Arif Şentürk

Arif Şentürk — Biography

Arif Şentürk was born in 1941 in Kumanovo, in what is now North Macedonia. After migrating to Turkey with his family in 1956, he settled first in Kırklareli and later in the Zeytinburnu district of Istanbul. Before turning to music, he worked as a barber, and he took his first steps as a performer through the music communities at the Bakırköy and Yeşilköy people's houses, winning a TRT amateur singers' contest and gaining the support of folklorist Nida Tüfekçi along the way.

Şentürk became known for compiling and performing Turkish, Macedonian, Albanian and Romani folk songs from the Balkans, releasing twelve albums and becoming closely associated with Rumelian folk music through songs such as "Deryalar", "Ramize", "Safiye", "Debreli Hasan" and "Oy Kosova". He also appeared in a number of films and television series, including "Akasya Durağı". He died in Istanbul on 15 February 2022; his funeral drew widespread public mourning, with President Erdoğan among those who issued condolence messages, and he is still remembered as "the voice of Rumelia".