Musicians & singers
Barış Manço
A musician associated with Anatolian rock and a wide cultural legacy.
The Turkish encyclopedia
Musicians & singers
The singers Türkiye grew up with — Anatolian rock, classical Turkish song, folk poetry and pop — and why their records still play everywhere.
5 pages in this category.
Musicians & singers
Zeki Müren
A singer and composer remembered for distinctive performances and stage clothing.
Musicians & singers
Sezen Aksu
The Little Sparrow, the most influential voice in Turkish pop.
Musicians & singers
Tarkan
The pop star who carried Turkish music around the world with Şımarık.
Musicians & singers
Âşık Veysel
The blind bard of Sivas, whose songs every Turkish person knows.
Questions
What is Anatolian rock?
A late-1960s and 1970s sound that put Turkish folk melodies, modes and instruments such as the bağlama through electric guitars and a rock rhythm section. Barış Manço, Cem Karaca and Erkin Koray are the names to start with.
Who is the songwriter behind modern Turkish pop?
Sezen Aksu, known as Minik Serçe, the little sparrow. She has written or produced a remarkable share of the songs other Turkish stars are famous for, alongside her own long career as a singer.
What is an âşık?
A travelling folk poet who sings his own verses and accompanies himself on the saz. The tradition is centuries old; Âşık Veysel, blind from childhood, is its best known twentieth-century voice.