*This interview, conducted by Eylül Aşkın, was first published in Turkish on 23.04.2023 on the online art platform sosyeteart.com. https://sosyeteart.com/index.php/2023/04/23/idil-cagatay-kisitlanmayi-sevmiyorum/
Today's guest is once again a highly successful and vibrant woman in her field. Meet İdil Çağatay, a vocalist, instrumentalist, lyricist, composer, arranger, and voice coach.
How did your interest in music begin? Could you share a bit about the stage of self-discovery?
- My interest in music started at a very young age. Every sound I heard and every instrument I saw fascinated me. If it was within my reach, I would always pick it up and try to make sounds, composing little pieces on my own. Over time, this passion strengthened, and by middle school, I decided to carve my path in this direction. I was always the student preferred by teachers in school choirs, which kept me constantly involved in music. Then, in my high school years, I decided to enter the conservatory. Singing, in particular, held a special place for me. My interest in classical music led me towards opera, and my passion for instruments led me to the harp department. I pursued both simultaneously, and they remain significant passions in my life to this day.
You graduated from Istanbul University State Conservatory Opera Department, dedicating approximately 8 years to opera both during your student years and after graduation. Could you tell us about the turning point when you shifted from opera to Rock and Metal genres? What factors led to this change, and how did you decide to form the "Kırmızı" (Red) band?
- Opera can be considered the highest point a human voice can technically reach, and it still captivates me immensely. I am currently actively continuing my classical singing practice and preparing a classical piece with a singing teacher friend from the conservatory. We plan to give concerts in the near future. So, I haven't completely severed ties, but rock/metal genres are the areas where I freely express my soul. It's a more creative space where I feel truly myself. I love the raw sounds and dirty vocals. They feel more real and closer to life. After all, life is a bit distorted. In opera, you can exist as a performer, but I sought an unlimited space where I could find my own voice and convey my thoughts, always looking for complete freedom of expression without being constrained by rules. I don't like constraints; I want to think entirely freely and express that without getting caught up in rules. These sounds become a channel where I can easily release my inner energy. I have a somewhat underground side, and naturally, it's challenging to reflect that in high art. When I realized this in 2004, I decided to express myself in another field with a different sound. This is where Kırmızı's journey began. The idea of forming a band excited me. Sharing something together, creating together, capturing that camaraderie and energy on stage, combining our ideas—all of it was appealing. Then, we met Aslı Polat, the drummer of the band, in a studio. When we saw that we wanted the same things, we laid the foundations of the band together. From 2005 to 2013, we actively performed on stages in many cities, primarily Istanbul, and even internationally.
With the "Kırmızı" band, you've achieved numerous successes, notably performing as the opening act for Ozzy Osbourne, being invited to represent our country at Festival Mundial in the Netherlands, and winning second place at the 2012 Eurock Marathon. Based on your experiences, what differences have you observed between the rock/metal audience in Turkey and the rock/metal audience in Europe?
- Firstly, we don't have a well-established rock culture. I don't really expect it either. Since birth, our ears have been predominantly filled with monophonic and modal music. It's entirely related to how people express themselves and find themselves in that land. Genres like rock and metal, with their rebellious and assertive themes, addressing contemporary issues, can be exhausting to ears not accustomed to protest and unfamiliar musical styles. Therefore, we struggle to feel the same excitement as communities that have grown up within this culture. I would describe our audience as more reserved. They generally prefer to hear familiar things and unfortunately, are not very open to new things. They still enjoy hearing covers of the same songs. I observed this during the many years we played as a cover band. In Europe, the situation is very different. They truly live in the moment and watch with interest and curiosity. They are also very respectful. From what I have observed, there isn't as much of a cover culture. They are more interested in the original songs of the bands they go to see, which naturally pushes them towards more creativity.
Considering the consecutive international successes, have you ever thought about creating an English album with the band and venturing into the European market?
- Yes, I have considered it, and I still am. I currently have an album project in the works, for which I've already planted the seeds, and a single with lyrics I've written that is awaiting composition. However, at the moment, I am primarily focused on a Turkish album that I am working on. Once that is completed, I plan to dive into the English album project.
In 2011, you founded your production and organization company, RedRec Music Production. As a lyricist, composer, and arranger, with whom or on which projects have you collaborated?
- I established that company to freely release our own works without being tied to anyone. In the early days, we had discussions with some major companies for Kırmızı's projects, but after realizing that our vision did not align, and commercial concerns would constrain and try to shape us, we decided to take a different path. We even worked with some individuals we thought we were closer to and a record company for the first single, but again, we couldn't find what we were looking for. That's when we decided to establish RedRec and walk our own path. It was never for commercial purposes. It was purely a record company established to be free. We released albums only for two friends outside ourselves. Besides that, I generally do everything for myself. I prefer to write my own lyrics and compose, arranging them. However, in the production stage, my musician friends contribute with their ideas and instruments.
As a strong woman who does almost everything from lyrics to composition, and from composition to arranging, have you faced the challenges of being an independent woman in the industry? How did you cope with these challenges?
- Being independent is not easy. If you don't have a strong production company behind you, making your voice heard becomes a bit more challenging. You end up doing things that a team should do. This requires serious effort and time, and although it can be tiring, it's a choice. You have to think about more things and live with multiple open tabs in your mind. The downside is that, while bringing to life what you've envisioned in your mind, you need more time since you're dealing with many things simultaneously. I try to overcome this by sleeping less and working more.
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