Melike Demirağ

Melike Demirağ — Biography

Ayşe Melike Demirağ was born on June 3, 1956, in Istanbul, the daughter of film producer Turgut Demirağ and jazz vocalist Rüçhan Çamay. She grew up in an artistic household and was educated at Üsküdar Türk Kız Koleji.

She rose to prominence in the 1970s for socially conscious songs, and at just eighteen she shared the lead role with director Yılmaz Güney in his 1974 film Arkadaş; the film's title song became one of the era's most beloved recordings. Her performance in Güney's 1978 film Sürü further cemented her standing as one of the decade's defining screen presences.

In 1980 she left Turkey and spent roughly twelve years in exile in Germany, where she continued making music, including a joint record with Kurdish musician Şivan Perwer. After returning home in 1991 she resumed releasing albums in Turkey, and over a career spanning more than five decades she has also occasionally contributed to German productions.