Müzeyyen Senar
| Müzeyyen Senar | |
|---|---|
| Native name | Müzeyyen Dombayoğlu |
| Birth name | Zeliha Eren |
| Born |
16 July 1918 Gököz, Keles, Bursa, Ottoman Empire |
| Origin | Turkish |
| Died | 8 February 2015 (aged 96) İzmir, Turkey |
| Genres | Turkish classical music |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Years active | 1933–2008 |
| Labels | |
Müzeyyen Senar (Turkish pronunciation: [myzejˌjen seˈnar]) (16 July 1918 – 8 February 2015) was a Turkish classical music performer, known as the "Diva of the Republic".
Müzeyyen Dombayoğlu was born in 1918 in the village of Gököz in the Keles district of Bursa Province, in the then Ottoman Empire. She had two elder brothers İsmet and Hilmi. Her mother Zehra used to sing Senar to sleep. At the age of five, she developed a stutter after returning from a wedding ceremony, perhaps the result of fear, as she recalled. Her speech disorder lasted until adulthood, though, as is usually the case with performers, it did not affect her singing voice. At six years old, knowing most of the popular folk songs by heart, she sang at family gatherings and wedding ceremonies, to which her mother took her. In her early childhood, she ran away from her father's home in Bursa to Istanbul, where her mother lived. Her father had left his wife after a marriage of 25 years.
According to several claims by Turkish media, she was adopted by the Dombayoğlu family. She was originally born in a Georgian village called Hilmiye in İnegöl to ethnic Georgian parents. Her birth name was Zeliha Eren and her parents were Fatma and Reşit, who migrated from Batumi to İnegöl.
Senar began her musical career in 1931, entering the Anadolu Musiki Cemiyeti ("Anatolia Musical Association") in Üsküdar, where she was educated by kemenche virtuoso Kemal Niyazi Seyhun and oud player Hayriye. After starting to perform at Radio Istanbul of TRT, she became well known. In 1933 she debuted on stage in a summer talent show at one of the most important music halls in Istanbul. She continued her performances at other renowned music halls. Also in 1933, aged 15, she sang her first song on 78 rpm record released by (His Master's Voice). More recordings followed later on Odeon Records and other labels. Her singing was also much admired by the founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881-1938). On several occasions she gave special concerts in his audience.
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