Description
Harun Tekin
is a Turkish singer, musician, and poet. He is one of the founding members and the vocalist of the Turkish rock band Mor ve Ötesi.In 1988, while being a student at German High School in Istanbul, Harun met Kerem Kabadayı with whom he would later establish his first band.In 1996, Harun started his BSc studies at Boğaziçi University, and graduated as a philosophy major in 2001.
In 1990, Tekin, together with his school friend Kerem Kabadayi founded a group «Decision». Other members were Sahin Yalabik (vocals), Alper Tekin (bass guitar). When in 1991 the group moved to a rock sound, Harun started playing the guitar. Later, they were joined by Derin Esmer (guitar). After Yalabik left the group, the musicians decided to move to Turkish lyrics, and founded in 1995 the group of Mor ve Ötesi («Violet and ultra»). In the new group, Tekin shared the role of soloist with Derin Esmer, but after the latter’s retirement in 1999, Tekin became the only vocalist.
Since the band’s debut in the mid-1990s, Tekin has become one of the most recognizable voices in Turkish rock, known for his poetic lyrics, distinct vocal tone, and socially conscious stance. With a career spanning nearly three decades, he has performed on some of the biggest stages in Turkey and Europe, including representing Turkey at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2008.