Hande Yener

Hande Yener (born January 12, 1973 in Istanbul, Turkey) is a Turkish pop singer and actress. She is one of the most famous singers in Turkey. Over the past decade, she has introduced different styles to the ever expanding Turkish pop music scene. Each one of her albums has generated a lot of interest as well as anticipation due to the different styles, genres and rhythms that she incorporates into her music.

Life and career

1973-99: Early life and career beginnings

Yener was born Makbule Hande Özyener on January 12, 1973, in Kadıköy, Istanbul. After secondary school, she wanted to study at a conservatory but her parents didn't let her. Instead, she attended Erenköy Girls High School. She dropped out of high school and married Uğur Kulaçoğlu at the age of 17. In 1991, Yener gave birth to her son, Çağın Kulaçoğlu. She began to take singing lessons from Erdem Siyavuşgil and tried unsuccessfully to contact Sezen Aksu.

In 1992, Yener met Hülya Avşar, who was shopping at the department store she worked at. Avşar arranged for her to meet Sezen Aksu, who would eventually invite her to audition to work with her on her upcoming album. Aksu hired her as her assistant and as back vocalist for her album "Deli Kızın Türküsü" (Folk Songs of a Crazy Girl). This gave her the first stepping stone into the music industry, as working with Aksu allowed her not only to gain some experience as an artist, but also contribute to the production of some of Aksu's albums during the 1990s.