Serpil Barlas (1957 – 20 February 2021) was a Turkish actress and singer.

Biography

Serpil was 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 ...

to Kazım Polat and music soloist Aysel İpar. She began her acting and singing career in the 1960s and recorded 45 different tracks between 1976 and 1978. That year, she competed to represent Turkey in the

Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), often known simply as Eurovision, is an international Music competition, song competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) among its members since 1956. Each participating broadcaster ...

, but was placed below the eventual representatives Nazar and

Nilüfer Nilüfer is the Turkish word for "water lily", from Persian ''nîlûfar'' (نیلوفر), which is ultimately derived from the Sanskrit word for the blue lotus ''nīḷōtpaḷa'' (नीळोत्पळ). It is a popular feminine given name ...

. She then moved to the United States and lived there for 15 years. Upon her return to Turkey in 1993, the

HIV/AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...

epidemic and the

Bosnian Genocide The Bosnian genocide () took place during the Bosnian War of 1992–1995 and included both the Srebrenica massacre and the wider crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing in the Bosnian War, ethnic cleansing campaign perpetrated throughout ar ...

had become central issues in the region. Alongside fellow musician , she recorded "Benim Adım İnsan", "Sahipsiz Çocuklar", and "Bosna", which aimed to give widespread publicity to these issues. From 1998 to 2001, she appeared on the program "Serpil Barlas'la Kurdele". Serpil Barlas died of heart failure in

Beşiktaş Beşiktaş () is a district and municipality of Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 18 km2 and its population is 175,190 (2022). It is located on the European shore of the Bosphorus strait. It is bordered on the north by Sarıyer and ...

on 20 February 2021 at the age of 64. She was buried in

Feriköy Cemetery The Feriköy Cemetery () is a burial ground situated in Feriköy quarter of Şişli district in the European part of Istanbul, Turkey. It is administered by the Metropolitan Municipality. Many prominent figures from the world of politics, sport ...

on 22 February.

Discography

Singles

*''Hangisi - İlk ve Son'' (1976) *''Oldu Olanlar - Yandım Aşkınla Ben'' (1976) *''Biricik Sevgilim - Ne Olur Ne Olmaz'' (1977) *''Yaşamana Bak - Yaşamana Bak (Enstrümental)'' (1978) *''Farkın Kalmadı - Sensiz Bir Hiçim'' (1979) *''Dert Etmem Kendime - İlk Sevgilimdi O''

Albums

*''Serpil'in Dünyası'' (1994) *''Efkarım Tarumar'' (1998)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barlas, Serpil 1957 births 2021 deaths 20th-century Turkish actresses Turkish women singers 21st-century Turkish actresses Actresses from Istanbul Date of birth missing Singers from Istanbul