Biography
Who is Sertab Erener?
Early Life and Education
Sertab Erener was born in Istanbul in 1964 to parents Nizamettin and Yücel. She spent her youth in the Eyüp district. Her brother Serdar influenced her while growing up. Her father worked as a soloist on Istanbul Radio for a brief time before becoming a lawyer. At eleven, she received a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis. This condition required many hospital stays during her schooling years at Işık High School. Despite these health challenges, she pursued her passion for music.
She enrolled at the Istanbul University State Conservatory to study opera. Later, she continued her education at the Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University. While she enjoyed classical music, she eventually shifted her focus toward stage performances.
Musical Beginnings and Sezen Aksu
She met Sezen Aksu in 1987 at a birthday event. After performing there, she was offered a position as a backing vocalist. She initially declined the opportunity because she was already working as a soloist. However, she eventually accepted the role. In 1987, she competed in the Kuşadası Golden Pigeon Music Competition using the name Sertab Altın. She attempted to represent Turkey in the Eurovision contest several times during the late eighties and early nineties.
Her major breakthrough arrived in 1992 with the debut album Sakin Ol. The project received significant support from Sezen Aksu, Uzay Heparı, and Aysel Gürel. This release sold hundreds of thousands of copies shortly after hitting the market. It helped establish her as a prominent pop artist in Turkey.
Eurovision and Career Success
The most significant moment of her career occurred in 2003 when she won the Eurovision Song Contest. She performed the song Everyway That I Can. This victory marked the first time Turkey had ever won the competition. Following this, she earned the State Medal of Distinguished Service. She released several albums during the 2000s, including No Boundaries and Aşk Ölmez.
In 2010, she returned to the music scene with the album Rengârenk. This record featured popular tracks such as Bu Böyle and Açık Adres. She later released Ey Şuh-i Sertab in 2012, which she dedicated to her father. In 2013, the album Sade arrived, providing hits like İyileşiyorum. She has also won seven Kral TV Video Music Awards.
Personal Life and Teaching
Outside of her singing career, she taught music at the Müjdat Gezen Art Center for one year. Her personal life has seen her marry three times. She was married to Levent Yüksel during the nineties. In 2015, she married Emre Kula.
She has achieved widespread recognition for her music style and is frequently cited as a successful artist mentored by Sezen Aksu. In 2014, she appeared in a list of symbols of the Republic published by Hürriyet. Her vocal talent spans opera and pop music.
Birthday and age
Sertab Erener was born on December 4, 1964, which makes Sertab 61 years old today. That birthday falls under the Sagittarius sign. Sertab shares the date with 50 other famous people.
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