Deniz Kızı Eftalya

Deniz Kızı Eftalya — Biography

Deniz Kızı Eftalya, born Anastasia Georgiadou in 1891 in the Sarıyer district of Istanbul to a Greek family, became one of the notable voices of the late Ottoman and early Republican kanto and popular song scene.

Known by her stage name meaning "Eftalya the Mermaid," she married the kemenche player Sadi Işılay. Later press accounts described a rivalry between her and fellow vocalist Safiye Ayla that was said to have been followed closely by Atatürk himself.

She died in Istanbul on March 15, 1939, and remains remembered as one of the notable singers of Istanbul's Ottoman-Greek musical heritage.