Sezen Aksu
Turkish pop singer and songwriter with over 40 million albums sold.
Sezen Aksu, born Fatma Sezen Yıldırım on 13 July 1954, is a Turkish singer, songwriter, and producer. With worldwide album sales estimated between 10 and 20 million, she ranks among Turkey’s most successful musical artists. Fans often call her the “Queen of Turkish Pop” and “Minik Serçe” (“Little Sparrow”).
Her impact on Turkish pop and global music has been steady since her 1975 debut, strengthened by her mentorship and collaborations with numerous artists, including Yonca Evcimik, Sertab Erener, Şebnem Ferah, Aşkın Nur Yengi, Hande Yener, Yıldız Tilbe, Işın Karaca, Seden Gürel, Harun Kolçak, and Levent Yüksel. Aksu is widely recognized as a prolific songwriter. Her partnership with Tarkan produced continental hits like “Şımarık” and “Şıkıdım,” while working with Goran Bregović expanded her international reach. In 2010, NPR listed her among the world’s “50 Great Voices.”
**Biography**
Aksu was born in Sarayköy, Denizli, Turkey. Her mother, Şehriban Hanım, taught science and came from a family originally from Thessaloniki. Her father, Sami Yıldırım, was a mathematics teacher of Laz origin from Rize. When she was three, the family moved to Bergama, where she spent her childhood and early youth. Her parents discouraged her singing, hoping she would become a doctor or engineer. She would wait until they left home to sing on the balcony. After high school, she studied at Istanbul University Faculty of Communication and Istanbul Technical University Turkish Music State Conservatory before dropping out to focus on music.
Alongside close friend Ajda Pekkan, Aksu is credited with establishing Turkish pop music in the 1970s. Her sound has also spread across the Balkans and Greece. She has toured Europe and the United States to critical acclaim.
She has supported various causes, including constitutional reform, minority rights, women’s rights, environmentalism, and educational reform in Turkey. Aksu has married three times and divorced twice, but kept the surname from her second marriage to Ali Engin Aksu, a geology doctor now living in Canada. With Sinan Özer, she has a son, Mithat Can, who is the lead vocalist of the band Pist’on.
**Career**
**1975–1983: Early life and career beginnings**
Aksu released her first single, “Haydi Şansım/Gel Bana,” in 1975 under the name Sezen Seley. She remained largely unknown until her 1976 single “Olmaz Olsun/Vurdumduymaz” h
- known_for
- Turkish pop music, selling an estimated 10–20 million albums, nicknamed 'Queen of Turkish Pop'
Quick Facts
- Birth Name
- Fatma Sezen Yıldırım
- Birth Date
- 1954-07-13
- Birth Place
- Sarayköy, Denizli, Turkey
- Other Names
- Sezen Seley
- Education
- Ege University (no degree)
- Occupation
- Singer · songwriter · poet · composer · producer · actress
- Spouse
- Hasan Yüksektepe · 1972 · 1972 · reason=div / Ali Engin Aksu · 1974 · 1978 · reason=div / Sinan Özer · 1981 · 1983 · reason=div / Ahmet Utlu · 1993 · 1997 · reason=div
- Children
- 1 (with Sinan Özer)
- Website
- http: · www.sezenaksu.com.tr
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Sezen Aksu was born in Sarayköy, Denizli, Turkey, to Şehriban Hanım, a science teacher, and Sami Yıldırım, a mathematics teacher. Her family moved to Bergama when she was three, and she spent her childhood there. Her parents discouraged her singing, wanting her to become a doctor or engineer, so she would sing on the balcony after they left. She studied at Istanbul University Faculty of Communication and Istanbul Technical University Turkish Music State Conservatory but dropped out to focus on music. Along with Ajda Pekkan, she is credited with laying the foundations of Turkish pop music in the 1970s. Her sound has spread across the Balkans and Greece, and she has toured in Europe and the U.S. to critical appraise. She has been married three times and divorced twice, keeping the name from her second marriage to Ali Engin Aksu, a doctor of geology. She has a son, Mithat Can, with Sinan Özer.
Reader's Guide
Sezen Aksu's significance lies in her foundational role in Turkish pop music since her debut in 1975, her prolific songwriting, and her patronage of numerous other musicians, including Yonca Evcimik, Sertab Erener, and Tarkan. Her collaborations, such as with Tarkan on continental hits like 'Şımarık' and 'Şıkıdım', and with Goran Bregović, widened her international audience. In 2010, NPR named her one of the '50 Great Voices' of the world. Her career includes early singles like 'Haydi Şansım/Gel Bana' and 'Olmaz Olsun/Vurdumduymaz', which reached number one in Turkish charts, and albums such as 'Gülümse' and 'Işık Doğudan Yükselir'. She has championed causes including constitutional reform, minority rights, women's rights, the environment, and educational reform in Turkey. Her legacy is reinforced by her continued influence on Turkish pop and world music, and her retirement from live stage in 2016, though she stated she would continue making music.
Did You Know?
- Sezen Aksu's nicknames include 'Queen of Turkish Pop' and 'Minik Serçe' ('Little Sparrow').
- She competed in the national finals for the Eurovision Song Contest three times but never represented Turkey abroad.
- Her 2006 book 'Eksik Şiir', a collection of 197 songs, sold 17,000 copies in the first four days after its release.
- In 2022, she was criticized by conservatives and religious figures for lyrics in the song 'Ne Şahane Bir Şey Yaşamak'.
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