Buket Bengisu

Buket Bengisu — Biography

Born in Istanbul on 19 July 1978 into a musical family -- her father played bass guitar and her uncle piano -- Buket Bengisu is a Turkish singer. In 1996 she enrolled in the choral-singing program of the opera department at Istanbul University State Conservatory, then transferred in 2000 into the school's musical-theatre program, graduating in 2003. During her studies she spent five years performing with the Turkish Children's Theatre and sang as soloist and chorister with the conservatory choir, the Sera Chamber Orchestra and the Istanbul Chamber Choir.

The turning point of her career came in 2002, when she won the national final as a member of the group Safir with the song Leylaklar Soldu Kalbinde, going on to represent Turkey at the Eurovision Song Contest held in Estonia, where she finished 16th with 29 points. In 2011 she received a jury special prize at a festival in Moldova along with best-performer, best-lyrics and best-song honors from an international pop competition and a Bulgarian radio institution. In September 2013 she took part in a long-running Eurovision concert in Setubal, Portugal, as the first artist from her country to receive the invitation.

Continuing to perform as a soloist with Latin and jazz orchestras in Istanbul, Bengisu has released the singles Kalbi Kırık Bir Kadının Hikayesi and Sen Çıkınca Karşıma, and alongside her performing career she also works as a vocal instructor for younger talent.