From Eliza to Zehra: A ‘Hidden Armenian’ Superstar in Turkey

BY UZAY BULUT

On March 26, 1913, an Armenian girl named Eliza was born in Arapgir, a town in Elazig (Kharpert), which is now part of Malatya province in eastern Turkey.

Eliza was incredibly talented. She sang Turkish folk songs of all regions of Anatolia and became the first professional female folk singer in Turkey.

She was also an operetta dancer, a collector of folk songs and a teacher. She worked as an associate professor in the Folk Song Department of the State Conservatory of Istanbul University during the 1990’s. She was called “the mother of Turkish folk songs”