Sertab Erener

Classically-trained, Sertab’s powerful vocals and changing musical styles have marked her out as one of Turkey’s most successful and popular singers. She again topped the charts with her eleventh studio album Sade, released in April of this year.

During her 22-year career, Sertab has sold 5 million albums, achieved eight number one hits and won multiple awards including Best Pop Singer in Turkey five times. Born and raised in Istanbul, she graduated from the city’s State Conservatory as a Soprano singer with a vocal range that extends to a high F. She went straight into a pop career as a backing singer to Sezen Aksu – Turkey’s music icon. With her help, Sertab released her first album Sakin Ol in 1992. Her musical style encompasses pop, rock, folk, jazz and electronica.

The popular singer-songwriter has gone on to become one of Turkey’s most successful female singers abroad, winning the Eurovision song contest in 2003 with Every Way That I Can, which became a top ten hit across Europe. Following this success, Sertab was one of 14 international singers that was invited by Bob Dylan to do covers of his songs. She sang One More Cup of Coffee, which featured in Masked and Anonymous, a semi biopic about Dylan. Sertab’s song Lal, taken from her second album of the same name, was the only Turkish Song in Sony Music's 'Soundtrack for a Century' compilation set that consisted of more than 500 songs. She has also duetted with Ricky Martin on the track Private Emotion, which came out in 2001.

Her latest album Sade features 14 tracks that cut across multiple genres. Of her latest work, Sertab says: "I can tell that it has all the experiments of 20 years.