Esin Afşar facts for kids

Esin Afşar (born Esin Sinanoğlu; 1 January 1936 – 14 November 2011) was a famous Turkish singer and stage actress. She was known for her unique voice and for bringing traditional Turkish folk music to a wider audience.

About Esin Afşar

Early Life and Family

Esin Afşar was born in Bari, Italy. Her father, Necat Haşim Sinanoğlu, was a writer and worked for the Turkish government in other countries. Her mother, Rüveyde, was also a journalist and writer. Esin was the youngest of five children. Her brother, Oktay Sinanoğlu, became a very famous professor of chemistry. Her other brothers also became professors or worked for international organizations.

Esin went to TED Ankara Koleji for school. Then, she studied piano at the Ankara State Conservatory. After finishing her studies, she started working as a pianist at the Turkish State Opera and Ballet.

Her Music Journey

Even though she started with piano, Esin soon became interested in acting on stage. In 1958, she married Kerim Afşar, who was also a stage artist. After acting for 12 years, she went back to music. She began singing songs in French and Italian.

Later, she worked with a famous musician named Ruhi Su. This made her start singing Turkish folk music, called türkü. These traditional songs became a big part of her performances. After divorcing Kerim Afşar, she married Şener Aral in 1975. From the mid-1980s, she often performed in other countries. She also continued to act in plays.

Later Years and Legacy

Esin Afşar passed away on 14 November 2011 in a hospital in Istanbul. She had been in the hospital for about three weeks because of leukemia, a type of cancer. She was buried in the Karacaahmet Cemetery. She is remembered by her husband, Şener Aral, and her children, Doğan Can and Pınar.

Her Amazing Career

Esin Afşar sang many different kinds of songs. However, she became most famous for her Turkish folk music. In 1969, two of her folk songs became very popular. One was Bana seni gerek, with words by the old poet Yunus Emre and music by Esin Afşar herself. The other was Yoh Yoh, by a poet named Kul Ahmet. Because of the song Yoh Yoh, people started calling her "Bayan Yoh Yoh" (which means "Mrs. Yoh Yoh").

International Performances

Esin Afşar was chosen by the Turkish government to represent Turkish culture abroad. In 1970, she gave many concerts in Italy. In 1972, she visited the Soviet Union (which included many countries that are now called Turkic Republics) and South Korea. In 1973, she performed in Israel, Great Britain, Belgium, and Tunis. In 1974, she went to Australia. She also took part in the Turkish competition to choose a singer for the Eurovision Song Contest 1975.

In 1980, she sang a song on TV with words by the famous poet Nazım Hikmet. After this, her songs were banned by the military government at the time. Despite this, she continued to perform. In 1985, she gave a concert in Paris. In 1988, she performed in Lausanne, Switzerland, and in 1989, in Mulhouse, France.

Standing Up for Her Music

Esin Afşar was very much against a new style of music that became popular in Turkey after the 1970s. This style was called Arabesque. She showed her feelings about it by creating a song called "Arabeske İnat," which means "In Spite of Arabesque."

Her Music Albums

Albums

• Dün ve Bugünün Türk Şiir ve Ezgileri, 1986 (poems)
• Ruhi Su'ya Türkü, 1987
• Yunus Emre, 1991
• Esin Alaturka, 1995
• Atatürk, 1997
• Özlem, 1998
• Pembe Uçurtma, 1998
• Caz Yorumlarıyla Aşık Veysel, 1999
• Nazım Hikmet Şarkıları, 2000
• Yunus Emre & Mevlana Şarkıları, 2002
• Söz Çiğdem Talu, 2006
• Büyük Türk Şairi Nazım Hihmet, 2010
• Esin Afşar Odeon Yılları, 2010

Singles

• Allam Allam Seni Yar / Yoh Yoh, 1970
• Niksarın Fidanları / Aliyi Gördüm Aliyi, 1970
• Gurbet Yorganı / Elif, 1970
• Halalay Çocuk / Güzelliğin On Para Etmez, 1970
• Allam Allam Seni Yar / Drama Köprüsü, 1970
• Yoh Yoh / Bebek (Bir Masal Türküsü), 1970
• Kara Toprak / Yunus (Bana Seni gerek Seni), 1970
• Yağan Yağmur / Çatladı Dudaklarım Öpülmeyi Öpülmeyi, 1971
• Diley Diley Yar / Yaprağı, 1971
• Sivastopol / Küçük Kuşum, 1971
• Gel Dosta Gidelim / Sorma, 1971
• Dert Şarkısı / Niye Çattın Kaşlarını, 1974
• Sandığımı Açamadım / Güneşe Giden Gemi, 1974
• Canı Sıkılan Adam / Yiğidin Öyküsü, 1975
• Sanatçının Kaderi / O Pencere, 1975
• Hacer Hanım / Ben Olayım, 1976
• Zühtü / Kaz, 1976