Ayten Alpman (10 October 1929 – 20 April 2012) was a Turkish jazz and pop singer who gained fame in the 1970s with the song "''Memleketim''" ("My Country") during the 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation.

Biography

Born in

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

, in 1929, Alpman worked as a soloist for Istanbul Radio after finishing high school. She began her singing career during the 1950s and was encouraged by Turkish producer

Arif Mardin Arif Mardin (March 15, 1932 – June 25, 2006) was a Turkish-American music producer, who worked with hundreds of artists across many different styles of music, including jazz, rock, soul, disco and country. He worked at Atlantic Records for ov ...

to sing

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

songs in the first years of her career. She released her first record, "''Sayonara/Passion Flower''", in 1959. In 1972, Alpman released her song "''Memleketim''" ("My Country") which became immensely popular in

Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...

and

in 1974 during the Cyprus conflict. She rarely entered the recording studio, and had released only two LPs throughout her career. Her most notable songs include, "''Sensiz Olmam''", "''Yanımda Olsa''", and "''Ben Varım''". Alpman's latest release was a compilation of her best-known singles released by Ada Music in 1999.

Personal life

Alpman married jazz pianist and composer İlham Gencer in 1953, with whom she had two children. On Friday 20 April 2012, Alpman died of respiratory failure in Istanbul at the age of 82. She was buried on Sunday 22 April 2012, in a funeral attended by her family and friends in Istanbul's Ulus Cemetery following afternoon prayers in the

Teşvikiye Mosque The Teşvikiye Mosque () is a neo-baroque structure located in the Teşvikiye neighbourhood of Şişli district in Istanbul, Turkey. History The mosque was originally commissioned in 1794 by Sultan Selim III, but most of the current mosque t ...

. Turkish Prime Minister

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (born 26 February 1954) is a Turkish politician who is the 12th and current president of Turkey since 2014. He previously served as the 25th prime minister of Turkey, prime minister from 2003 to 2014 as part of the Jus ...

released a message stating that "Alpman's songs will be remembered forever".

References

External links

Official Site
1929 births 2012 deaths Singers from Istanbul Turkish women jazz singers Turkish pop singers Turkish women pop singers Turkish jazz singers Turkish jazz musicians Erenköy Girls High School alumni Deaths from respiratory failure Burials at Ulus Cemetery {{Turkey-singer-stub