Melis Bilen

Melis Bilen
Melis Bilen
Background information
Born	December 10, 1985 (1985-12-10) (age 25) Istanbul, Turkey
Origin	Turkish
Genres	Pop, R&B, Pop-Rock, Dance, Operatic Pop
Occupations	Singer, Songwriter, Composer, Industrial engineer
Years active	2009-present
Website	www.melisbilen.com
Notable instruments
vocal, piano

Melis Bilen (born 10 December 1985, in Istanbul) is a Turkish singer and songwriter. She is a coloratura soprano having a bit more than 4 octave vocal range and sings in a wide range of styles including pop, R&B, pop-rock, electronic dance, operatic pop; but mainly adult contemporary pop. She has a repertory of songs in 9 languages (English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Turkish, Greek, Russian, Arabic) and she writes her own songs in English and Turkish.^[1][2]

Biography

Melis Bilen was born in Istanbul on December 10, 1985. In 2004 she graduated from Darussafaka High School which is a boarding school accepting successful students in with an entry exam. Then she entered Isik University Electronic Engineering. In her sophomore year she tranferred to Sabanci University to study Industrial Engineering. In 2008 she graduated from Sabanci University as an Industrial Engineer.^[1]

Music was her biggest passion starting from her childhood, which she finally left engineering for it in 2009. In 2009 she took her chance in Turkey's Got Talent, went through the semi-finals and eliminated.^[3]

Singing in many different languages, making covers and sharing new songs in the internet, has brought her a remarkable audience through the internet. Her first amateour song "Ask Delisi" is the number one video in a Spanish web site having more than 4 million hits.^[4] Then she published these songs respectively via her website and facebook: Yalnizlik, Gitme, Pazar Sabahi, Karanlik, If You Just Stayed, Koca Bir Yalan, IQ, Guzel Kiz Duskunu, Gurur, Intikam, Bir Dilek Tuttum, At Su Adimi, Veda, Cirkeflesme Cirkinlesme, Neden, Habbaytak Bissayf, Sadakat Oyunu, Guzelsin, Bakariz, Bla Bla, Hapis, Kucuk Daglar, Cok Klasik.

Her Turkish cover for the song Karanlik, (which is originally Roads from Portishead), criticizes the destroy of nature, cruelty to animals and wars. Its dramatic and meaningful video clip and the impressive lyrics are attracted attention and she was invited to the news channel of TRT live to tell the story of the song^[5]

She wrote a song called Aglama Van ^[6] which she dedicated for the victims of 2011 Van earthquake and she published it in the internet.^[7]

She made a cover song called The Ruined Castle^[8] by rewriting English lyrics to an old Japanese folk song Kōjō no Tsuki, for the Japanese people which she dedicated this song for the victims of 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.^[9]

In 2007, she won the Environmental and Social Sensitivity Reward from Sabanci University with her Supplying the Sample and Waste Medicines to the Needy People Having No Health Insurance.^[10]

She professionally involved herself in synchronize-swimming and swimming, she has 8 medals. She also is interested in Argentine Tango, water-ski, basketball, modern dance and has 2 cups from step dance.^[11]

Melis, took part in the 3 Saat: Bir OSS Belgeseli (3 Hours: A documentary about the students preparing for the university entrance exam.) She was one of the 6 candidates whose lives are filmed during their preparation for the university exam for one year in Turkey.^[12][13]

She made jingles for some company launchings and radio channels.^[14]

She started music in primary school choirs and school bands. Then at university she continued with concerts accompanied by piano, sang in ceremonies, openings and organizations. Throughout her childhood and teenage period, her family and teachers guided her to be an engineer or a doctor, so to say a more guaranteed profession. So she explained her story like this in an interview, "I made them happy and became an engineer. Now it's my turn to be happy, I will spend the rest of my life with music."^[1]

Discography

Albums

Bilen shares all her songs on the internet, via her website^[11] and her Facebook profile.

Video clips

• Gurur
• Bir dilek tuttum
• Sway
• Koca bir yalan
• Sadakat oyunu
• Guzel kiz duskunu
• IQ
• If you just stayed
• Intikam
• Pazar sabahi
• Yalnizlik
• Gitme
• Ask delisi
• Karanlik

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Müzik için mühendislikten vazgeçti. Hürriyet 13.8.2011 Retrieved August 25, 2011
2. ^ Hayat planladığınız gibi gitmiyor. Milliyet Cadde 03.06.2011 Retrieved August 25, 2011
3. ^ Müzik için mühendislikten vazgeçtim. Kıbrıs Gazetesi, Yeni Ekran 30.07.2011 Retrieved August 25, 2011
4. ^ Aşk delisi. tu-tv Retrieved August 25, 2011
5. ^ Defne Sarısoy, 10'dan Sonra Programı. TRT Haber. 30.06.2011 Retrieved August 25, 2011
6. ^ Melis Bilen Van için şarkı yazdı. Hurriyet - Gündem 29.10.2011.Retrieved October 29, 2011
7. ^ Melis Bilen - Ağlama Van (Van depremzedeleri için). Youtube 29.10.2011Retrieved October 29, 2011
8. ^ The Ruined Castle. Youtube 2011Retrieved November 5, 2011
9. ^ Genç müzisyen Melis Bilen'den Japonya'ya teşekkür şarkısı. Hürriyet - Gündem. 5 Kasım 2011.Retrieved November 5, 2011
10. ^ Melis Bilen - Yararlılık Ödülü Retrieved August 25, 2011
11. ^ ^{a b} Melis Bilen Official Web Site Retrieved August 25, 2011
12. ^ 3 Saat - Bir ÖSS Belgeseli. Giyotin Film, 2008 Retrieved August 25, 2011
13. ^ Melis Bilen - IMDB Retrieved August 25, 2011
14. ^ Kıbrıs FM'e özel jingle. Kıbrıs Gazetesi. 02.08.2011 Retrieved August 25, 2011

External links

• Melis Bilen Official Web Site: www.melisbilen.com
• Melis Bilen at the Internet Movie Database

Persondata
Name	Bilen, Melis
Alternative names
Short description	Turkish singer-songwriter.
Date of birth	December 10, 1985
Place of birth	Istanbul, Turkey
Date of death
Place of death