There are some singers whose fame never quite seems to match their talent. Birsen Tezer is arguably one of them.
Possessing one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary Turkish music, the singer, songwriter and musician has quietly built an intensely loyal following through a relatively small but beautifully crafted body of work that draws on jazz, Turkish music, folk, acoustic sounds and alternative pop.
Londoners will have a rare opportunity to experience Tezer live when she performs at The Finsbury in North London on Saturday, 28 November, accompanied by musicians Derin Bayhan, Emre Tankal, Gürol Ağırbaş and Tunç Öndemir. The concert runs from 7pm to 11pm, with support from Sevtap Işık (Sudden Exit).
For those unfamiliar with her music, this could be the perfect introduction to an artist whose soulful, wonderfully expressive vocals can move effortlessly from tenderness and melancholy to something altogether more powerful.
A musician before a recording star
Tezer's musical education runs deep. She first became involved in music while at secondary school and won various prizes in the Milliyet High Schools Music Competition in 1982 and 1983.
In 1984 she entered the Istanbul Technical University Turkish Music State Conservatory, where she chose the kanun as her instrument and studied under acclaimed kanun player Erol Deran. After graduating, she embarked on her professional music career, initially performing with just guitar accompaniment before developing a fuller band sound and frequently accompanying her own vocals on the kanun.
Long before she released an album under her own name, Tezer was working with some of the most respected figures in Turkish music.
One particularly important musical relationship was with Bülent Ortaçgil. She duetted with him on his 1998 album Light and later recorded his song Çığlık Çığlığa for the 2000 Ortaçgil tribute album Şarkılar Bir Oyundur. She has also collaborated with artists including İlhan Şeşen, Erkan Oğur and Gürol Ağırbaş.
It was only after a decade spent living and performing in Bodrum that Tezer finally released her debut album.
Three albums, each worth discovering
Cihan, released in 2009, was a remarkably assured first record. Mixing Tezer's own material with compositions by the likes of Ortaçgil, Erkan Oğur, İlhan Şeşen and Zafer Cınbıl, the album introduced a wider audience to her understated fusion of Turkish songwriting and jazz-inflected musicianship.
Among its gems are Aşk Bu Değil, Balıkesir, Bilsen, Değirmenler, İstanbul, Di Gel Yanıma and Tezer's memorable interpretation of Çığlık Çığlığa.
Four years later came İkinci Cihan (2013), a nine-track record on which Tezer increasingly asserted herself as a songwriter as well as an interpreter: she wrote both the words and music to five of its songs. Musicians including Erkan Oğur, Bülent Ortaçgil, İlhan Şeşen, Akın Eldes and Sibel Köse contributed to the album alongside members of Tezer's regular band.
Then Tezer did something increasingly unusual in an industry obsessed with constant releases: she took her time.
Her third album, Kağıttan Kaptanlar, did not arrive until 2023, a full decade after İkinci Cihan. Released through Sony Music Türkiye, its nine tracks include the title song alongside Seyri Zaman, Kadın, Saklasam Kendimi, Çık Ordan and the gorgeous Sanki Rüya.
The record retains the jazz sensibility associated with Tezer while broadening her sound, at times introducing stronger rock-flavoured guitar and drums. Crucially, much of the musical family surrounding her has remained remarkably consistent over the years, giving Tezer's recordings and live performances an organic chemistry that is difficult to manufacture.
That continuity will also be evident in London. Guitarists Emre Tankal and Tunç Öndemir, bassist Gürol Ağırbaş and drummer Derin Bayhan, who have all played important roles in Tezer's music over the years, are listed among the musicians joining her at The Finsbury.
For anyone whose tastes lean towards intelligent songwriting, accomplished musicianship and singers capable of communicating as much through the texture of their voice as through the words they sing, Birsen Tezer is an artist well worth discovering.
Event details
Title: Birsen Tezer live in London
Date: Saturday 28 November 2026
Time: 7pm–11pm
Venue: The Finsbury, 336 Green Lanes, London N4 1BY
Nearest Tube: Manor House
Tickets: £45 available online from the Dear Turkey site – click here to buy
