Gülseren

Gülseren Yıldırım, known simply as Gülseren, is a Turkish-born singer who also has a French background. She was born in Istanbul, Turkey, in 1973, and moved to Paris, France, with her family when she was seven years old. Growing up in France, Gülseren stayed connected to her Turkish roots. For example, she studied Eastern cultures in a French university and taught Turkish language classes to children in Paris. This helped her maintain a strong link to her Turkish heritage even while living abroad.

In the late 1990s, Gülseren began her music career in Paris. From 1997 to 1999 she sang every night at a famous Parisian cabaret club called “Les Trois Mailletz,” which features jazz and world music. These regular performances helped her gain experience and confidence on stage. Gülseren also performed in music venues across Europe and often traveled back to Turkey to sing in her home country. In addition to singing, she is a talented dancer and even plays a traditional hand-drum called the darbuka. Her musical style is very diverse – she performs pop, Latin, techno, and traditional Turkish songs. Alongside music, Gülseren tried acting as well. In 2001, she appeared as herself in a Dutch TV movie called Roos and Rana, a story about friendship between a Turkish girl and a Dutch girl.

Gülseren is best known for representing Turkey in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005. In early 2005, she entered the Turkish selection competition for Eurovision. The Turkish broadcaster chose her to go to the contest after a jury of 17 experts voted for her song over other candidates. Gülseren’s entry was a song titled “Rimi Rimi Ley.” The song stayed true to traditional Turkish music, with authentic instruments and rhythms. Some people in Turkey were surprised by this choice. Notably, Sertab Erener – a famous Turkish singer who won Eurovision 2003 – criticized “Rimi Rimi Ley” for not having a broad international pop appeal. Despite the debates, Gülseren remained Turkey’s representative and went to the Eurovision finals in Kyiv, Ukraine, in May 2005. Because Turkey had finished in the top ranks the previous year, Gülseren did not have to compete in a semi-final and went straight to the Grand Final. In the end, Turkey (with Gülseren’s song) finished 13th out of 24 countries. 

After Eurovision, Gülseren continued to work in music both in Turkey and internationally. In 2007, she released an album of Turkish nursery rhymes and lullabies for children. She then turned back to pop music and released studio albums in the early 2010s. Her albums Aşkın Fırtınası (2011) and Gitme Sevdam (2012) featured pop songs and ballads that appealed to Turkish audiences. Gülseren has also put out new singles in recent years. For instance, she released songs like “Platonik” in 2019 and “Yine Başa Döndüm” in 2021.