Maria Rita Epik is a singer, songwriter and music educator who won Tรผrkiye's national qualification for the Eurovision Song Contest in 1979. He comes from a Levantine family of Italian origin; Today, his name is mostly remembered with the music school he founded in Izmir.
He was born in Izmir in 1958. He continued his musical education in the United States, studying piano, harmony, voice and composition at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech).
1979 Eurovision qualification
In 1979, he participated in the national final organized by TRT, together with the progressive rock band 21. Peron, with the song Seviyorum, for which he wrote the lyrics and music. The song was chosen first among fourteen works. However, that year's competition was to be held in Jerusalem, Israel, where the winner the previous year had won.
Due to pressure from Arab countries, the country's economic difficulties and possible political repercussions, Tรผrkiye withdrew from the competition; Thus, I Love could not reach the international stage.
Music education and albums
After returning to Tรผrkiye, he focused on education. In 1990, he founded the private music school bearing his name in Izmir. He has been the Turkish representative of the UK-based music examination institution ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) since 1992; The school works as one of the exam centers of this institution in Tรผrkiye.
The albums released by Epik, who also continues to sing, are as follows:
- Meet (1979)
- You Are Not With Me (1989)
- So Why Did I Die (1994)
- It's Been a Long Time (2005)
Epik's name takes place in the history of Turkish pop music as the winner of the 1979 qualifier who could not go to Eurovision.
