Bilal Göregen

Bilal Göregen — Biography

Bilal Göregen is a blind musician who takes street performances online with rhythms made on the darbuka and with his mouth, and who became known worldwide in 2020 with his rendition of "Ievan Polkka". YouTube sharing his video on its official Instagram account turned him quickly into an international internet figure. He is originally from Bitlis and was born on September 4, 1988, in Dörtyol, Hatay.

He studied Turkish Language and Literature at Istanbul University. He first reached a wide audience in the first season of Yetenek Sizsiniz Türkiye with the song Sevdiğim Kız Bana Abi Deyince, reaching the final. After the contest he stayed in the background for a long time, appearing at local events such as a 2016 concert organized by the Esenler municipality. In 2018 the song covers he posted on his YouTube channel brought renewed attention, and his "Dul dul" vocal sound stood out in particular.

The turning point came in late 2020: a Twitter user added a head-bobbing cat to his "Ievan Polkka" performance, the video spread, and YouTube's post put Göregen in the world spotlight. Hürriyet, Cumhuriyet and Habertürk interviewed him, DW reported on versions of the song with Trump and Biden figures, and Göregen said at the time that he would like to play the darbuka for US President Biden. In August 2026 Celta Vigo announced Altay Bayındır's transfer using his video. In May 2026 he gave a concert at a Disability Week event in Vezirköprü.