Sertab Erener

Sertab Erener (Turkish pronunciation: [ˈseɾtap eɾeˈneɾ]; born 4 December 1964) is a Turkish pop music singer and also a cross-over soprano with a vocal range that extends to high F. She is one of the most successful female Turkish pop singers in her homeland, and is considered one of the divas of Turkish pop music. In Europe, she is best known for winning the Eurovision Song Contest 2003 with her hit song "Every Way That I Can", although she has had many other achievements outside Turkey.

Sertab Erener opening 2004 Eurovision Song Contest, Istanbul.

A native of Istanbul, Erener studied opera before beginning her musical career working with Turkish music icon, Sezen Aksu.

She released her first album, Sakin Ol, in 1992, and followed it with four more Turkish-language albums over the next decade. Her album Lâ'l was included by Sony Music in its "Soundtrack for a Century" collection.

After competing unsuccessfully in two national Eurovision Song Contest finals in 1989 and 1990, she was internally selected in 2003 and won the Eurovision Song Contest 2003, representing Turkey with the song "Every Way That I Can", co-written by Demir Demirkan. The song went on to top charts in countries all over Europe, including Sweden and Greece.

In the wake of her Eurovision success, Erener released her first English-language album, No Boundaries, in 2004. Her renditions of "Here I Am" and Bob Dylan's "One More Cup of Coffee" were used in international movie soundtracks. "One More Cup of Coffee" was used in the soundtrack to Masked and Anonymous a semi-biopic of Bob Dylan.

In 2005, Erener released a Turkish-language album named Aşk Ölmez, promoted with songs such as "Aşk Ölmez, Biz Ölürüz" ("Love Doesn't Die, We Do") and "Satılık Kalpler Şehri" ("City of Hearts For Sale"). She also appeared on the movie soundtrack album of Fatih Akın's Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul, with a lauded rendition of Madonna's song "Music".

On 22 October 2005, Erener appeared on Congratulations: 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest, a competition to choose the best Eurovision song of all time, performing the final verse and chorus of "Every Way That I Can". The song finished ninth in a field of fifteen. At the same event, Erener revealed she was to release another English language album.

In 2009, Sertab Erener and Demir Demirkan created a band called Painted on Water and they released a self-titled album in the United States on the Motéma Music label.

In 2012, Sertab Erener recorded Turkish Airlines' "Globally Yours" jingle which was used until June 2013.

Studio albums

• Sakin Ol! – "(Calm Down)" – (1992)
• Lâl – "(Ruby)" – (1994)
• Sertab Gibi – "(Like Sertab)" – (1996)
• Sertab Erener – (1999)
• Turuncu – "(Orange)" – (2001)
• No Boundaries – (2004)
• Aşk Ölmez – "(Love Doesn't Die)" – (2005)
• Rengârenk – "(Colorful)" – (2010)
• Ey Şûh-i Sertab (2012)
• Sade – (plain) (2013)

Remix albums

• Sertab Goes to the Club (2007)

Compilation albums

• Sertab (2000) (Europe-only; re-released in 2003)
• The Best of Sertab Erener (2007)

Painted on Water (Sertab Erener and Demir Demirkan)

• Painted on Water (Motéma Music, 2009)

Sertab Erener and Demir Demirkan, 2009.

Singles and EPs

• "Zor Kadın" (Difficult Woman) (1999)
• "Bu Yaz" (This Summer) (EP) (2000)
• "Yeni" (New) (2001)
• "Every Way That I Can" (2003) (winning song of the Eurovision Song Contest 2003)
• "Here I Am" (2003)
• "Leave" (2004)
• "Aşk Ölmez, Biz Ölürüz" (Love Doesn't Die, We Do) (2005)
• "Satılık Kalpler Şehri" (City of Hearts for Sale) (2005)
• "Kim Haklıysa" (Whoever the Right Is) (2005)
• "I Remember Now" (2007)
• "Hayat Beklemez" (Life Doesn't Wait) (2008)
• "Bu Böyle" (That's the Way It Is) (2009)
• "Açık Adres" (Open Address) (2009)
• "İyileşiyorum" (I'm getting better) (2013)

Charts