Bitter messages in colorful packaging: With Müslüm, Semih Yavsaner (37) from Bern has created a fictional character who speaks the truth in a cheeky and unfiltered way.
No matter where he appears, the attention belongs to Müslüm with his beard and thick monobrow - whether on the internet, where his music videos have now generated millions of clicks, on television with his own show or on the red carpet of the Swiss Music Awards 2016, where he was nominated for "Best Solo Act" and "Best Hit".
He seems entertaining, but if you listen closely to the singing parody Turk, the laughter often gets stuck in your throat. "Thanks to my role as Müslüm, I can spread my messages more widely than as the private person Semih Yavsaner," says the man from Bern with Turkish roots.
But what kind of messages does his fictional character spread? "I wish people would question things more," he says. "They should stop stroking their dead iPhone every day and realize that we are here in this world to be and not to have."
Future of "Müslüm TV" still uncertain
Yavsaner is leading by example here: "I have already turned down several requests for advertising deals. The motivation for what I do is not the money, but the art itself. Müslüm is my pure devotion - he is my better half." According to the artist, there is a lack of empathy and the courage to speak the uncensored truth in today's society. In other words, Müslüm does all of this as a matter of course.
It is precisely this honesty that often creates tension. Specifically, when considering whether the "Müslüm TV" program should continue on SRF. "You know, these TV episodes didn't fully represent my vision," he says. "I supplied SRF with the ingredients and they then turned them into a dish. But what good are the best ingredients if the chef doesn't appreciate them?" But they are in talks.
Lauter Müslüm with Stiller Has
To get people to listen to you, you need a good lure, says Semih Yavsaner. Hence the brightly colored outfits. "Nowadays, the packaging gets more attention than the content," says Yavsaner. "That's why I offer my content in interesting packaging."
The concept is working: since the music video for the song about SVP politician Erich Hess (35) was released in 2010, Müslüm has become part of Swiss cultural heritage. On December 12, Müslüm and the dialect band Stiller Has will perform their songs in the Salto Natale tent.
MÜSLÜM - LIVE AT CIRCUS
Mon, 12.12.16, Holberg parking lot Zurich-Kloten
TICKETS
"This article was originally published in SonntagsBlick magazine".
