Kibariye

Kibariye — Biography

Bahriye Tokmak (born 10 August 1960 in Akhisar, Manisa), widely known by her stage name Kibariye, is a Turkish arabesque-pop singer and actress of Romani descent. The first child of Doğan and Makbule Tokmak, she was born in the village of Kapaklı; because her parents were not yet married at the time, her birth year was entered in the registry as 1959 and only corrected to 1960 by a court decision in 1981.

Her family made a living picking cotton and tobacco, and poverty kept her from ever attending school. She first performed at a music hall in Akhisar, then from 1974 onward sang in the pavilions of İzmir. A recommendation from composer Muzaffer Özpınar to Turgut Akyüz, owner of Istanbul's Stardust music hall, proved to be her turning point. Her appearance on TRT's New Year's Eve broadcast in 1981 made her famous nationwide, and her hit Kim Bilir launched a recording career that produced more than twenty albums by the early 1990s, establishing her among the strongest female voices of arabesque music.

She also worked in film and television, starring in Kimbilir (1981) and appearing in Hayat Merdiveni (1986), Şen Sulukule (1987) and Hababam Sınıfı 3,5 (2005), as well as the series Hayatım Roman (2000) and Reyting Hamdi (2002). She later hosted entertainment shows and served as a judge on singing competitions. She married taxi driver Tunay Ürek in 1979; the marriage ended in divorce. Her 1999 marriage to Ali Küçükbalçık produced a daughter, Birgül. She remains active on stage.