Sezen Aksu

Sezen Aksu (born July 13, 1954) is a Turkish pop music singer, song-writer and producer popular at home and abroad. She has sold over 40 million albums.Her nicknames include the "Queen of Turkish Pop" and Minik Serçe ("Little Sparrow").

Sezen Aksu's influence on Turkish pop and world music has continued since her debut in 1975, and has been reinforced by her patronage of and collaboration with many other musicians, including Sertab Erener, Şebnem Ferah, Aşkın Nur Yengi, Hande Yener, and Levent Yüksel.Her work with Tarkan resulted in continental hits like "Şımarık" and "Şıkıdım," and her collaboration with Goran Bregović widened her international audience.

Along with her close friend Ajda Pekkan,  Sezen Aksu is credited with laying the foundations of Turkish pop music in the 1970s.Her sound has also spread across the Balkans and Greece.It was this sound that changed the face of the Eurovision song contest when her protegé Sertab Erener won in 2003. Aksu has also toured in Europe and the U.S to critical appraise.

Sezen Aksu has championed a variety of causes, including women's rights, the environment, and Turkish education.Aksu has been married and divorced four times, but kept the name from her first marriage to Ali Engin Aksu, a doctor of geology who currently resides in Canada.  Sezen Aksu has a son with Sinan Özer.