Safiye Ayla

Safiye Ayla — Biography

Safiye Ayla (14 July 1907, Istanbul – 14 January 1998, Istanbul) was one of the most celebrated singers of Turkish classical music. She began her musical training as a piano student, took lessons from Mustafa Sunar, and went on to perform as the headline soloist in the leading music halls of her time.

She worked with prominent artists such as Yesâri Asım Arsoy, Selahattin Pınar, Sadettin Kaynak and Udi Nevres Bey. In 1932, at the invitation of the governor of Istanbul, she sang before Atatürk and became one of his favorite singers. She gave countless concerts on Istanbul and Ankara radio, recorded more than 500 discs, and her fame spread beyond Turkey. Her repertoire of classical, modern and folk songs, enriched with Western musical forms, made her one of the most successful performers of her era.

She also composed songs such as "Seninle Doğan Gündür Bu Gönül", played Queen Mimoza in the 1942 stage production "Alabanda", and appeared in the 1950 film "Sihirli Define". That same year she married the artist Şerif Muhiddin Targan. Together with Müzeyyen Senar and Hamiyet Yüceses she was honored as one of the "Üç Dev Çınar" (Three Great Plane Trees) of Turkish music.