Sertab Erener is a Turkish singer, songwriter and composer. With her coloratura soprano voice, she started working as a backing vocalist for Sezen Aksu, and with Aksu's help she released her first studio album in the 1990s. Because of her education in classical music, she initially had difficulties in performing pop music. Although she did experimental works from time to time, she eventually preferred to focus on making pop music instead of avant-garde works, in order to make her music heard by a larger audience. In some of her works, she combined Western music and Eastern music, and benefited from operas as well as classical Turkish music with ethnic elements. With her entrance to Europe's market in the early 2000s, many of her works were also sold in Turkey as well as European countries.
Erener in 2019
Erener opening the Eurovision Song Contest 2004, Istanbul
Erener and Demir Demirkan released the album Painted on Water in 2009
Erener performing in June 2014
Sezen Aksu is a Turkish singer, songwriter and producer. She is one of the most successful Turkish singers, having sold over 40 million albums worldwide. Her nicknames include the "Queen of Turkish Pop" and "Minik Serçe".
Sezen Aksu
Sezen Aksu's concert at Maltepe University, 2009
Nilüfer and Sezen Aksu at the Cemil Topuzlu Open-Air Theatre, 2012
Bust of Sezen Aksu in the Akat Artists' Park