Nükhet Duru

Nükhet Duru — Biography

Nükhet Duru (born 19 May 1954) is a Turkish singer and actress. She was born in Istanbul to a family originally from the Bor district of Niğde and attended Kandilli Girls' High School. At the age of eleven, the distress caused by her parents' separation left her temporarily paralysed, and she was unable to walk for nearly a year. She took her first professional steps in 1971 as the vocalist of the dance orchestra at the Florya Deniz Kulübü in Istanbul, where the colour of her voice and her interpretations quickly drew attention.

Her first single, Aklımda Sen Fikrimde Sen – Karadır Kaşların, appeared in 1974; the 1975 release Beni Benimle Bırak – Gerisi Vız Gelir earned her a first Golden Disc award and carried her to a wide audience. Her debut LP, Bir Nefes Gibi, followed in 1976, the year she was named best interpreter and the most successful female soloist of the year. In 1978 she joined the Modern Folk Üçlüsü to perform Dostluğa Davet at the Seoul International Song Festival, where they took first prize. During the 1980s she began interpreting works of classical Turkish music and starred on stage as a headline act, while always remaining close to pop.

Her discography includes Melankoli (1978), Nükhet Duru 1981, Aşıksam Ne Farkeder (1982), Her Şey Yeni (1984), Sevda (1985), Nadide (1986), Çek Halatı Gönlüm (1987), Benim Yolum (1989), Aç Gözünü Adamım (1991), Gümüş (1996), Mühür (1997), Bana Rağmen (2001), Muhteşem İkili (2004, with Cenk Eren), Tam Zamanında (2012), Aşkın N Hali (2015) and Hikayesi Var (2020), which pairs her with artists such as Sıla, Kenan Doğulu and Mabel Matiz. Songs like Cambaz, Mahmure and Yasaksa Yasak became classics, and her recording of Ben Sana Vurgunum was sampled by The Weeknd in Often, bringing her international attention. She has also appeared in numerous musicals and cabaret productions, including Yaşa Sevgili Dünya, Yedi Kocalı Hürmüz, Cahide: Bu Bir Efsane and İstanbulname.

On screen she acted in Şerefimle Yaşarım (1971), Yemin (1973), Ayıkla Beni Hüsnü (1975), Kader Bağlayınca (1976, as a guest), Düşkünüm Sana (1982), Keloğlan Kara Prens'e Karşı (2005) as Makarena, and Düğün Dernek 2: Sünnet (2015). Her television appearances include Dadı, Bayanlar Baylar, Avrupa Yakası, Çemberimde Gül Oya, Eylül, Arka Sokaklar, Şahane Damat, Menajerimi Ara and Tetikçinin Oğlu. Mu Tunç's documentary about her life, Duru Olmak, was released on Netflix, and in 2023 she received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 49th Altın Kelebek ceremony in her 50th year as an artist.