Demet Sağıroğlu

Demet Sağıroğlu — Biography

Demet Sağıroğlu is one of the recognisable voices of 1990s Turkish pop, remembered for her album Kınalı Bebek and songs such as "Arnavut Kaldırımı". A lyricist and composer as well as a singer, she remains on stage today through singles and duets.

The first phase of her career was alongside Kayahan. She grew up in Ankara, moved from graphic design at Bilkent into a fully funded vocal programme there after winning its exam, and later studied at the Istanbul Technical University Turkish Music State Conservatory; she has also said that at seventeen she secretly sat the Hacettepe State Conservatory entrance exam. Meeting Kayahan opened her professional path: she sang backing vocals on "Ve Melankoli", runner-up in the 1989 Turkish Eurovision selection, and in 1990 went with him to Zagreb with "Gözlerinin Hapsindeyim", where Turkey finished 17th. The second phase is her solo work: Kınalı Bebek was a major success in 1994, followed by Şikayetim Var, Sımsıcak, Papatya Falları, Korkum Yok and, in 2012, Hiç Özlemedin Mi?.

She settled in New York in 2014 and returned to Turkey in 2021. She also works in painting, sculpture and ceramics. In recent years she has released the duets "Bir Gün Gideceğim Buradan" with Cem Adrian and "İhanet Ettin" with Çağan Şengül, and has also collaborated with Melis Fis.