Nazan Öncel (read Turkish version here | listen to music samples)
Introduction
The story of a journey from the streets of Karşıyaka to the most resonant stage of Turkish music comes to life in Nazan Öncel's music. Beginning her professional music journey with her first 45 rpm record released in 1978, the artist laid her foundations with her first album in 1982, and became a widely recognized name with her work "Bir Hadise Var" released in the early 90s. However, Nazan Öncel, beyond being just a vocalist, established her place in Turkish music history as a strong representative of the songwriting tradition.
With the 1995 album "Göç", Öncel clarified her direction in lyric writing, and with the "Sokak Kızı" work released the following year, she certified her musical evolution by shifting towards rock and Anatolian Rock genres. This transformation also reinforced the identity associated with the nickname "Sokak Kızı". Öncel, who treats universal themes such as love, separation, and identity with works like "Gitme Kal Bu Şehirde", "Geceler Kara Tren", and "Erkekler de Yanar", nourished her music with social and personal dynamics.
Throughout her long career, alongside prestigious awards such as Golden Butterfly and Golden Record, she saw the certification of the value she contributed to art with the Life Time Honor Award from Radio Boğaziçi received in 2019. The artist, who gained experience in the cinema sector in 1961 during her childhood years, continues her uninterrupted production with new singles on digital platforms in 2025 ("Vertigo"), representing a structure that also accounts for losses in her private life. Nazan Öncel, one of the architects of songs listened to for generations, leaving a mark on the development line of Turkish pop and rock music, holds the position of the living memory of Turkish music.
Biography
Nazan Öncel was born on February 6, 1956, in the Karşıyaka district of Izmir. Öncel, who took her first step in her artistic career at a very early age, appeared as a child star in the film "Acı Tesadüf" shot in 1961 when she was only 5 years old. She took her first serious step in the music world with her first 45 rpm "Sana Kul Köle Olmuştum" in 1978 and released her first long play (LP) in 1982 under the name "Yağmur Duası".
She began to be recognized by the masses with the album "Bir Hadise Var" released between 1991 or 1992, which is considered a turning point in her career. In the following years, she achieved great success with the album "Ben Böyle Aşk Görmedim" in 1994 and its videos. The album "Göç" published in 1995 enabled her to become one of the important representatives of the songwriting tradition. With the album "Sokak Kızı" released in 1996, she made a transition to the rock direction in her musical style and outlined an artist profile known by this nickname. From 1999 to 2023, she released numerous albums such as "Demir Leblebi", "Hayvan", "Kara Plak: Geceye Bir Şarkı".
Among the artist's works are many known tracks such as "Gitme Kal Bu Şehirde", "Aynı Nakarat", "Geceler Kara Tren", "Erkekler de Yanar", and "Hüp". Among the awards received throughout her career are the Golden Butterfly (Altın Kelebek) awards known as "Song of the Year" in 2005 and 2007 (for "Of Of" and "Aşkım Baksana Bana" respectively), Golden Record (Altın Plak) for "Aşkitom" in 2015, and the Life Time Honor Award given by Radio Boğaziçi in 2019. Some publication dates may vary in sources; for example, the years 2003 and 2004 for the album "Yan Yana Fotoğraf Çektirelim", and 2008 and 2009 for "Hatırına Sustum" appear in different sources.
Regarding her private life, Öncel, who lost her husband Akşit Togay in 2017, has no clarified information in sources regarding her current marital status after this date. The artist, while continuing to release the "Vertigo" single on digital platforms in 2025, had a stent placed due to detection of narrowing in heart vessels in the same year. Nazan Öncel, who blends Pop, Rock, and Anatolian Rock genres in Turkish music and stands out with her songwriting, maintains her place as one of the important figures in music history with her career extending from 1978 to the present.
Style and Musical Personality
Nazan Öncel, as one of the important representatives of the songwriting tradition in Turkish music, followed an original musical path throughout her career by blending pop, rock, and Anatolian Rock genres. The artist, who stepped into the music world with her first 45 rpm in 1978, reinforced her transition to songwriting with the album "Göç" published in 1995 and became a concrete example of the tradition of composing one's own story. The album "Sokak Kızı" released in 1996 created a distinct break point in her musical personality, witnessing an evolution closer to the rock style. This transition is evaluated not only as a style change but also as finding a musical correspondence to the identity search expressed with the nickname "Sokak Kızı" and the effort of making the voices of the streets heard.
When her repertoire is examined, love, separation, nighttime loneliness, and internal reckonings are seen in the foreground. Works such as "Gitme Kal Bu Şehirde", "Aynı Nakarat", "Geceler Kara Tren", and "Gidelim Buralardan" offer an emotional journey to the listener; while tracks like "Erkekler de Yanar" carry strong messages regarding social gender dynamics and the questioning of traditional roles. In works where she writes most of the lyrics herself, the naturalness and transparency of the described emotion stand out. Although there are no technical details regarding vocal characteristics in sources, her mastery over lyrics and manner of interpretation is her most distinct musical signature.
Her music has found a place in the common memory of the masses over a wide time period extending from the 1982 "Yağmur Duası" to the 2023 album "Kara Plak: Geceye Bir Şarkı" and the 2025 "Vertigo" single work. The mass she reached with albums such as "Ben Böyle Aşk Görmedim" and "Bir Hadise Var" allowed her to maintain her young audience base with works combining rock and pop elements from the early 2000s onwards. Nazan Öncel's musical world demonstrates a courageous stance that looks inward rather than an address outward, but does not shy away from expressing this introversion.
Songs
Nazan Öncel's musical journey is built on compositions that changed the flow of Turkish pop and rock music and her unique songwriting tradition. The artist, who appeared on stage with her first 45 rpm work "Sana Kul Köle Olmuştum" published in 1978, gained depth with her first LP "Yağmur Duası" released in 1982, but reached a point of being recognized by the masses with the album "Bir Hadise Var" published in 1991/1992. This period was recorded as a beginning where both the artist's composing and interpretation sides stood out.
Especially the 1994 album "Ben Böyle Aşk Görmedim" stands out with its widely successful videos and songs, while the album "Göç" published in 1995 was decisive in terms of her becoming a representative of the songwriting tradition. Works such as "Gitme Kal Bu Şehirde", "Aynı Nakarat", and "Gidelim Buralardan" were among her signature tones with their lyrical structure treating love and separation themes. The album "Sokak Kızı" released in 1996 symbolizing her transition to rock style and the track of the same name reinforced both her nickname and musical identity.
Among the award-winning tracks in her career, "Of Of" stands out, which won the Golden Butterfly "Song of the Year" award in 2005. Additionally, "Aşkım Baksana Bana", which received a similar award in 2007, is among her works. Songs such as "Erkekler de Yanar", "Hüp", "Beni Hatırla", and "Aşık Değilim Olabilirim" are also counted among important titles in the lists she represented. She continued her musical production by publishing the "Vertigo" single on the digital platform in 2025 after the 2023 "Kara Plak: Geceye Bir Şarkı" album. Period works such as "Yan Yana Fotoğraf Çektirelim" published in 2003/2004 and "Hatırına Sustum" released in 2008/2009 form an important link of the artist's long-term discography.
Context
Nazan Öncel has gone down in history as one of the unchanging faces of Turkish pop and rock music with her long career extending from the late 1970s to the mid-2020s. Born in the Karşıyaka district of Izmir, Öncel entered cinema as a child star with the 1961 film "Acı Tesadüf" at only five years old, but shaped her true identity with music. The artist, who took a step into her professional music career with her first 45 rpm "Sana Kul Köle Olmuştum" in 1978, presented her first long work with the "Yağmur Duası" album released in 1982. The actual musical break point occurred with the album "Bir Hadise Var" published between 1991 or 1992.
Öncel's musical evolution was not limited to a single genre; she found her own voice by blending pop, rock, and Anatolian Rock currents. The 1995 "Göç" album is among the works that made her a representative of the songwriting tradition, while the "Sokak Kızı" album published in 1996 is known as a symbol of the transition to the rock style. The nickname "Sokak Kızı" has become associated with her, drawing from both this album and lyrics touching on social gender and identity issues such as "Erkekler de Yanar". She formed her audience with songs like "Gitme Kal Bu Şehirde", "Aynı Nakarat", and "Geceler Kara Tren", receiving the "Song of the Year" awards in 2005 and 2007.
Öncel, who maintained her productivity in the later stages of her career, was recognized with the "Life Time Honor Award" given by Radio Boğaziçi in 2019. It is recorded that she continued her music life with "Vertigo" single and concerts in 2025. Although there are differences in some sources regarding album release years (such as "Bir Hadise Var" or "Yan Yana Fotoğraf Çektirelim") or certain details of private life, Öncel's role in songwriting and rock/pop synthesis in Turkish music from the 1980s to the 2020s is supported by a career leaving a mark in the cinema sector since the 1960s and in the music world since the 1970s.
Legacy and Artistic Impact
Nazan Öncel's place in Turkish music culture is defined by her disciplined work extending from 1978 to 2025 and the different tones she contributed to the songwriting tradition. The artist, who started her journey with her first 45 rpm "Sana Kul Köle Olmuştum", experienced the long form for the first time with her first LP work "Yağmur Duası" in 1982. However, she reached real mass recognition and the turning points of her career with the album "Bir Hadise Var" published in 1991/1992. The 1994 "Ben Böyle Aşk Görmedim" work is considered one of the biggest commercial and artistic successes in her career, while the 1995 "Göç" album made her not just a performer but an important representative of the songwriting tradition.
One of the most distinct transformations in her artistic identity is the album "Sokak Kızı" published in 1996. With this work, she transitioned to the rock style and reflected her unique "Sokak Kızı" nickname into her music. Her lyrics treating themes such as love, separation, night, and gender dynamics have secured a strong place in listener memory. Tracks such as "Gitme Kal Bu Şehirde", "Geceler Kara Tren", and "Erkekler de Yanar" have a significant share in her musical legacy as timeless works demonstrating the ability to reflect the spirit of the time.
The artist's long career was certified with the "Life Time Honor Award" given to her by Radio Boğaziçi in 2019. This success, supported by awards such as Golden Butterfly and Golden Record, proves that her musical accumulation continues to meet the audience for generations. With the "Vertigo" single she published on the digital platform in 2025 and the concerts she performed, she shows that she continues her bond with music after the LPs she released from 1982 to 2023. Nazan Öncel maintains her place in memories as one of the rare artists who could create her own unique identity, carrying Anatolian Rock traditions while also blending modern styles in the history of Turkish pop and rock music.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Nazan Öncel's birth information and first music work? Nazan Öncel was born on February 6, 1956, in the Karşıyaka district of Izmir. She began her professional music career in 1978 with her first 45 rpm titled "Sana Kul Köle Olmuştum", and published her first long work (LP) in 1982 under the name "Yağmur Duası".
With which album did the artist begin to be recognized by the masses? Nazan Öncel began to be recognized by the masses with the album "Bir Hadise Var" released between 1991 or 1992. This period was recorded as a beginning where both the artist's composing and interpretation sides stood out.
How did the "Sokak Kızı" nickname and musical style change occur? Öncel, who reinforced her transition to lyric writing with the album "Göç" published in 1995, made a transition to the rock direction in her musical style with the album "Sokak Kızı" released in 1996. This transition is evaluated not only as a style change but also as a musical correspondence to the identity search expressed with the nickname "Sokak Kızı".
What are the important awards she received throughout her career? The artist received the Golden Butterfly awards known as "Song of the Year" in 2005 and 2007 (for "Of Of" and "Aşkım Baksana Bana" respectively), the Golden Record for "Aşkitom" in 2015, and the Life Time Honor Award given by Radio Boğaziçi in 2019.
What is known about her private life and some dates in her discography? Regarding Öncel's current marital status after losing her husband Akşit Togay in 2017, there is no clarified information in sources. Additionally, some album release years in the discography (for example, 2003 and 2004 for "Yan Yana Fotoğraf Çektirelim", 2008 and 2009 for "Hatırına Sustum") may vary in different sources.