Şebnem Paker

Şebnem Paker (* 1977 in Istanbul ) is a Turkish singer and two-time Eurovision Song Contest participant.

life and career

Paker began taking ballet lessons at the age of three , which she continued until she was ten. Later she took guitar lessons. From 1992 to 1996 she studied classical guitar at the Istanbul State Conservatory . In 1995 she met Levent Çoker , the composer and head of the trombone department of the Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra , and began her first studio recordings with him. She continued her education in 1996 at the University of Marmara in the field of singing , which she graduated in 2000.

Paker has released an album after her success at the Eurovision Song Contest. Their first and only album Dinle , released in 1997, was only of average success in Turkey. Today she works as a music teacher and occasionally gives concerts. She is married and has children.

Eurovision Song Contest 1996 and 1997

Paker represented Turkey at the 1996 Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo with the Levent Çoker composition Beşinci mevsim ( de: The fifth season ). Paker had the starting number 1 and finished 12th with 57 points. Beşinci mevsim , like all other songs from 1996, first had to go through an audio preselection round . Music experts eliminated seven of the final contenders, with Pakers Lied qualifying for the final with 7th place. It was to this audio preselection round that Germany owed its only non-participation in the competition since 1956.

The following year she again took part in the Turkish preliminary decision with a Levent Çoker composition and won the preliminary decision again. With the Etnik group , Paker represented Turkey at the Eurovision Song Contest 1997 in Dublin with starting number 2. She took third place in Dublin with 121 points with the ethnic song Dinle ( de: Listen! ). This result was Turkey's highest ranking at Eurovision up to that point and ensured Turkish celebrations. Up to this point, the 9th place was considered the best result in Turkey that the group Klips ve Onlar had achieved with Halley at the 1986 Eurovision Song Contest . Greece gave Turkey points in this competition for the first time (7 out of a possible 12 points). Paker's third place with Dinle remained the best Turkish result until Sertab Erener's victory in 2003.

Also in 1998 Paker took part in the Turkish preliminary decision again with a Levent Çoker composition and again with the Etnik group. The composition Çal ( de: game! (The musical instrument) or pluck! ) Occupied an unknown position in the preliminary decision. (Only the top 3 results were posted.)

Discography

• Dinle (1997)

Web links

• Şebnem Paker in the Internet Movie Database (English)
• Paker's appearance in Oslo in 1996: Beşinci mevsim

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Şebnem Paker website, section Biyografi (Turkish)  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
2. ↑ ECGermany eV - born in 1996
3. ^ Turkish preliminary decisions, section 1998 Türkiye Ulusal Finali ( Memento from May 22, 2011 in the Internet Archive )