Zeki Müren

Zeki Müren — Biography

Zeki Müren (2 January 1931, Bursa - 24 September 1996, İzmir) was a Turkish singer, composer, songwriter, poet and film actor, regarded as one of the greatest names in Turkish classical music. Known for his mastery in the use of his voice and for his flawless diction, he brought classical Turkish music and a contemporary repertoire together on the same stage; the public called him “the Sun of Art”, while those who loved him affectionately called him “Pasha”.

He spent his childhood and youth in Bursa. His interest in music began during his school years; in the early 1950s he moved to İstanbul and studied in the department of advanced decorative arts at the State Academy of Fine Arts (today Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University). While still a student at the academy he also began building his musical career and joined the roster of singers at the İstanbul Radio of the period. His first record was released in 1951.

During the 1950s he quickly became a nationally known figure and was the first artist in Turkey to receive a gold record award. Over the course of his musical life he recorded more than six hundred records and cassettes and composed more than three hundred works; his recordings were collected in long-running series such as Zeki Müren Taş Plaklar, Zeki Müren Klasikleri and Pırlanta. He was also interested in poetry and gathered his poems in a book titled Bıldırcın Yağmuru. In 1991 he was given the title of “State Artist” for his contributions to the arts.

He also had a long career in cinema. From the 1950s until the mid-1970s he appeared in some eighteen Yeşilçam films, and in most of them he also served as music director and composer. The productions in which he played the lead include Beklenen Şarkı, Son Beste, Berduş, Altın Kafes, Kırık Plak, Hayat Bazen Tatlıdır, Hep O Şarkı, Düğün Gecesi, Hindistan Cevizi, İnleyen Nağmeler, Rüya Gibi and Deli Deli Tepeli.

His stage appearance likewise pushed against the conventions of his time; especially in the later years of his career, the elaborate costumes he designed himself, adorned with stones and shimmering fabrics, along with his jewellery, became an inseparable part of his stage identity. His private life and sexual orientation were discussed in public for many years; he himself never made an open statement on the subject. He died on 24 September 1996 in İzmir, of a heart attack suffered while he was on stage during a programme.