Ajda Pekkan Concerts Setlist

Born in 1946 Istanbul, Ajda Pekkan turned from acting sensation to Turkey's undisputed "Superstar." Starting in dingy nightclubs with Los Çatikos in the '60s, she caught her break winning a magazine's cinema contest. Within six years, she'd starred in 50 films, but music was calling. Her early years were pure hustle - covering Western hits with Turkish lyrics, working with legends like Fikret Şeneş. Songs like "Kimler Geldi" and "Palavra Palavra" weren't just hits; they became Turkish pop classics. She didn't just stay local either - by the '70s she was recording in French, performing in Tehran, and taking Europe by storm.

Eurovision in 1980 should have been her crowning moment, but coming 15th place with "Pet'r Oil" really hurt. She disappeared-to London and LA-and fought with jaundice and doubts, ultimately to return harder. Well into the succeeding decades, she continued to reinvent herself, working with new talent like Sezen Aksu and continuing to drop hits into her 70s.

Beyond music, Pekkan's become a cultural force - women's rights advocate, animal lover, gay icon. She's paid some prices - six aborted pregnancies to keep her career going, three marriages that didn't last. But with 15 million records sold and the title of State Artist, she's earned her "Superstar" status.

Her voice shaped Turkish pop for five decades, but it's her resilience that's really inspiring. From soldier's daughter to international star, she built her own path when there wasn't one to follow. As she put it herself - creating that system alone as a woman took real courage.