MFÖ

Mazhar Fuat Özkan (MFÖ) was a Turkish pop and rock band consisted of members Mazhar Alanson, Fuat Güner, and Özkan Uğur. While many of their songs poke fun at common Turkish types ("Ali Desidero", "Piskopatım") or satirise prejudice and corruption ("Deli Deli", "Rüşvet"), others are more spiritual in nature, showing their interest in Sufism ("Sufi", "Ateş-i Aşka"). In 1965, Mazhar Alanson and Fuat Güner first met at a record shop when Alanson saw Güner with a Beatles record in his hand and offered then a stranger Güner to listen the record together. Alanson and Güner would then start to work together and play in the Turkish band, Kaygısızlar, which includes other well known Turkish musicians like Ali Serdar, Semih Oksay, Fikret Kızılok, and Barış Manço. Having also played with Kaygısızlar, Özkan Uğur would start working with other musicians like Erkin Koray, Ersen ve Dadaşlar, and Kurtalan Ekspres after Kaygisizlar separated in 1971. The same year, in 1971, Mazhar Alanson and Fuat Güner recorded the only album of Mazhar-Fuat. The title of the LP is Türküz Türkü Çağırırız. Following this LP's commercial failure, in 1976, Alanson and Güner formed the band, İpucu Beşlisi, with Özkan Uğur, Ayhan Sicimoğlu, and Galip Boransu, which would separate in 1978. In 1984, MFÖ would release their first LP Ele Güne Karşı Yapayalnız which turned out to be a big hit. Though, it is accepted MFÖ is officially established in 1971 when Özkan Uğur first played with Alanson and Güner. On July 8 2023, member of the band Özkan Uğur died due to a relapse of the lymphoma cancer he had previously survived.