Metin Bükey

Metin Bükey—yeah, that guy—he’s the genius behind “Samanyolu,” which, if you ask anyone in Turkey, is basically a national treasure. “Samanyolu” literally means “The Milky Way,” but honestly, it’s bigger than just some cosmic reference. This song is practically woven into the fabric of Turkish pop culture. People still hum it, whistle it, and get a little misty-eyed whenever it pops up on the radio or at weddings, no joke. It’s one of those tunes that just refuses to fade out, no matter how many decades roll by. Now, here’s where things get a bit wild—“Samanyolu” didn’t just stay home. The song took a trip across Europe in the late ‘60s, thanks to Dutch singer David Alexandre Winter. He put his own spin on it, retitled it “Oh Lady Mary” in 1969, and boom, suddenly the song was everywhere in France and kind of took over the charts. People went nuts for it. Then, like dominoes, some big names jumped on board. Dalida—absolute legend in France—couldn’t resist covering it. And Karel Gott, the big voice from Germany, did his own version too. So, this Turkish classic pretty much turned into a European sensation overnight. That’s the magic of a good melody, right? It just ignores borders and does its own thing.