Selami Şahin
Selami Şahin | |
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Selami Şahin in a concert in Turkcell Kuruçeşme Arena, İstanbul, 2012. | |
Background information | |
Born |
Yayladağı, Hatay - Turkey | August 15, 1948
Genres | World |
Occupation(s) | Musician, Singer, Songwriter, Producer, Actor |
Years active | 1966–present |
Labels | Lider Müzik |
Website |
selamisahin |
Early Life & Musical Career
Selami Şahin was born on August 15, 1948 in Hatay, a city in the southeastern Mediterranean region of Turkey to Turkish father and Egyptian mother from Alexandria. The 4th offspring in a family of 6 children, it didn’t take long for his elementary school teachers to first discover and notice his musical talent.
When Şahin was 15 years old, he decided to leave his hometown of Hatay to pursue his musical ambitions. He started making a living by working at all sorts of odd jobs in neighboring cities before moving to Istanbul. In the meantime, his passion for and love and music and singing led him to Irfan Özbakır, one of the best known musical composers of his time. Captivated by Şahin’s pleasant voice, Şahin got his first break in 1966 when Özbakır produced his first single, titled “Zeynebim” written by Göksel Orhon and composed by Irfan Özbakır.
Then, in 1968 Şahin released his next single titled “Sabır Taşı” which launched his musical career and this success and fame would last through the ages. At the same time, he taught himself to read musical notes with just the assistance of books. As a result, in 1969, he started writing and composing all his own songs. Moreover, he learned how to play numerous musical instruments at this point in his career as well.
The first song he wrote and composed and called “Sen Mevsimler Gibisin” won the “Song of the Year” at the 4th Golden Butterfly Awards (Altın Kelebek). From that day forward, many of Selami Şahin’s songs were included in the repertoires of numerous Turkish singers. To date, he has released 24 singles, 7 LPs and 13 cassettes and CDs. Şahin has written and composed more than 300 songs and 150 of them became popular hits. Some of his most important hit tunes include: Alışmak Sevmekten Zor, Ben Bir Tek Kadın Sevdim, Ben Sevdalı Sen Belalı, Boş Vere Boş Vere, Bulamazsın, Dostlarım (İçkim & Sigaram), Eskimeyen Dost, Gitme Sana Muhtacım, Gözler Kalbin Aynasıdır, Hesabım Var, Islak Mendil, Kadere Şikayetim Var, Namert Olayım, Ne Duamsın Ne Bedduam, Özledim, Sen Mevsimler Gibisin, Seni Sevmediğim Yalan, Senin Olmaya Geldim, Seninle Başım Dertte, Sensiz Olmuyor, Tanımam Senden Başka, Tanrım, Tapılacak Kadınsın, and Ya Seninle Ya Sensiz.
These popular timeless songs were also translated into different languages and vocalized by singers in Europe and The Middle East. Furthermore, Şahin worked on joint projects with Ghada Ragab, a noted Egyptian singer and Enrico Macias, a well renowned Algerian-French singer and musician. Continuing his career as a singer, songwriter and composer, in the latter part of his career he added music producer and vocal coach to his wide group of skills and talents.
Afterwards, in 2010, Şahin released an album of his songs titled “Dayman (Daima)” (Always) in Arabic which was a prime example of the synthesis of Turkish and Arabic music.
Celebrating his 45th year in the music industry in 2011, Şahin released an album titled “Mahzen” which included a mix of his songs previously vocalized by many artists and which he re-interpreted and remixed with acoustic and contemporary arrangements.
Besides a long and illustrious musical career, Şahin also made a mark in the film industry and was a leading man in various feature films. His most well-known role was in a joint Egyptian-Turkish film titled “Mumya Fırarda” which was released in 22 countries around the world. Additionally, this was the first Turkish film to be invited to participate at the 6th Hollywood Film Festival and Şahin’s acting received high accolades. What’s more, many of his songs have been used in many Turkish TV series and feature films. Some of his other films include: Köyün Beş Güzeli (1970), Bağrımdaki Ateş (1981), Kaderi Zorlama (1985) and The Dealer (2010)
Then in 2012, one of his most popular hits titled “Sensiz Olmuyor” was vocalized by Şahin in a TV commercial for Akbank, one of Turkey’s leading banks.
Married since 1985, the artist has three children. Şahin continues to compose songs that come from the heart and he continues to play a major role and makes important contributions to the Turkish Music Industry by continuously writing and composing new songs.
Discography
Year | Album Title | Label |
---|---|---|
1966-1976 | 45'likler | |
1975 | Yıllar Sonra Yine | Taç Plak |
1976 | Unutulmayan Eserler | |
1981 | Bağrımdaki Ateş | Lider Müzik |
1982 | Tapılacak Kadınsın | |
1983 | Seninle Başım Dertte | |
1985 | Hastayım Sana | |
1987 | İyi Düşün Sevgilim | |
1988 | Seni Çok Seviyorum | |
1989 | İşim Gücüm Seni Sevmek | |
1990 | Başımın Tatlı Belası | |
1992 | Şaşırttın Beni | |
1994 | Özledim Her Şeyini | |
1995 | İlle de Sen | |
1997 | Şarkılarım ve Ben (Nostalji) | |
1999 | 2000'e Merhaba | |
2004 | İyi ki Varsın | |
2009 | Dayman (Daima) | |
2010 | Ben Bir Tek Kadın Sevdim | |
2011 | Mahzen |
Awards
Year | Category | Song | Award | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1975 | Song of the Year | Sen Mevsimler Gibisin | 4th Golden Butterfly Awards | Won |
1977 | Golden Pencil Award | Dostlarım (İçkim & Sigaram) | - | Won |
1978 | The Year’s 10 Most Popular Songs | Sensiz Olmuyor | Milliyet Newspaper Awards | Won |
1979 | The Year’s 10 Most Popular Songs | Özlem Rıhtımı | Milliyet Newspaper Awards | Won |
1980 | The Year’s 10 Most Popular Songs | Rüzgar | Milliyet Newspaper Awards | Won |
1994 | Gold Composition Award | Özledim | İstanbul FM Radio Gold Awards (İFA) | Won |
1995 | The Year’s 10 Most Popular Songs | Özledim | Milliyet Newspaper Awards | Won |
2012 | Honorary Award | - | 39th Golden Butterfly Awards | Won |
Filmography
Year | Film |
---|---|
1970 | Köyün Beş Güzeli |
1981 | Bağrımdaki Ateş |
1985 | Kaderi Zorlama |
2002 | Mumya Firarda |
2010 | El Dealer |
See also
References
- Selami Şahin selamisahin.com.tr.
- Selami Şahin Bio Selami Şahin Bio.
- Selami Şahin Discography Selami Şahin Discography.