Kolera

Kolera — Biography

Kolera, whose real name is Esen Güler, was born on 23 September 1983 in Istanbul. She entered hip-hop culture through breakdancing, and after meeting Sagopa Kajmer and playing him songs she had written herself, she began recording at the Kuvvetmira studios in 1998, starting with the track "İnkâr Boşuna". In 2001, at just 19, she gained attention with her first EP, Underground, released online. After appearing as a featured artist on several of Sagopa Kajmer's albums, she released her debut solo album, Karantina Embryo, in 2005, produced by Sagopa Kajmer; that same year the two founded their own record label, Melankolia Müzik.

Under the Melankolia Müzik label she released İkimizi Anlatan Bir Şey in 2007 with Sagopa Kajmer, considered Turkey's first joint album by a female and male rap artist, followed by her solo album İnziva in 2008 and a second duet album, Bendeki Sen, in 2010. Her 2012 album Orda Olmak was also a commercial success, and that year she was named Rap Artist of the Year at the Radyo Boğaziçi Music Awards. Over her career she has released further albums such as Kolokolik (2016) and Shakti (2024) along with numerous EPs and singles, and has designed the artwork for several of her own album covers. She is married to fellow rapper Sagopa Kajmer.