It is as if "storytelling," which dominated the song form in Turkish music for so long, has been abandoned in the past few years.
Perhaps it is due to lack of inspiration on the part of the songwriters or the incessant demand that everything should merely "entertain" and not tire people with "heavy stuff." In such an entertainment-oriented popular music culture, Sezen Aksu remains as one of the few songwriters whose songs still talk about something and tell a story.

When her new album, "Deniz Yıldızı," came out a couple of days ago, everyone in the popular music scene was given a model of pop as art. There are 14 songs on the album, with rich, well-arranged instrumentation. Almost all the arrangements on the album belong to Arto Tunçboyacıyan, whose fine musicianship is highly appreciated worldwide; his film scores, such as the unforgettable soundtrack to "Avcı," his percussion works, his co-productions with international musicians, and his compositions and instrumental performances are top notch, to say the least. So, when we see "Mr. Avant Garde Folk" next to his name in the sleeve notes, we think this term defines him quite well.

The lyrics belong to Aksu and, in some songs, Yıldırım Türker, whose poems have been performed by Aksu in previous albums. Those who read the Radikal daily should be familiar with the writing style of Türker, whose columns are not only informative regarding the marginal and underprivileged in Turkey, but also well written in a unique style of his own.

"Kırık Vals," composed by Boyaciyan and written by Türker, is a fine example of tango enmeshed with Aegean melodies and a nostalgic feeling reminiscent of the black and white movies of the sixties, which the song also talks about. There is also a recording of Onno Tunç playing a song that he composed, called "On: Ay." Those who know Aksu know how much Aksu's music was shaped and influenced by Tunç's musicianship. Tunçboyacıyan is now bringing forth Tunç's musical spirit in his works.

"Güvercin," another outstanding piece on the album, is a song written and composed by Aksu in memory of Hrant Dink and features beautiful poetry. Aksu's inspiration on this album is wide-ranging, including literary references and even verses by Khalil Gibran. The song after which the album is named is based on a story by Lauren Tseney, called "The story of the starfish." The story talks about a man who spent his entire day throwing starfish back into the ocean because he believed that even if he cannot prevent every starfish from drying up and dying, he can make a difference to each individual starfish's life.

That is exactly what Sezen Aksu aims at in her songs, to make a difference for those precarious lives out there that need their stories to be told.

todayszaman