Turkish diva to give Istanbul concert

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

Hürriyet photo.

Famous Turkish singer Ayten Alpman is giving a concert at the Istanbul Jazz Center on Dec. 24.

The performance starts at 8:30 p.m. and tickets are available at Biletix booths. Born in 1929, Alpman started her professional career with a program on TRT Istanbul Radio with encouragement from famous Turkish musician İlham Gencer. She later met with Arif Mardin and started to sing jazz upon his advice. Her first record was released in 1959 titled “Sayonara/Passion Flower.” She went to Sweden for professional reasons and came back after three years. With support from famous composer Fecri Ebcioğlu she started singing in Turkish. In 1999, Ada Music released a record of the best of Alpman. She has gained a solid local fan base among different generations with her unique voice and vocal style. Alpman no longer continues her onstage performances but makes rare appearances for jazz concerts, which makes the Dec. 24 concert a must-see.