Hümeyra

Hümeyra — Biography

Hümeyra, born Fatma Hümeyra Akbay on 15 October 1947 in Istanbul, is a Turkish singer, composer, lyricist, and actress. After a difficult youth marked by family pressure, she began working in the 1960s as a graphic designer at the Melodi Plak record company, designing album covers. While singing one of her own compositions there, she was noticed by the company's owner, received her first record offer, and entered the music world.

She released a string of 45 rpm singles in 1969 and 1970, and during the 1970s scored enduring hits such as Kördüğüm, Sessiz Gemi, and Otuz Beş Yaş, songs that remain beloved today. Alongside music she moved into cinema, appearing in productions including Adsız Cengaver (1970), Talihli Amele (1980), Kırık Bir Aşk Hikayesi (1981), Mine (1982), and Asiye Nasıl Kurtulur? (1986).

A frequent collaborator of director Çağan Irmak, she took major roles in Babam ve Oğlum (2005), Dedemin İnsanları (2011), and Unutursam Fısılda (2014). In the 2000s her role as İffet Sütçüoğlu in the hit sitcom Avrupa Yakası won her a new generation of fans; she also appeared in Gülse Birsel's Yalan Dünya, in Melekler Korusun, and in the International Emmy-winning Şahsiyet. She played Maide in the series Paramparça and appeared as Nezihe in the 2020 film Biz Böyleyiz.