Belkıs Akkale (read Turkish version here | listen to music samples)
Introduction
Belkıs Akkale, who brought the mountain sounds of Turkish folk music to the stage and publishing world, has also left her mark on the institutional processes of music as one of the most recognized interpreters of this genre. Akkale, who started her musical journey by publishing her first 45 rpm record in the early 1970s, was recognized by wide audiences with the "Dadey" album released in 1982 and gradually began to be called "Türkü Bacı". The artist of Malatya origin has established a deep connection with the listener with works such as "İlvanlım", "Güvercinim", and "Seni Allah Verdi Kimse Alamaz" in her repertoire.
The artist joined the TRT roster in 1980, serving as a state soloist, and received the title of State Solo Artist in 1990. However, Belkıs Akkale has remained in memory not only with career achievements but also with her principled stance. Her refusal of the State Artist title offered to her in 1996 drew attention with this important choice regarding her artistic identity. Akkale, who visualized her music with the films she appeared in Yeşilçam cinema in the 80s, also carried out collaborations with master musicians like İzzet Altınmeşe and Arif Sağ. In addition to recording activities lasting until 2014, current sources indicate that the artist is still living. Belkıs Akkale continues to maintain her place in the living memory of Turkish folk music.
Biography
Belkıs Akkale, one of the rooted voices of Turkish Folk Music, is an artist of Malatya origin known by the nickname "Türkü Bacı". Although it is accepted that she was born in Istanbul, there are differences in sources regarding the start date of her life between 1952 and 1954; common data sets point to the date 17 May 1954. The artist's musical foundations were shaped by the Turkish Folk Music education she received for 7 years.
Akkale, who started her career by publishing her first 45 rpm record titled "Seni Allah Verdi Kimse Alamaz" in 1972, took the stage for the first time in 1974. The artist, who married Sami Doğan Yılmaztürk between 1975 and 1976, had a son named Doğancan from this union. Akkale, who was included in the TRT roster in 1980, started to be recognized by wide audiences with the "Dadey" album she published in 1982. The artist, who continued her musical journey with albums such as "Dostlara Selam", "Sağolun", "Güvercinim", and "Nerdesin", has appeared on the same platforms with names like İzzet Altınmeşe, Arif Sağ, Güler Duman, and Sâdi Yâver Ataman.
Akkale, who also stepped into Yeşilçam cinema in the mid-80s, acted in films such as "Kara Diken", "Güvercinim", "Gelin Oy", "Tırpan", "Sultan", "Gölet", "Azap", and "Ana Yüreği" between 1986 and 1987; although some sources find variations in film names such as "Nazo Güvercinim", these works constitute the artist's visual adventure at this turning point. Akkale, appointed as State Solo Artist by the Ministry of Culture in 1990, was deemed worthy of the "Artist of the Year" award by various institutions until 1994. However, her refusal of the State Artist title given to her in 1996 has been recorded as one of the attention-grabbing points of her career.
Akkale, who also served as deputy chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Music Interpreters Union (MÜYOBİR), has made significant contributions to the Turkish Folk Music repertoire with works such as "İlvanlım", "Şu Dağlar", "Yeşil Ördek", "Kaynana", "Güvercinim", "Seher Yıldızı", "Sensiz Birgün", and "Dağlar Seni Delik Delik Delerim". She maintained her long-term publishing life with the album "Türküler Bizi Anlatır - 1" published in 2014; current sources do not contain information about the artist's death, and registered sources carry indications that Akkale is still living and continuing her duties.
Style and Musical Identity
Belkıs Akkale stands out as an interpreter known by the nickname "Türkü Bacı" in the Turkish Folk Music tradition, performing folk songs written into the public's common memory. The artist's musical identity follows a course developing parallel to the institutionalization process of Turkish folk music from the 1970s onwards; her being a TRT rostered artist in 1980 and then serving as State Solo Artist indicates that her voice carries a traditional tone that also adapts to the language of official publishing. However, her refusal of the State Artist title in 1996 emphasizes a stance beyond the institutional positioning of the artist and that the musical personality belongs to herself.
Upon examining the repertoire, mountains, pigeon, separation, and family relationships, which are fundamental themes of Turkish folk culture, come to the fore. Names such as "İlvanlım", "Şu Dağlar", "Yeşil Ördek", "Güvercinim", and "Seni Allah Verdi Kimse Alamaz" reveal that the emotions Akkale interprets are tightly linked to universal folk stories. Akkale, recognized by wide audiences with the "Dadey" album released in 1982, has been engraved in memories as a voice processing these themes in her career that began by publishing her first 45 rpm record in 1972. Her connections and presence in the same circle with important names of the period like İzzet Altınmeşe, Arif Sağ, and Güler Duman indicates that her musical interaction is based on a rooted Anatolian music culture.
Although technical details about vocal character and interpretation style are not found in sources, the regional color brought by Malatya origin and the 7-year traditional education process are determining factors in the construction of her voice. Her career overlapping with Yeşilçam cinema; has a structure that carries her musical identity to visual channels watched by wide audiences with projects like "Kara Diken", "Güvercinim", "Tırpan". Belkıs Akkale's musical world, with the Türküler Bizi Anlatır series starting from the 90s and recordings extending until 2014, has left a heritage witnessing the sound world of the period while preserving the traditional form.
Songs and Works
Belkıs Akkale's entry point to her musical world is her first 45 rpm record published in 1972. The artist who started her career with the name "Seni Allah Verdi Kimse Alamaz" has been deeply engraved in the memory of Turkish Folk Music listeners with this work. The "Dadey" album she released in 1982 and that enabled her recognition is an important turning point where the voice of the vocalist called "Türkü Bacı" reached wide audiences. Tracks like "İlvanlım", "Şu Dağlar", and "Yeşil Ördek" through which she announced her voice during this period constitute the backbone of her performance.
Works such as "Güvercinim", "Seher Yıldızı", and "Kırklar Kapısı" in the artist's discography are strong interpretations of traditional themes adorned with mountains and pigeon motifs. The songs "Kaynana", "Sensiz Birgün", and "Dağlar Seni Delik Delik Delerim" address universal themes of folk culture such as family relationships and the pain of separation. The track in the "Güvercinim" album published in 1986 is one of the rare works identified with the Yeşilçam film of the same name.
Throughout her publishing life extending from the "Kaldır Nikabını" record in 1977 to the "Türküler Bizi Anlatır - 1" album in 2014, Akkale has continued her musical journey with recordings such as "Gam Elinden", "Dostlara Selam", "Sağolun", "Nerdesin", "91'e Merhaba", and the "Gönül Telinden" series. Works included in albums such as "Ayrılığı Türkülere Sor/Yemen Yolu" (1992), "Ben de Yoruldum" (1994), and "Barış Türküsü" (1999) cover the voice recordings of the artist during the process from her TRT rostered period to the State Solo Artist duty. Although there are inconsistencies in sources regarding birth year and some film names, these works reflect the musical texture of the period related to the artist's Malatya origin identity and musicians like İzzet Altınmeşe.
Context
Belkıs Akkale is an important name who witnessed the process extending from the 1970s, when the institutional framework of Turkish Folk Music began to take shape, to the present day, and has taken place at the intersection points of the music and cinema world. Akkale, who started her career by publishing her first 45 rpm record titled "Seni Allah Verdi Kimse Alamaz" in 1972, took an important role in official publishing as a TRT rostered artist in 1980. Especially the "Dadey" album released in 1982 has the nature of a turning point in the artist's recognition at a national level.
Akkale's musical position was not limited only to record and concert works; she shed light on the colorful period of Yeşilçam cinema by participating in works such as "Güvercinim", "Tırpan", "Gelin Oy" between 1986 and 1987. Her presence in the same circles with outstanding musicians of the period like İzzet Altınmeşe and Arif Sağ has reinforced her place in the Turkish Folk Music tradition. Akkale, called "Türkü Bacı", has deepened her repertoire with her Malatya origin and 7-year folk music education; she has taken place in the listener's memory with works such as "İlvanlım", "Seher Yıldızı", "Yeşil Ördek".
Her direct involvement in the institutionalization process of Turkish music history is Akkale's most eye-catching feature. After being deemed worthy of the State Solo Artist title by the Ministry of Culture in 1990, her refusal of this title in 1996 has been recorded as an effective stance on the artist profile. Although it is stated in current sources that the artist is still living, there is no definite information about the date of death. Yet, her publishing life extending from 1972 to 2014 and the title refusal position her as one of the figures with an independent stance in Turkish Folk Music history.
Legacy
Belkıs Akkale has taken her place in musical memory as one of the voices that left her mark on the institutionalization process of Turkish Folk Music. Akkale, who started her career with her first 45 rpm record published in 1972, has also gained an important position in official music circles by taking on the duty as a TRT rostered artist in 1980 and then acquiring the title of State Solo Artist. Especially the "Dadey" album she released in 1982 stands out as one of the turning points that enabled her repertoire to be recognized by wide audiences.
One of the artist's most striking stances is the refusal of the State Artist title conferred to her in 1996. This attitude caused Akkale to be remembered not only as a performer but also as a musician who also prioritized her professional stance. In addition to the "Artist of the Year" awards given by various institutions until 1994, she also tried to direct the sector with her duties at the Music Interpreters Union. Her being called "Türkü Bacı" among the public because she is of Malatya origin is a sign of the adoption of the traditional themes (mountains, separation, family relationships) she performed by the masses.
In the period when Yeşilçam cinema was active in the 1980s, acting in films such as Güvercinim, Tırpan, and Kara Diken and also carrying music to visual memory, her having carried out collaborations with important musicians of the period like İzzet Altınmeşe and Arif Sağ shows that she was at the center of the musical production network of that period. The artist's works, who demonstrated a long and productive career with albums published until 2014, continue to remain as pieces maintaining their place among Turkish Folk Music classics. Although there are variations such as 1952 and 1954 in sources regarding birth year and some film names, with her discography extending from 1972 to the present and her role in TRT publishing, she has left a distinct and undisputed mark in Turkish music history.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What kind of information is found in sources regarding Belkıs Akkale's birth year? There are differences between 1952 and 1954 regarding the birth year in sources, and common data sets point to the date 17 May 1954.
2. With which work did the artist start her musical career? She started her career by publishing her first 45 rpm record titled "Seni Allah Verdi Kimse Alamaz" in 1972.
3. With which album did she start to be recognized by wide audiences? She started to be recognized by wide audiences with the "Dadey" album she released in 1982 and began to be called "Türkü Bacı".
4. What kind of stance did she display regarding state titles? Although she received the State Solo Artist title in 1990, she refused the State Artist title offered to her in 1996.
5. What is known about her works in Yeşilçam cinema? She acted in films such as "Kara Diken", "Güvercinim", "Tırpan" between 1986 and 1987; although variations are found in film names in some sources, these works constitute her visual adventure.
6. What is the artist's current status and recent recording works? She continued her recording works until 2014; current sources do not contain information about the artist's death and carry indications that she is living.