Singer of Turkish classical music (B. 13th October 1907,
Istanbul – D. 14th January 1998, Istanbul). Her name was Safiye
Ayla, she got Targan as surname when she married Şerif Muhittin Targan, an oud
virtuoso and composer. She was the daughter of Mısırlı Hicazizade Hafız
Abdullah Bey. Her father passed away before she was born and her mother died
when she was three years old. She was grown up in Çağlayan Darüleytam (Orphanage).
She began her musical education as a piano student. After having completed primary education, she
attended to Muallim Mektebi (teacher's training school) in Bursa and graduated
from there in 1920. She was appointed to a primary school as a teacher in
Beyoğlu, Istanbul. She studied under Mustafa Sunar and also took
lessons from Yesari Asım Arsoy, Hafız Ahmet Irsoy, Selahattin Pınar, Saadettin
Kaynak and Udi Nevres Bey. She took to the stage for the first time at
Darülttalim-i Musiki Heyeti in 1931. She worked at Istanbul Radio, Ankara Radio
and on the Executive Committee of Istanbul Conservatory. She had performed at
music halls for a long time. After she appeared at the concerts of Darüttalim-i
Musiki Heyeti, she resigned from teaching profession and began to work at music
halls.
Her voice was so beautiful that she began to draw attention during her
student days. Over the ensuing years, she had become the most noted female
singer of the republican era. She gave a performance for Mustafa
Kemal in 1932 during a party held at the house of Nuri Bey, the vice governor in
Istanbul and became one of his favorite singers... She married the oud virtuoso
and composer Şerif Muhittin Targan in 1950. Countless of her concerts were
broadcast on Turkish radios, particularly on Istanbul Radio and she made more
than 500 recordings. She was the most demanded voice on Istanbul Radio and
Ankara Radio and gave numerous private concerts. The fame of her beautiful
voice became famous at home and aboard.
Safiye Ayla,
who has two compositions “Seninle doğan
gündür bu gönül” and “Aşk yaprağına
konarak koza öresim gelir”, played the role of Queen Mimoza onstage in the
play "Alabanda" of Rey brothers in 1942 and proved she had the talent
to act as well. Safiye Ayla, who was one of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s favorite
singers, performed “Anam Olasın Ömer”
song at a concert held on the name of Mustafa Kemal Pasha and Pasha liked it so
much that he asked Safiye Ayla to sing it again. Safiye Ayla passed away at the
age of 91 on 14th January 1998 in Istanbul.
Safiye Ayla
had her own singing style, distinct from other female performers. That she was
somewhat influenced by western styles was a typical characteristic of her
style. She paid special attention to pronunciation and had a smooth but also
enthusiastic style of singing. She could reach the highest pitches with her
smooth voice. Her repertoire included classical, modern, and popular music, as
well as Rumelia folk songs, so she was able to reach a broad public. She became
famous with her songs “Çile Bülbülüm Çile”, “Menekşelendi Sular”, “Yanık Ömer”.