Emel Sayın

Emel Sayın, born on 20 November 1945 in the Şarkışla district of Sivas Province, is a celebrated Turkish singer and actress. Her father hailed from Skopje, while her mother came from Mardin, and due to her family’s frequent relocations, she attended primary and secondary schools in cities including Kayseri, Konya, and Edirne. She later graduated from Çapa Teachers College in Istanbul, but by then her heart was set on music. She also shared a past romance with actor Tarık Akan and appeared alongside him in films such as *Mavi Boncuk*, *Yalancı Yarim*, and *Feryat*.

After studying for three years at the Istanbul Municipal Conservatory, she took the stage in Ankara in 1962 at just 17 years old. The following year, she joined the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) as a singer, a role she held for seven years. She then moved to Istanbul to perform in music halls and released several albums specializing in Turkish classical music. Her talents soon drew her to cinema and television acting.

In 1998, she was honored with the title of State Artist. Prior to the Iranian Revolution in 1978, she briefly worked in Iranian cinema as an actress and performed live music there. Decades later, in 2018, she sang the iconic song *Gole Sangam* alongside Ava Bahram during a joint concert in Istanbul.