Engin Nurşani

Engin Nurşani — Biography

Growing up in Germany, the Turkish-German folk singer Engin Nurşani carried the türkü tradition to a wide audience in Turkey. His real name was Engin Ayhan; he was raised inside the ashik tradition as the son of Âşık Ali Nurşani and used his father's surname as his stage name. He died in December 2020, aged 36, and his songs are still listened to today.

He studied music with his father from an early age and joined him at concerts. He wanted to become a folk bard, but his father at first objected, fearing the faithlessness of the music business would befall his son too. In July 2003 Nurşani travelled to Istanbul without telling his father and approached the company that released his father's cassettes; his first album, Adına Bir Çizik Çektim, launched his professional career, and his father then began to support him. Sen Nefsine Köle Oldun (2006), Gözün Aydın (2012) and Kolay mı Sandın? (2017) followed.

After a throat cancer diagnosis in 2019 he paused his music career, and while in treatment he said he would return to the stage. He died of laryngeal cancer in Istanbul on 25 December 2020; the next day, after a ceremony at the Sarıgazi Cemevi, he was buried at Yenidoğan Cemetery. Bu Dünyada Yalnız Kaldım (2021) was released after his death. He was married and had a child; his son paid tribute in 2025 by singing a türkü on his father's saz.