Turkish singer Hasan Mutlucan dies at age 85

ISTANBUL - Anatolia News Agency

Hasan Mutlucan

Turkish folk singer Hasan Mutlucan, who is known for his songs of heroism, died Dec. 28 at the age of 85 at Istanbul’s Göztepe Education and Research Hospital where he was being treated for Alzheimer’s disease.

Born in İzmir in 1926, Mutlucan moved to Istanbul at the age of 13. He appeared for the first time on stage when an actor was ill at a theater where he worked as an apprentice decorator. His two lines were very short: “This is Kaf Mountain. What are you doing here?” But his lines managed to draw the attention of Muhsin Ertuğrul, who made great contributions to Turkish theater and cinema, and Mutlucan began playing small roles in theater.

He entered the Istanbul Municipality Conservatory, directed by composer Münir Nurettin Selçuk at the time. He also had the opportunity to perform in Faust Opera but did not accept the proposal since he was a fan of folk music. He began singing folk songs of heroism, and his bass voice became known throughout Turkey thanks to 15-minute programs on TRT radio in 1973. He released an album, and one of his songs was played after the Sept. 12, 1980 coup notice.