbahçe football games, being die-hard supporters of the club. In 2007 Athena made an album special for Fenerbahçe's 100th anniversary.Than, Athena's last album Pis
Pis
Pis is a commune in the Gers department in southwestern France.-Population:...
was released.
Discography
- 1993 - One Last Breath (April 1993)
- 1998 - Holigan (Hooligan) (May 1998)
- 2000 - Tam Zamanı Şimdi (Now's the Perfect Time) (April 2000)
- 2001 - Mehteran Şeferi (ep) (2001)
- 2002 - Her şey Yolunda (Everything's Alright) (January 2002)
- 2004 - Us (album) (Intelligence) (June 2004)
- 2004 - "For Real" (single)(2004)
- 2005 - Athena (May 2005)
- 2006 - İtItIt may refer to:* It , a third-person neuter pronoun in English* IT , often refers to information technology-As a name:* Cousin Itt, a monster character in the TV series The Addams Family...
(ep)(Dog) (May 2006) - 2007 - Fenerbahçe 100. Yıl (ep) (Fenerbahçe 100th Anniversary)
- 2010 - Pis (Dirty) (May 2010)