Sertab Erener

On December 4, 1964, Sertab Erener entered the world in Istanbul, later becoming the first Turkish artist to claim victory at the Eurovision Song Contest. Early in her path she collaborated with singer Sezen Aksu, then stepped forward with a solo career that gained traction toward the end of the 1980s. She entered the Turkish national selection for Eurovision in 1989 and returned for another attempt in 1990. Her debut album, Sakin Ol (Calm Down), appeared in 1992. Successive releases followed with Lâ'l (Ruby Wine) in 1994, Sertab Gibi (Like Sertab) in 1996, Sertab Erener in 1999, Sertab in 2000, and Turuncu (Orange) in 2001, alongside the charting tracks “Difficult Woman” in 1999, “Utanma” (Don't Be Shy) and “Bu Yaz” (This Summer) in 2000, and “Yeni” (New) in 2001. By the moment Turkey chose her to compete in the 2003 Eurovision Song Contest, she already ranked among the nation’s leading performers.

A striking stage presentation helped propel “Every Way That I Can” to victory at the contest, after which the song rose to the top of charts throughout Europe. In 2006 the track placed ninth on the all-time Eurovision ranking during the Congratulations broadcast marking the event’s fiftieth anniversary. Her first English-language album, No Boundaries, arrived in 2004 and featured the single “I Believe (That I See Love in You)”; the same period brought her atmospheric interpretation of Bob Dylan’s “One More Cup of Coffee” to the soundtrack of the film Masked and Anonymous. The 2005 release Aþk Ölmez, Biz Ölürüz (Love Doesn't Die, We Do) yielded the title song, “Satýlýk Kalpler Þehri” (City of Hearts for Sale), and a version of Madonna’s “Music” included on the soundtrack for director Fatih Akýn’s Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul. In 2007 the compilation The Best of Sertab Erener collected her most notable recordings.