Esin Afşar (read Turkish version here | listen to music samples)
Introduction
Esin Afşar is recognized as a versatile artist occupying a unique place in the social memory of Turkish music. Being a graduate of the Ankara State Conservatory Piano Department reflects the discipline of her musical foundation; while her experiences as a pianist and actor in the State Theatres deepened her stage performance. Afşar, who underwent a significant transformation in her musical journey with her meeting with Ruhi Su, created her own interpretation language by blending her conservatory education with Turkish Folk Music and Contemporary Folk music.
The artist also expressed her political stance alongside her music through processes such as being part of the delegation that delivered the "Aydınlar Dilekçesi" (Petition of Intellectuals) prepared during the September 12 period to the Presidency and the banning of concerts where she read Nazım Hikmet poems. Being banned from TRT for 5 years during this period showed that her voice was not only an artistic expression but also a tool of resistance. With her composition "Arabeske İnat", offering an intellectual critique against the musical currents of the period, Esin Afşar established a cultural bridge by bringing together the poems of poets such as Yunus Emre, Mevlana, and Nazım Hikmet with music. Remembered with the nickname "Bayan Yoh Yoh", representing Turkey with the title "Diplomatik Sanatçı" at international festivals, the artist left an indelible mark in the contemporary story of Turkish music with her extensive discography and interpretations.
Biography
Esin Afşar has taken her place in memories as a versatile name that left its mark on Turkey's music and theatre scene. The artist was born in the city of Bari, Italy, where her father served as a consul. Although there are differences between sources regarding her birth date, recorded as 14 September 1936 and 1 January 1936, her artistic career and academic background are clearly recorded. Afşar, who completed her undergraduate education at the Ankara State Conservatory Piano Department, solidified her technical musical foundation during this period and served as both a pianist and an actor for 12 years within the State Theatres in the early days of her career.
Meeting Ruhi Su was a decisive turning point in her artistic journey and directed Afşar towards contemporary folk music interpretation. This new orientation resulted in proving herself in a wide range such as Turkish Folk Music, Türkü, Opera, Jazz and Light Music. Performing a concert in Hungary with the title "Diplomatik Sanatçı" in 1969 was one of the first signs of doors opening to international stages. The awards she received at platforms such as the Romania Braşov Uluslararası Müzik Festivali, the Bulgaria Uluslararası Altın Orfe Müzik Festivali and the İsrail Akdeniz Halk Şarkıları Festivali were proof that her voice was recognized internationally. The artist, who was deemed worthy of the Yılın En İyi Şarkıcısı award in Turkey in 1970, also became the owner of the Jacques Brel ile Dario Moreno Ödülü in the same year.
Esin Afşar stood out not only with her musical talent but also with her responses to the social and political developments of her time. The banning of concerts where she read Nazım Hikmet poems in 1980 and being part of the delegation that took the "Aydınlar Dilekçesi" prepared after the September 12 coup to the Presidency are important developments revealing the artist's stance. During this process, she was banned from TRT for 5 years, but her passion for music was not broken by these restrictions. One of the clearest examples of her musical stance is the composition "Arabeske İnat", which exhibits a stance against Arabesk music. Also known by the nickname "Bayan Yoh Yoh", the artist left a deep mark in social memory with Yunus Emre and Mevlana şarkıları, Nazım Hikmet şiirleri and Aşık Veysel yorumları.
Her own long-playing records (LP) were published with "Dün ve Bugünün Türk Şiir ve Ezgileri" in 1986, and then she expanded her discography with thematic projects such as "Ruhi Su'ya Türkü", "Yunus Emre", "Atatürk", "Caz Yorumlarıyla Aşık Veysel" and "Nazım Hikmet Şarkıları". In the television world, while contributing to culture-art circles with the program "Onlar Hep Genç" that she prepared and presented for ETV, in the cinema world she took roles in productions such as "Göç" (1974), "Gönüller Sultanı Mevlana" (1989) and "Neredesin Firuze" (2003). Although there are different expressions such as "cancer", "leukemia" or "pneumonia" in sources regarding the cause of death of Esin Afşar, who passed away on 14 November 2011, her legacy continues to live on with her Türkü yorumlayışı and cultural stance.
Musical Identity and Interpretation Style
Esin Afşar's musical stance holds an original structure that combines the technical discipline gained with the Ankara State Conservatory piano department education and the stage discipline of the State Theatres years. Meeting Ruhi Su was a turning point that took the artist out of the traditional mold of Turkish Folk Music and brought her to the understanding of contemporary folk music. During this process, the social messages carried by Türküler not only in melody but also with their words and content shaped Afşar's repertoire and elevated her from a singer to an interpreter position.
When the repertoire is examined, it is seen that prominent names of Turkish poetry are frequently included as much as Anatolian folk melodies. Albums where she restaged the poems of Yunus Emre, Mevlana and especially Nazım Hikmet with compositions reflect her approaches that see music as a narrative tool. Along with the ironic language in works such as "Yoh Yoh", the sincerity in classical Türkü interpretations such as "Bana Seni Gerek Seni" shows that the connection she establishes with the listener is based on emotional and mental depth rather than an aesthetic ground. The project "Caz Yorumlarıyla Aşık Veysel" where she interpreted Aşık Veysel with a jazz foundation is also an indication of her courage and versatility aimed at pushing musical boundaries.
One of the most striking aspects of her musical personality is her stance against the popular current of that period. The composition "Arabeske İnat" is the clearest proof that her musical preferences are not only aesthetic but also an ideological choice. Her being banned from TRT for 5 years after September 12 also confirms that her voice and interpretation became part of a social memory alongside her political stance. Her strong technical foundation originating from the conservatory separated her from an ordinary folk music interpreter and turned her into an intellectual voice that places poets' words into music. With these features, Esin Afşar has earned to be remembered as both a tradition carrier and a critical modernist in Turkish music.
Songs and Works
Esin Afşar's musical legacy is built on an original interpretation that blends the technical solidity brought by conservatory education with the local melodies and poetry of Anatolia. In the discography of the artist who turned to contemporary folk music with her meeting with Ruhi Su, the long-playing record "Dün ve Bugünün Türk Şiir ve Ezgileri" published in 1986 is a turning point. Within this wide range, among the most known and socially memorable pieces, there is a special place for Türkü interpretations such as "Kara Toprak" and "Allam Allam Seni Yar" along with "Yoh Yoh"; in fact, this work became so memorable that the artist is also known by the nickname "Bayan Yoh Yoh".
The artist's works did not remain within the limits of folk music only, but also became a strong vehicle for carrying voice to the world of poetry. The importance she gave to the works of Yunus Emre and Mevlana has materialized with the 1991 album "Yunus Emre" and the 2002 work "Yunus Emre & Mevlana Şarkıları". Works originating from Yunus Emre such as "Bana Seni Gerek Seni" are among the clearest examples of her practice of converting poetry into music. The records "Nazım Hikmet Şarkıları" (2000) and "Büyük Türk Şairi Nazım Hikmet" (2010), where she carried the poems of Nazım Hikmet, whose concerts were banned during the September 12 period, to music, show the value she gives to these poems. The 2006 album "Söz Çiğdem Talu" also constitutes a continuation of this tradition of composing poetry.
Afşar's view on music did not remain limited to interpretation only, but also drew attention with her musical stance. The composition "Arabeske İnat" is represented as the most distinct expression of the critical stance she exhibited against the popular currents of the period. Presenting Aşık Veysel works with a jazz perspective by combining her competence in jazz music with a different genre such as "Caz Yorumlarıyla Aşık Veysel" (1999) also proves her versatility. The album "Ruhi Su'ya Türkü" that she dedicated to Ruhi Su in 1987 is a concrete musical document of this road partnership and influence.
Context
Esin Afşar stands out as one of the versatile figures of Turkish music history that left deep traces in social memory. Afşar, who started music with a technical background as a graduate of the Ankara State Conservatory Piano Department, experienced a decisive breaking point in her career with her meeting with Ruhi Su after her 12-year pianist and acting period at the State Theatres and turned to contemporary folk music. This transformation shows that she is not only a performer but also has a musical vision that brings together Turkish folk melodies and poems with modern interpretations.
The international awards she won in the 60s and 70s and the concerts she gave with the title "Diplomatik Sanatçı" in Hungary prove that her musical competence transcended borders. However, Afşar's historical position did not remain limited only to stage success; she exhibited a clear stance regarding the political atmosphere of the period after the 1980 coup. The banning of concerts where she read Nazım Hikmet poems and being part of the delegation that took the "Aydınlar Dilekçesi" prepared after the September 12 coup to the Presidency are important milestones showing that her art cannot be thought of independently from political and intellectual struggle. Being banned from TRT for 5 years during this period also reflects the echo of her music in the pressure environment of that period.
The artist, who quickly entered her discography with her first long-playing record published in 1986, undertook the role of a bridge carrying the classicized texts of Turkish music to new generations with albums where she composed or interpreted the poems of names such as Yunus Emre, Mevlana and Nazım Hikmet. Exhibiting an aesthetic stance against Arabesk music with the composition "Arabeske İnat" also reveals her own musical philosophy. Esin Afşar, known by the nickname "Bayan Yoh Yoh", who left multiple working areas from the years she prepared the program "Onlar Hep Genç" on ETV, established an important place in Turkey's audio memory by blending disciplines such as opera, jazz and light music with the concepts of Turkish Folk Music and Contemporary Folk.
Legacy
Esin Afşar has earned a unique place in our music history by combining her Ankara State Conservatory piano education with contemporary folk music and Turkish Folk Music interpretation shaped by her meeting with Ruhi Su. Taking her place in social memory with her interpretations of Türküler is considered the artist's most lasting legacy.
Her musical stance offers important data regarding the cultural and political climate of the period. The work "Arabeske İnat" composed by exhibiting a stance against Arabesk music is a concrete expression of this stance. The banning of concerts where she read Nazım Hikmet poems in 1980 and being part of the delegation that took the "Aydınlar Dilekçesi" prepared after the September 12 coup to the Presidency shows that the artist is not only a musician but also a figure sensitive to social events. Although she was banned from TRT for 5 years during the September 12 period, she maintained her presence in art with the long-playing records she published from 1986 onwards.
Her works dedicated to the poems of Yunus Emre, Mevlana and Nazım Hikmet played an important role in the transmission of Turkish cultural heritage through music. The awards she received at international festivals in Romania, Bulgaria and Israel from the concerts she gave with the title "Diplomatik Sanatçı" in Hungary have reinforced the fact that her music is a carrier across borders. Esin Afşar, remembered by the nickname "Bayan Yoh Yoh", left an indelible mark in the social memory of Turkish music with the extensive repertoire and versatile career she left when she passed away in 2011.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the definitive details regarding birth date and place? Esin Afşar was born in the city of Bari, Italy, where her father served as a consul. However, there are differences between sources regarding the birth date, and the dates 14 September 1936 or 1 January 1936 are recorded. In her education life, she solidified her technical musical foundation as a graduate of the Ankara State Conservatory Piano Department.
Who was the turning point in the artist's musical career? Meeting Ruhi Su was a decisive turning point in her artistic journey and directed Afşar away from the traditional mold of Turkish Folk Music towards contemporary folk music interpretation. During this process, she established a cultural bridge by bringing together the poems of poets such as Yunus Emre, Mevlana and Nazım Hikmet with music.
How was the artist's music and political stance affected during the September 12 period? Concerts where the artist, who was part of the delegation that took the "Aydınlar Dilekçesi" to the Presidency during the September 12 period, read Nazım Hikmet poems were banned. During this process, Esin Afşar, who was banned from TRT for 5 years, showed that her music was also a tool of resistance with the composition "Arabeske İnat" offering an intellectual critique against the musical currents of the period.
What are her best known works and nickname? The artist is known by the nickname "Bayan Yoh Yoh" due to the work named "Yoh Yoh". Her discography contains her first long-playing record published in 1986 "Dün ve Bugünün Türk Şiir ve Ezgileri" along with thematic projects (such as "Ruhi Su'ya Türkü", "Yunus Emre", "Nazım Hikmet Şarkıları").
What are the awards and titles she received internationally? In 1969, she received the title "Diplomatik Sanatçı" by giving a concert in Hungary. She received awards at platforms such as the Romanya Braşov Uluslararası Müzik Festivali, the Bulgaristan Uluslararası Altın Orfe Müzik Festivali and the İsrail Akdeniz Halk Şarkıları Festivali. In addition, in 1970 she was deemed worthy of the Yılın En İyi Şarkıcısı award in Turkey and the Jacques Brel ile Dario Moreno Ödülü.
What kind of information is contained in sources regarding her death? Esin Afşar passed away on 14 November 2011. Although there are different expressions such as "cancer", "leukemia" or "pneumonia" in sources regarding the cause of death, it is known that the artist left an indelible mark in the contemporary story of Turkish music with the extensive discography and interpretations she left.