Mazhar Alanson

Mazhar Alanson is a renowned Turkish musician, singer-songwriter, and actor. He is best known as a founding member of the influential pop-rock band MFÖ (Mazhar-Fuat-Özkan).

Coming from a musically-inclined family -- his father, Ferruh Alanson, was the principal trumpet player in the Presidential Symphony Orchestra -- Alanson began his musical career in 1966 by forming the band Kaygısızlar ("The Carefree") with Fuat Güner and Sadık Kuyas. The group played covers of Western rock bands and collaborated with Turkish pop singer Barış Manço. In 1972, the trio, now including Özkan Uğur, rebranded as MFÖ. The band gained international recognition by representing Turkey in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1985 and 1988.

Beyond his work with MFÖ, Alanson has released several solo albums, including Herşey Çok Güzel Olacak (1999), Türk Lokumuyla Tatlı Rüyalar (2002), Yazan Aşık (2019), and Senfoni (2022). His songwriting often reflects themes of Sufism, evident in songs like "Buselik Makamına" and "Yandım."

Alanson, who graduated from the State Conservatory in Ankara, specializing in theater, has had a long acting career, which includes performances in films such as "Arkadaşım Şeytan" (1988), "Her Şey Çok Güzel Olacak" (1998), and "Hokkabaz" (2006). He also served as a jury member on the Turkish version of "The Voice," known as "O Ses Türkiye."