“I think there is always hope and still we can change something in this world to be a better place” – interview with Bülent Ceylan

Bülent Ceylan has been dominating German stages for more than 25 years. From his origins as one of Germany’s now most famous comedians to performing at Wacken Open Air, he’s simply unstoppable. We got the chance to interview him during this year’s edition of the famous German festival!

I’m here with the amazing Bülent Ceylan. How are you doing today?

Bülent Ceylan: Fine, it’s a big honor for me to make the interview with you, because I love Finland.

Fantastic. So, of course, you are releasing a new album in September. How does it feel to be embraced as, a 360 degree artist and not just a comedian?

Bülent Ceylan: That is really nice, because sometimes from other countries they see you more as a musician, in Germany I’m famous because I’m a comedian, then it’s hard for them to accept the metal musician, like, “Ah, yes, he’s singing metal too“. Now, step by step with the second album, it comes more and more. I had a Spanish interview, and he said, “Yes, you might be a comedian in Germany, but we take you really seriously in Spain, with the new album.”

That was a big honor for me, because in a way, yes, of course, comedy is my thing, but also metal rock music is my thing. Why can’t people accept both, it’s in my two souls, in my breast, that’s what we say in German. Yeah, it would be a big honor to play in Finland, because we all know in Scandinavian country metal rock music is more popular than in the south of Europe. So, I hope one day I come to your country, and not only as a holiday, but to be on stage.

Of course, one of the things that I’m so happy about the new album from you is that you have the metal queen, Doro, one of your tracks. How did that collaboration happen?

Bülent Ceylan: Yeah, we always knew each other, and one time, I was getting a comedy award years ago, and she made the speech of it. She’s saying, yes, here he is, and he’s getting the award and all that. That was a big honor for me, too. Doro, she’s such a beautiful, nice, warm-hearted person, and she’s a really great singer. I asked her, I was thinking, “This is a beautiful song, Wolfsherz, it’s about someone you lose in your life“. You know what special was on that song? Because when we recorded it, she said to me, “You know, Bülent, I was canceling everything because my mother is dying. So I don’t know when she’s dying, but I have to go after that quick. But I really want to do that with you, that song, to record that”. So we did it.

It’s like a sign: after that video we made, in the night, her mother died. Like Doro said to me, “It’s like you and me, we did something, the last thing for my mother“. That touched me really much because I lost my father in 2012. I had a good relationship with my father. She had a really great relationship with her mother. This was a little bit sad, but in a way, I think people should know the story behind that song, because sometimes it’s good to know what that song also means for the singers. It is a big thing, big emotional song for us both.

Because I can talk about it, Doro said I can talk about it, because I’m always respectful about death and all, but I mean, it belongs to life. Her mother was over 90, I think, but it doesn’t matter how old they get. The parents, if you love them, you always feel it.

Absolutely. Are there any songs in the album that when you started writing them, they started in one way, and then they completely changed something different?

Bülent Ceylan: Yeah. I mean, my style is like the chorus is often with the melody and the lyrics are more strong, crawling and really powerful. I wouldn’t say the chorus is not powerful, but it’s more like a singing. People are always surprised when they hear songs from me when they don’t know me. They say, “This is you too? And what is that singer then?” I say, “No, that’s me too“. But it’s great for me, it’s a big compliment. I’m not saying with this album that I’m a great singer.

I have political, critical text in there and it’s about against dictatorships. The songs are against dictatorship because so many dictators, assholes in this world are suppressing people. It’s about creed. Also we’re destroying the women. It’s that the song “Fünf vor Zwölf” I think it’s the second song. And it’s like, yeah, “How can I say a warning to the people?“

Normally you would say, “After twelve o’clock, it’s not too late anyway in the world“. But I have four kids and I’m a father too. And I want to try to still give hope even in my song lyrics, because if we can’t give hope to the kids, then how will they live? I mean, you need some hope. And yes, because I believe in God. So I think there is always hope and still we can change something in this world to be a better place.

But at the moment it looks not good, the devil is really on the go. We have to still fight against racism. This is a big topic. I don’t know how it’s in Finland, but racism is so coming up and more. It was always there in the world, but it feels like people are going backwards. And in Germany it’s not good at the moment. So I hope we, yeah, I hope people wake up.

If you had to describe the new album using like a food metaphor, what kind of food would the new album be?

Bülent Ceylan: It would be a hot chicken curry. Yes, because it’s hot and sometimes it’s like a chicken because you see sometimes it’s a little soft and a little bit yummy. But then curry, oh, really hot, really spicy. And it could be even a hot turk, a little turkey delight.

People say that it’s hard to describe myself or the music because then people think I’m showing off or something. And I don’t care. I say I do my music and if people love it and like it, it’s nice because I want to want to spread love at the end.

I want to entertain the people and, and come together. The biggest dream is when other people from other music style come to a heavy metal festival or to my concert and say, “Oh, I really was going up my comfort zone. So normally I hear rap or other music, but when I was at your concert, it really touched me.“

This is a big compliment, you know, like, I think I can, I have a feeling like in a comedy too. I combine people, connect people. So that’s my job to do. It’s nice if I can reach people with the music too, it would be great. So we try this with the second album and if it’s don’t work, I don’t give up. I go with the third album.