Queer singer tries to create space for discussion in Turkey
As the government ramps up its anti-LGBTQ stance, Mabel Matiz, one of Turkey’s most popular queer artists, says he will continue to write songs that inspire public conversation on taboos.
Istanbul, Turkey — In early August, Fatih Karaca, better known as Mabel Matiz, stood on stage in Istanbul. As the first chords of one of his most famous songs, "Alaimisema," an old Turkish word meaning “rainbow,” began to swell, he spoke to the sold-out crowd.
“Humans are creatures that are very susceptible to excluding the other, to alienating the other, to becoming hostile, to excluding what they do not know,” Matiz said. “But underneath all that, I think we all know that we are the same deep down.”
Matiz knows this intimately. Despite his queer identity, Matiz is beloved by fans across the political and religious spectrum. He says his music creates a space where people in Turkey can explore controversial topics — a space ever-rarer in a politically and culturally polarized country.
“I have worked hard to create music that can share a common point with everyone,” Matiz told Al-Monitor, speaking in Turkish through an interpreter.
