Merdan Taplak is well on his way to become an established name in the Belgian world music scene. For those not familiar with the Turkish-Belgian deejay, this interview we did in the Roma theatre in Antwerp (where he opened for Kočani Orkestar) might bring some insight.
Merdan, you're getting quite successful as a deejay, but it's not quite yet your full-time occupation, right?
Merdan Taplak: "No, I still have my day job as a teacher. Tomorrow I have to be in front of my class as normal. In the long term I do hope to take my music career to the next level, though, and do it full-time, unfortunately, financially speaking, that's not an option just yet. I have to say I really enjoy teaching, so please don't make the mistake of thinking I don't like my job."
Do your pupils know you have a second career as a deejay?
Merdan Taplak: "I've just started teaching at a new school and already after the first few days they found out about my deejay career. I don't really have an average name, so these guys probably just googled it and found everything they needed to find. (laughs) That being said, I try to keep both worlds separate as much as I can."
You're fluent in Dutch and professionally you're a teacher/deejay. That doesn't really correspond with the cliché image of the Turkish migrant worker.
Merdan Taplak: "No, I guess at first sight you probably can't tell I'm Turkish and I've had a very varied upbringing. My parents never taught me the Turkish language, but on the other hand I'm quite well-acquainted with Turkish music because they would only watch Turkish television channels. I went to a Flemish catholic school. In a way I'm a reflection of the vibe and message I want my music to radiate. I mix music from different genres and cultures without letting one prevail on the other."
When you play somewhere abroad, are you usually announced as being Belgian or Turkish?
Merdan Taplak: "I usually introduce myself as a Belgian or Fleming with Turkish roots. In the deejay scene, no one really cares where you're from; the only thing that matters is your performance and your set."
Musically speaking, where do you position yourself? You're a deejay, so you're obviously active in the so-called club circuit, but because of the type of music you play, you're also a welcome guest at world music events.
Merdan Taplak: "Yeah, that's the great thing about what I do. One day I can be entertaining business people at a company party, and the next I'll be playing at a gipsy night like here today. What I try to do, my mission statement if you want, is to let these business people get a taste of gipsy music and the gipsy fanatics a taste of electronic music. That's the challenge. I really need variation and blinders are no option for me."
In the past, deejays would spend hours browsing through the records at little specialized music shops. How has that evolved? Where and how do you find the tracks you're looking for?
Merdan Taplak: "Like a lot of other deejays of my generation, I've switched to CD's because it sizeably reduces the weight you have to carry with you on the road, whilst at the same time it increases the amount of songs you can choose from. Today I'm just carrying one CD-folder, and that can easily contain a week's worth of music. The amount of downloadable music on the internet is just immense. I stick to legal downloading at all times, but even iTunes has a huge catalogue. The problem is that a lot of it is crap of course, so you have to spend a lot of time separating the good stuff from the bad. That wasn't really different in the past, so I guess the search has remained more or less the same."
The music you play more or less puts you in the same category as people like Shantel or, in Belgium, deejay Gaetano Fabri. Shantel is performing with a live band these days. Is that something that appeals to you as well?
Merdan Taplak: "Absolutely! I already collaborate with a live saxophonist from time to time and that immediately adds a certain dynamic on stage. I don't want to be seen as just another deejay. Not because I have no respect for the job, but to keep things interesting for myself and, even more important, to get my music across to as broad an audience as possible. In the end, that's what it's all about."
Hadise, another Belgian with Turkish roots, is already a superstar in her homeland. Do people in Turkey already know who Merdan Taplak is?
Merdan Taplak: "(laughs) I fear no one knows me there yet, apart from a couple of fanatic clubbers maybe. My music differs greatly from Hadise's. She's more in the pop circuit. Again, I think I'm still a complete nobody over there, but I'm sure that will change!"