Selda Bağcan

Selda Bağcan or Selda, was born in Muğla, Turkey in 1948, is a well renowned Turkish folk music singer, composer and politic activist.

She has been one of the most effective names in Turkish Folk and Folk Rock music for years. Her protest style and leftist, socialist political views both in lyrical and activist means brought her a great support from the public yet caused many troubles with the military and governmental authorities. Selda Bağcan's lyrics demonstrate a political struggle as well as the problems and demands of working class and the public. Her satirical lyrics make critical references to contemporary politicians from both left and right-wings yet mostly criticizes the right-wing governments and imperialism.

She both composed her own songs and covered Turkish Folk songs. Bağcan's covers involves the usage of western instruments like acoustic guitar as well as traditional ones like saz or bağlama. Her modern and universal style in covering the traditional folk songs, involving a wide variety of musical styles from progressive and psych rock to traditional folk catches the attention of many music lovers who are into different genres of music. And because of her powerful and emotional voice, she is known as (and she calls herself) bitter sound of Turkish people.

Biography
She has started her musical career when she was a student at Ankara University, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Engineering Physics. The first two singles had sold around one million and following this success she somehow had to choose music as a profession. She had gave concerts in many countries including Germany, Netherlands, France, England, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, and Australia. Also attended to the Golden Orpheus 1972 representing Turkey with the request of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She mainly performed on activities mainly organized by left wing foundations and initiatives. In 1973, for the first time she toured the Western Europe.

After the 1980 Turkish coup coup her activities were limited by the military junta and she had been arrested and jailed three times between 1981 and 1984.

In year 1990, she was invited to Netherland by Rasa Organization (Interkultureel Centrum) and gave public concerts in Utrech, Jmegen, Tilburg cities and later on in Prizren ve Pristina, Yugoslavia. She also traveled to Israel and Denmark for concerts and festivals, at the same year.

In 1992, she recorded the film musics for Kurşun Adres Sormaz.

She lives in İstanbul and runs her own business under the name Majör Müzik Yapım (Majör Music Production)

Singles

 * Katip Arzuhalim Yaz Yare Böyle/Mapusanede Mermerden Direk, 1971
 * Tatlı Dillim Güler Yüzlüm/Mapusanelere Güneş Doğmuyor, 1971
 * Çemberimde Gül Oya/Toprak Olunca, 1971
 * Adaletin Bu Mu Dünya/Dane Dane Benleri, 1971
 * Seher Vakti/Uzun İnce Bir Yoldayım, 1971
 * Yalan Dünya/Kalenin Dibinde, 1972
 * Eyvah Gönül Sana Eyvah/Zalim Sevgililer Bu Sözüm Size, 1972
 * Bölemedim Felek İle Kozumu/Bülbül, 1973
 * Gesi Bağları/Altın Kafes, 1973
 * Nem Kaldı/Rabbim Neydim Ne Oldum, 1974
 * Aşkın Bir Ateş/O Günler, 1974
 * Anayasso/Bad-ı Sabah, 1974
 * Dostum Dostum/Yuh Yuh, 1975
 * Kaldı Kaldı Dünya/İzin İze Benzemiyor, 1975
 * Görüş Günü/Şaka Maka, 1976
 * Almanya Acı Vatan/Kıymayın Efendiler, 1976
 * Aldırma Gönül Aldırma/Suç Bizim, 1976

Albums

 * Türkülerimiz 1, 1974 (reissued in 1995)
 * Türkülerimiz 2, 1975 (reissued in 1996)
 * See also: Selda (Album), 2006
 * Türkülerimiz 3, 1976 (reissued in 1998)
 * Türkülerimiz 4, 1977 (reissued in 1999)
 * Türkülerimiz 5, 1978 (reissued in 2001)
 * Türkülerimiz 6, 1979 (reissued in 2006)
 * Türkülerimiz 7, 1980
 * Türkülerimiz 8, 1982
 * Türkülerimiz 9, 1983
 * Türkülerimiz 10, 1985
 * Dost Merhaba, 1986
 * Yürüyorum Dikenlerin Üstünde, 1987
 * Özgürlük ve Demokrasiyi Çizmek, 1988
 * Felek Beni Adım Adım Kovaladı, 1989
 * Anadolu Konserleri: Müzikteki 20 Yılım, 1990 (Live)
 * Ziller ve İpler - Akdeniz Şarkıları 1, 1992
 * Uğur'lar Olsun, 1993
 * Koçero, 1994 (With Ahmet Kaya)
 * Çifte Çiftetelli - Akdeniz Şarkıları 2, 1997
 * Ben Geldim, 2002
 * Denizlerin Dalgasıyım Ben, Halkımın Kavgasıyım, Yarınların Sevdasıyım... Ben Ölmedim ki!, 2004
 * Güvercinleri de Vururlar, 2008

Compilations

 * Dinle Sevgili Ülkem, 2002
 * Love, Peace & Poetry: Turkish Psychedelic Music, 2005

External Websites

 * Official Website (in Turkish Only)
 * Selda Bağcan at MusicBrainz
 * Selda at MusicBrainz
 * Selda Bağcan at MusicBrainz
 * Selda at MusicBrainz
 * Selda at MusicBrainz