Arif Susam

Arif Susam — Biography

In the 1980s, Arif Susam, a Turkish singer, ranked among the most listened-to names in tavern music. He is known for a style that blends traditional Turkish melodies with synthesizers and for the chat he weaves between songs; almost all his albums are live recordings that carry the warmth of the stage onto record, and some think he created a school of his own. He is remembered alongside contemporaries such as Cengiz Kurtoğlu, Nejat Alp, Ümit Besen and Atilla Kaya.

He studied classical Western music for eight years at the Istanbul Conservatory and did his military service as an orchestra conductor at the Yeniköy Officers' Club. After playing keyboards and singing in local venues, a demo he made took him to the Şahin Özer record label, where he and Kurtoğlu were among the first artists. In 1982 he began performing every night at Köşem in Tarabya, a residency that ran fourteen years without a break. His first album, Efsane Aşk, came out in 1984, followed by Kara Kara. The double live album Tavernada Yıldönümü, released in the mid-1980s, sold well over a million copies and became the emblem of his golden years. He kept recording into the 1990s with albums such as Kararsız Gönlüm, Kader Utansın, O Kadın İçin and Hasreti Kutluyorum.

He later spent about five years on stage in Kumkapı and has continued to perform live at a restaurant in Istanbul. He also appeared in productions including Kader Utansın (1987), Hatırası Var (1988), Veda Gecesi (2000) and Ayakçı (2025). He is a well-known Galatasaray supporter and makes a small appearance on the club's championship album.