Sibel Redžep: Difference between revisions

File:Sibel Grammy.jpg

Sibel at the 2008 Swedish Grammy Awards.

Sibel Redzep, (Turkish: Sibel Recep) (born 12 December 1987 in Republic of Macedonia,Konce) is a Macedonian-born Swedish pop singer of Turkish descent. She is known from the Swedish television show Idol 2005, where she was the second runner up. She was also a semifinalist of Idol 2004, where she placed fourth in her group but didn't make it to the finals.

Before she joined the show she lived in Kristianstad, Sweden.

Biography

In 2004 16-year old Sibel Redzep, burst onto Swedish TV screens auditioning for “Idol” singing Christina Aguilera's 'Beautiful' reducing the usually hard faced judge Peter Swartling to tears. The following year she was beaten to the final by Agnes Carlsson and Sebastian Karlsson. This was just the beginning, promised Sibel, and now she is back stronger than ever, not only as a musician but as a person too!

Sibel's background is both colourful and dramatic. She was born in the town of Radovis, in the mountains of south-eastern Macedonia. Her family lived in the nearby small community group but is of Turkish origin. The village is beautiful, but the area is rough and the population is poor.

Sibel's mother was one of eight siblings, her father one of seven. And when her parents grew up it was really different. Sometimes there was not even food on the table ... When Sibel's parents were younger, they escaped to marry, before Sibel's two older sisters Selma and Zelda were born. Sibel's mother also gave birth to a third daughter prior to Sibel being born, but the child was unwell and died of a heart condition after two months. Sibel tells that her mother had always dreamed of having three daughters and that indirectly, she was born out her her sisters death, saying that she feels she was born to a sadness and grief in her life.

Sibel was born with a complex joint problem, which is normally addressed during the first days of birth but unfortunately in Sibel's case it was undiscovered until she was six months old. To carry out this operation meant travelling to Malmo.

“There is a photo from our departure from the group in which all the family members and relatives stand crying except me who is smiling like the sun!”

After the operation Sibel became fixed with plaster from her hip to her bottom. Subsequently, she still had to lie in a hospital bed for eight months without being able to move anything but her hands. After being operated on no fewer than eight times on her hip joint, Sibel eventually started school. For the first period of school she had to use a wheelchair until eventually she gained strength and started to use crutches.

“Instead of growing up with the family, I was living at the hospital, and I was never going to nursery or day care with the other children”

Today, Sibel no longer suffers greatly with her hip, although she has to train everyday so as not to let the joints stiffen. After an operation a few years ago, she no longer has problems of otitis that made her wear a hearing aid for most of her childhood and the majority of her teens. A successful operation when she was 15 gave her back 90% of the hearing she lost, something which Sibel herself says got her to talk and sing too high at school!

Sibel took part in the 2007 Melodifestivalen competition to find a Swedish entry for the Eurovision Song Contest with the ballad 'That Is Where I'll Go” composed by Christian Antblad who composed most of the songs on Sibel's debut Album. Sibel exclaims that she has always has a love-hate relationship with the Schlager genre of songs.

“I really love the song that I'm taking part with this year. It's a specially powerful ballad with long high notes and mighty fine arrangements with strings of Youth Orchestra Scandinavian Strings from Gothenburg.”

Sibel's management team includes none other than “Idol” judge Peter Swartling, who immediately after the unexpected loss of Sibel in the penultimate round of Idol 2005 turned to her and promised .. “We'll make a record anyway!” Swartling stood to his word and in the summer of 2006, he started work with Sibel in the studio with songwriter/producer Christian Antblad in Dublin. With Sibel at the microphone it was decided that they would work with big ballads for her spectacular voice. One of the ballads, 'How I Tried To Let You Go' was originally a small idea for a chorus sung by Sibel over the phone, which was taken to the studio where Christian and Peter immediately fell for it. With a total of about thirty songs recorded, Sibel returned to the home town of Kristianstad to graduate from high school.

“In some ways it was good to go back and be “normal “ again but the only people who treated me the same were family and close friends. In school, most people were, quite frankly, evil or jealous only because I had been on “Idol” and they no longer saw me as myself.”

Music has always been an important part of Sibel's life, she tells how she always sings whether she's happy or sad. Although the starting field for Agnes Carlsson, Sebastian Karlsson, Måns Zelmerlöw, Ola Svensson and Sibel, Idol 2005 was undoubtedly the strongest series in the competitions history and Sibel felt extremely disappointed after being eliminated.

Sibel took part in the 2007 Melodifestivalen, which was eventually won by former Eurovision winner Charlotte Perrelli. Since the show Sibel has released her album “The Diving Belle” and two singles, “That Is Where I'll Go” and “Make Believe”. There are plans to release her debut album in Turkey, in Turkish!

Melodifestivalen 2008

Redzep participated in Melodifestivalen 2008 with the ballad That is Where I'll Go, in the last semifinal, where she advanced to "Andra chansen", and subsequently made it to the finals. In hope of representing Sweden at Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Belgrade, Serbia. The event was won by former eurovision winner Charlotte Perrelli.

Ronald McDonald House

Sibel is now the ambasador for Ronald McDonald house, Barnfond, the childrens charity. Sibel has dedicated her second single " Make Believe" to the charity to prvide houses as Sibel herself, as a child, spent alot of time in hospotals and believes that what she lacked was a proximity with her family. The foundation are offering that if you either donate 200 SEK or more, or you become a monthly donater then you will get a signed copy of Sibel's debut album at no charge.

Discography

Albums

• March 12 2008 - The Diving Belle (#9 SWE)

Singles

• 2008 - That is Where I'll Go (#6 SWE)
• 2008 - Make Believe (#56 SWE)

Also contributes at

• October 19 2005 - My Own Idol - Idol 2005

External links

• Official Site
• Sibel Redzep from TV4