Nilüfer

Born Nilüfer Yumlu in Istanbul, Turkey on May 31, 1955, is a singer, songwriter, and producer better known by her first name, Nilüfer. She has been one of the most successful Turkish pop singers since she made her professional debut in the early 1970s. Born into a musical family, she attended school at Firuzağa Primary School and the Italian Secondary School. While still a student in 1970, she won the Golden Voice Competition and signed a record deal. Her first hit single was “Dünya Dönüyor” (1973), which was followed by soon-to-be classics such as “Hatira Defteri” (1973), “Arkadaş Dur Bekle” featuring the Modern Folk Trio (1973), “Son Arzum” (1976), and “Kim Arar Seni” (1977). She came to wider prominence when she performed “Sevince” with the band Nazar at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1978. Although the song came in 18th in the competition, she gained a new audience who embraced her as she entered the 1980s with albums such as Nilüfer ’80, Sensiz Olmaz (1982), and Nilüfer ’84 and hit singles such as "Varsa Söyle,” "Dönsen Bile,” and "Kar Taneleri.” Her career continued throughout the rest of the ’80s and into the 1990s. Although record sales slowed down in the first part of the 1990s, she had a career resurgence in 1997 when she released her best-selling album Nilüfer’le. The album ushered in many awards including the Kral TV Video Music Award. She re-recorded some of her classic hits for the 1998 album Re-Yemiye. In 1997, she became Turkey’s Ambassador to UNICEF and received the honorary title of State Artist of Turkey the following year. Her success has continued with albums such as 12 Düet (2011), 13 Düet (2013), and Kendine Bi' Şans Ver (2022).