World Music Awards

Tarkan performed the song "Şımarık" and received a reward for the "Best selling Turkish recording artist" at the World Music Awards 1999 (april '99)

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Tarkan's speech

Thank you very much. First of all I wanna say... I know you don't understand a word I'm singing... *laughs* But I realize it's still beautiful that I was able to reach peoples hearts through the Turkish language. Languages aren't any obstacles to love and share. I wanna thank everybody I'm working with... they're like my family, I love them.
And to my fans... I love you!
*sends a big "Şımarık" kiss*

Interview with VTM (Belgian Television) with Anne de Baetzelier

A: Here's a great kisser!
T: Oh yeah!... *laughs*

A: That's what everybody believes. Are you?
T: It became a tic, I'm always like that *makes a kissing movement*, yeah I think so...

A: Tell me, how did you come up with a song like that?
T: I didn't write it, but a very good friend of mine, a singer in Turkey, she wrote it for me. And when I first heard the kisses in the song I just said: "This is just for me, I have to sing this song", and it's so interesting yeah... the kissing in the song, no words... nothing... just... *kisses twice as in the song*

A: You've conquered the world with your kisses...
T: Not the world yet...

A: Well, VTM and the Belgian audience has appreciated very much this song
T: I think so...

A: What's going to follow?
T: The English album, I'm working on an English album, with Atlantic Records -Ahmet Ertegun- I think it's gonna be released in 2000, that's my aim, that's my dream - to sing in English and make everybody understand what I'm saying, it's difficult in Turkish.

A: Who is your example in music industry? Or don't you have any examples, you just do your thing?
T: No, I have some examples, like Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Prince, Elvis...

A: OK, thanks very much...