SONG OF THE DAY Mavi Işıklar – Helvaci

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How much am I loving this track today!!!! So many reasons to adore this song, but what I really like is the way those hushed vocals greet you without giving you any clue to what is coming next. Then that twangy, wild guitar kicks in and surprise washes over ! The unexpected is always a desired flavour for a musical taste palette and this little surf rocket is glorious!

Though they only recorded cover songs, Turkey’s Mavi Işıklar were musically and stylistically a ground breaking band for Turkey and were loved by many! Founded by brothers Cetin (bass guitar) and Metin Yavuzdogan (piano/keyboard), the group’s first line-up consisted of,  Nejat Toksoy (Vocals), Cihat Gunaydin (guitar) and Zamir Manisa. Taking their name from the colour blue, it was their will to shine a light on the future generations (Mavi Isiklar means “Blue Lights”) that inspired their title.

Mavi Işıklar were also known as the Turkish Beatles because their appearance and surf-beat sound likened them to western bands of the time. Though popular beat music wasn’t all they recorded and a lot of their songs were also based on folk music arrangements and Turkish adaptations – Such is the case with Helvaci.

The group got together in 1964 and though they did reassemble some years later, they never recorded much after disbanding in 1970. Shortly after forming, Mavi Işıklar attended the Altın Mikrofon Song Contest and subsequently won the second prize. Their winning song was Helvacı, a Turkish folk tune arranged in a twist style which was released as their first single by the Golden Microphone Contest in 1965.

Helvacı was released and issued by Hürriyet – which was ran by the contest itself and following this 45 came their Johnny Be Goode/Justine single for Odeon company. Sayan, Sayan followed in 1967 and became their one and only full-length release. 

I have had a little listen to some of their other tracks, but have to say that nothing is quite as enjoyable as Helvacı, I love how they have blended the boundaries of folk and surf-beat in this song, wonderfully fusing the old with the new in what came out as a completely viable song in its own right! The animated yelps throughout the instrumental interval, coupled with that sinuous guitar melody just makes makes me smile, its so lovely!! Enjoy!