Kendini Gökyüzüne Koymak | Cem Yenel | TEDxITU

Cem Yenel's Journey to Success

• Cem Yenel shares his personal story of finding inspiration and embracing pain to create meaningful music.
• He describes his musical journey, starting at a young age and pursuing music despite societal expectations.
• Yenel achieved success through hard work and gained recognition by participating in the talent show "Yeteneksiniz Türkiye."
• The talent show provided him with a platform to share his music with a wider audience and had a transformative impact on his life and career.

Challenges and Growth

• Yenel faced challenges, including not winning a talent show and feeling stuck in his career.
• He received advice from Aytaç Bey to study economics to complement his music career.
• Yenel had memorable moments, such as performing with Ajda Pekkan and having his first professional photoshoot.
• Encouraged by education consultant Gamze Sart, he pursued a marketing education at Columbia University and later worked at Salesforce in Ireland.

Warner Music Turkey and Creative Crisis

• Yenel signed with Warner Music Turkey and released 45 songs but experienced a creative crisis.
• He decided to quit music professionally but received support from his manager, Gülce, who encouraged him to believe in himself.

Collaboration with Ozan Çolakoğlu and Success

• Yenel achieved a lifelong dream by collaborating with renowned arranger Ozan Çolakoğlu in Barcelona.
• His song "Kalb Taştan" was released after 23 months, and he released "Seni O Gökyüzüne Ben Koydum" as a bridge, which became a turning point in his career.
• The song gained popularity on TikTok and earned him the "Best New Artist of the Year" award from Istanbul University.

Inspiration and Gratitude

• Yenel emphasizes the importance of believing in oneself and finding inspiration in small moments.
• He expresses gratitude to his team for supporting his musical vision and looks forward to sharing more significant stories in the future.