Athena can be traced back to 1987 when the Özoguz brothers, Hakan and Gökhan, became passionately fond of making music with a makeshift cumbus (metal bodied mandolin) they made out of a wooden crate. Metal from wood! They're magicians!

The four man group have recently had considerable success in the Turkish pop charts with their soft punk/ska style music. Two of the members of the band are brothers. Athena reached the top three with a song supporting the national basketball team, Oniki Dev Adam, (Twelve giant men).   

Aged 11, brothers Hakan and Gökhan began to take guitar lessons, and posted an advertisement at a shopping arcade to seek a bass player and a drummer. Being sure that their love of music was not a passing teenage desire, Hakan and Gökhan continued their search against all odds, and finally found both a group name and a bass guitarist and a drummer.
 
Athena's ska sound and songs were welcomed by the local record-buying public so much so that the title song of the album was adapted and sung as a march by football supporters of all ages at stadiums. Shortly after releasing the Holigan album in 1999, Athena began a large-scale tour of Turkey. One of the significant moments of the tour was their role as a support act for THE ROLLING STONES' concert at Ali Sami Yen Stadium which is considered to be the most important performance of their career.
 
Then came one of the major events in Athena 's career, the “ 12 Dev Adam ” (12 Giant Men) project. Turkish Basketball Federation, planning to have a song written for the national basketball team, decided that Athena was the most suitable group for this assignment thanks to its hooligan culture. Many European newspapers commented that the song, sung by the team's supporters during the matches, considerably led the team to play better.

The Group
 
With a homepage that looks for all the world like a call to arms for all far right extremists everywhere, it could be said that on the face of it, Turkish "Athena" are in the wrong country. 
But they are almost single handedly defying the stereotypical reputation of skinheads as spitting, bottle throwing louts, by successfully removing any attitude, political anger, or reggae from their ska/punk music.

The Past
Sertab couldn't have happened to Turkey at a better time. During futile attempts of the nation to sally forward for EU membership, along came a 4 foot toothy curiosity who did more for their cause in 3 minutes than the whole government had achieved in the preceding 10 years... maybe. 2003 saw the first victory for Turkey in what until that point had basically been a shameful experience. Sebnem Paker (not Lady Penelope's chauffeur, there's no "r") had miraculously come fairly close, but apart from that occasion even Portugal were becoming jealous of their pitiable challenges to bring attention to the nation "where East meets West". Their successful hosting in 2004 changed all that, and putting aside politics for a moment, and instead embracing bad European music, we welcome Turkey with open arms.

The Song

It's an unusual ska/pop effort, with a touch of the mystic East. Ska brings back fond memories for me, walking down the local park in black suit, white shirt, and thin piano leather tie. Singing "Mirror in the Bathroom" at the mirror in the bathroom, thinking I was being ironic. In retrospect I probably being more like the lad out of "Witness".
"For Real" is about as Real as the Kebab Board's latest slogan of "Eat kebabs, they will do you good."
The drummer/trumpets/guitarist may look stupid having to mime though.

The one and only "Wanna" count - Quite stupendously huge. I count 16! A record

Overall

Athena are my "I have a terrrible feeling" for this year. No-one likes a smart -arse, and Turkey may well becoming the bod of the class. Like last year, they've picked a easily categorised pop tune with an added touch of ethnicity. And we all know what the "wanna count" says....
Though clearly not The Specials, who wants The Specials at the Eurovision. Turkey could do especially well again, even though it's not special.

In a Nutshell
"Emphasis on the bad in Bad Manners"

 

For Real
 
Hey you!
What you doing?
What you waiting for?
Comin' up, let's go, yeah
Are you in, are you in, are you in there?
Can't you see where we could go?
 
All I know is you don't want to be part of the crowd
Realise yourself
You say it but don't feel it, what you sayin' has no meanin'
Face the truth, don't hide your soul
For real, I'm for real
 
Up, I wanna bring you up
Up, I wanna bring you up
I wanna bring you up
Up, I wanna bring you up
Do you want, do you want
Up, up, I wanna bring you up, up
 
No questions, no answers
Rules around the circles
Respect me and you will see
Are you in, are you out?
Do you know your way out?
Comin' up now, comin' up
For real, I'm for real
 
Up, I wanna bring you up
Up, I wanna bring you up
I wanna bring you up
Up, I wanna bring you up
Do you want, do you want
Up, up, I wanna bring you up, up
 
Up, I wanna bring you up
Up, I wanna bring you up
I wanna bring you up
Up, I wanna bring you up
Do you want, do you want
Up, up, I wanna bring you up, up
I wanna bring you!
 
Come on
Come on
Risin' up now, risin' up now...

 

Prediction Semi Final N/A
Final 18th
Gokhan
Les Dawson