Turks Tune
into Karaoke
O
riginally as J a p a n e s e an invention as sushi or m a n g a , karaoke
is fast taking over the rest of the world. In major cities across
the globe, getting onstage to sing in public at karaoke bars
and clubs has now b e c o m e a favorite pastime for people of all ages.
The karaoke craze is finally set to sweep istanbul with the opening of
the first dedicated karaoke club, Klub Karaoke in Beyoğlu.
S e r r a Ciliv, RC 9 2 , is one of four founders of Klub Karaoke,
located off Istiklal Caddesi in premises which used to house the
popular Godet nightclub. The idea first c a m e about because " o n e of
our partners is crazy about karaoke and insisted that everyone else
would s o o n be, as w e l l " , she says. After three months of renovations,
Klub Karaoke o p e n e d its doors in May. It boasts three t h e m e d r o o m s
- the intimate 15-person Tokyo R o o m , a cosy red-and-black affair, the
aptly n a m e d leather-and-chains Fetish R o o m , and upstairs, a fun-
filled 100-person space called the Z o o . In addition, the main bar area
has several s c r e e n s and m i c r o p h o n e s where c u s t o m e r s can hang out
on their own, or stop by to sing a s o n g or two on their way
elsewhere. The venue has been a suprise instant s u c c e s s . "At first
we weren't all sure whether people would take to the idea
immediately. But we s o o n realised that deep down everyone loves to
perform publicly, no matter how out of tune or e m b a r a s s i n g it might
s e e m . It's a great way to let off s t e a m , " says Ciliv. The v e n u e is
popular with groups celebrating birthdays, hen nights and even
c o m p a n i e s wanting to offer their e m p l o y e e s a different kind of
entertainment.
She points to herself as a recent convert. "I had never held a
m i c r o p h o n e in my h a n d . A n d people still tell me that I shouldn't. But
I do practice if there is an empty r o o m , and who knows, maybe I'll be
out there singing in the central bar area one fine Friday night!" For
her, Klub Karaoke's greatest asset is that it is most definitely not one
of those uptight urban s p a c e s where people feel they should act
c o o l . " H e r e , everyone's best buddies by the end of the night, bad
voices unify people in the sweetest of ways." Open five days a week,
Klub Karaoke has both English and Turkish language s o n g s in its
database of 2 5 , 0 0 0 tunes. It also has J a p a n e s e and Korean s o n g s
for visiting tourists.
To contact Klub Karaoke or book a r o o m : istiklal C a d . Z a m b a k
sok. No. 15 /1 Beyoglu Tel: +90 212 2 9 3 76 39
info@klub-karaoke.com www.klub-karaoke.com
Fine Hearts Studio: Zeytinoğlu Caddesi Kısmet
Sokak 7A Akatlar Beşiktaş Tel: 0212 351 13 53
New Arts
Center Nurtures
Budding Picassos
W
hen you ask a child why they like making art'', says
child psychologist Meltem Karabayır E r e n , RC 89,
" t h e y will tell you it's because they feel completely free.
There is no pressure, they don't feel like they are being
judged or worried about making a mistake.'' Eren is s u c h a
firm believer in the power of art as a d e v e l o p m e n t a l tool,
she recently o p e n e d the Fine Hearts Studio in Beşiktaş, a
center designed to help pre-schoolers learn in a creative
environment. The Studio is open to children between the
ages of 1.5 and s e v e n . It offers a different program each
month, based on a f a m o u s painter like Monet, P i c a s s o ,
Degas or Van G o g h . While learning about the painter's life
on the one hand, the kids also experiment with different
arts techniques. " A l t h o u g h art is mainly visual, it is
c o n n e c t e d to all types of intelligence," says Eren. " W h e n the
kids e m b a r k on an artistic activity, they make a range of
decisions from what they're going to do, which colors they
want to use, to how they're going to position the paper. This
is hugely important to their development." Activities at the
Studio are in English. " O u r goal here is to try and take
advantage of a critical window in the child's development by
exposing them to English songs, games, stories. This will
help them s p e a k English like a native s p e a k e r in the years
a h e a d . "
Even as a student, Eren knew she wanted to work with
children. While a psychology undergraduate at Boğaziçi
University, she spent her free time working with S e m a Ulcay,
retired P s y c h o l o g y teacher at RC and former director of the
Child Development Center on the RC c a m p u s . " S e m a Hanım
was very influential in getting me interested in pre-school
education," Eren told us. After working at the Center for nine
years post-graduation, Eren decided last year to branch out
on her own, offering pre-schoolers a different kind of activity
center. " T h e r e are a lot of places like the Fine Hearts Studio
abroad. But not that many in Turkey, which offer arts
activities for pre-schoolers outside the framework of a
s c h o o l , " she says. A l t h o u g h it has been hugely rewarding
psychologically, Eren says it has been an uphill struggle at
times. Many Turkish parents are unfamiliar with the idea of
focused children's activities which take up two hours, as
opposed to a whole day. This requires a different approach to
parenting that is only just taking hold. But Eren is optimistic.
"In time, there will be more and more places like this in
Turkey. Interest in the Studio just keeps growing."
44
45