Türküola

Türküola is a German–Turkish record company founded in the 1960s by Yılmaz Asöcal. It was the first record company to produce Turkish music in Germany, serving the large Turkish immigrant community that grew during the guest-worker era. The label released LPs, cassettes and later CDs by well-known Turkish artists such as Barış Manço, Cem Karaca, İbrahim Tatlıses, Zeki Müren and Coşkun Sabah, as well as many migrant musicians who began their careers in Germany, including its best-selling artists Metin Türköz and Yüksel Özkasap. At times Türküola was the highest-turnover independent label in Germany, though this was little known to the German public. Originally based in Cologne, the company moved its headquarters to Istanbul after 1973, with distribution handled by Ariola. Today Türküola continues to produce a range of Turkish musicians, mainly in traditional Turkish music genres. The trademark rights are registered with the German Patent and Trade Mark Office to Grand Records International in Ankara.

Türküola was founded in the 1960s by Yılmaz Asöcal, who came to Cologne in 1955 to study German studies. During the first wave of guest workers, he worked as an interpreter alongside his studies, giving him much contact with his compatriots who longed for news and music from their homeland. In 1964 he founded the label Türkisch-Deutsch-Export, a kind of blueprint for later import-export shops of that era. However, he had to close the business shortly afterwards because under the laws of the time Turkish citizens were not allowed to found a company, and he fell out with his German partner. Through the mediation of Hans-Jürgen Wischnewski (SPD), he finally managed to found Türküola. The company was initially based in Cologne, and after 1973 had its headquarters in Istanbul. Distribution was handled by Ariola. Türküola was the first record company to produce Turkish music in Germany. In addition to LPs, cassettes and later CDs by well-known Turkish artists such as Barış Manço, Cem Karaca and his arranger, musician and manager Ralf Mähnhöfer, İbrahim Tatlıses, Edibe Sulari, Zeki Müren or the Armenian- and Assyrian-descended Coşkun Sabah, from the 1960s Asöcal also produced numerous labor migrants who only began a musical career in Germany. This group included the two best-selling artists of the record company – Metin Türköz and Yüksel Özkasap, who also became known in Turkey. At times Türküola was the highest-turnover independent label in Germany, a fact hardly known to the German public. Particularly Yüksel Özkasap, later the wife of the Türküola founder, was able to celebrate extraordinary success as the "Nightingale of Cologne" largely unnoticed by the German public within the Turkish immigrant group in Germany. For example, a single by Özkasap sold more often than Vicky Leandros' "Theo, we're going to Lodz". Nevertheless, Türküola's albums were not listed in any German charts and were not awarded gold records, because they were not listed through the IFPI and their distribution was often via cassettes rather than LPs. Today Türküola produces a whole range of Turkish musicians, mainly of traditional Turkish music genres. The trademark rights are registered with the German Patent and Trade Mark Office to the company Grand Records International in Ankara.

• 1973

  After 1973, the company's headquarters is in Istanbul.

• 1964

  Asöcal founds the label Türkisch-Deutsch-Export, a precursor to Türküola.

• 1960

  Türküola is founded by Yılmaz Asöcal (exact year in the 1960s).

• 1955

  Yılmaz Asöcal comes to Cologne to study German studies.

Pioneer and leading independent label for Turkish music in Germany, serving the Turkish immigrant community.

• LPs, cassettes and CDs of Turkish music

  Releases by artists such as Barış Manço, Cem Karaca, İbrahim Tatlıses, Zeki Müren, Coşkun Sabah, Metin Türköz and Yüksel Özkasap.

1. 1Türküola Müzikturkuolamuzik.com
2. 2Türküola Müzik - Hakkımızdaturkuolamuzik.com
3. 3Türküola - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Türküola - Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org