Gökçe

Gökçe — Biography

Born Gökçe Dinçer on 9 September 1979 in Istanbul, the singer-songwriter took up piano and drums as a child and sang with amateur bands during university. After studying arts and culture management at Yeditepe University, she spent two years in advertising before turning to music, gaining stage experience as drummer for the all-female outfit The Eva Band.

Her solo career began with the 2007 album Böğürtlenli Reçel, followed by Beş Kuruş Yok in 2009, which produced hits such as "Aradım Seni," "5 Kuruş" and "Anladım Ki." In 2011, "Tuttu Fırlattı," adapted from a Romani tune, became the only rock song to top the Turkish charts, and its video set a record as the most-watched Turkish female music video on YouTube. Her third album, Kaktüs Çiçeği (2012), produced the hit "Ne Yapardım?"

That same year she was named Best Breakout Female Artist at the Golden Butterfly Awards and won Pop Artist of the Year at Azerbaijan's inaugural The First awards. She returned to television screens in 2014 with "Çık Çık Hayatımdan," from the album Matruşka, adapted from a Beata Palya film theme.