Banu Kırbağ

Banu Kırbağ (2 March 1951 – 18 August 2025) was a Turkish pop musician, composer, and arranger. She was one of the first Turkish female contributors to pop music in the 1970s and was recognized as the first Turkish female arranger.

Banu Kırbağ was born in Istanbul in 1951. She began her musical journey as an amateur soloist in her school orchestra in 1969 while still a high school student. She continued her studies at the Istanbul University State Conservatory Singing and Solfeggio Department before starting her professional stage career. In 1972, she joined the trio Zafer-Banu-Hülya with Zafer Dilek and her sister Hülya Kırbağ. The group released four 45s and one album before disbanding in 1976.^[1] After the group dissolved, she decided to pursue a solo career.^[2]

On 5 March 1977, she adopted the stage name Banu Arman, but later began performing simply as Banu. The year 1978 marked a significant turning point in her career. She achieved great success with the songs Ölsem de Bir, Kalsam da Bir, and Unutulur (I Will Stay). That same year, she began studying voice, solfeggio, harmony, counterpoint, and arrangement at the Çağdaş Dershane (Modern Preparatory School) under Timur Selçuk for five years. Invited by then Culture Minister Ahmet Taner Kışlalı, she gave concerts in cities including Moscow, Baku, and Ashgabat as part of Soviet-Turkish cultural activities. She also starred alongside Alpay İzer in a musical written specifically for her by Umur Bugay, gaining her first theatrical and musical experience.^[2]

In 1982, she met with numerous composers for her album Anlatayım (I Am Telling), but to no avail. She gradually began focusing on composing and laboured diligently for two years. The six songs she created for the album set music to poems by Faruk Nafiz Çamlıbel, Ahmet Kutsi Tecer, and Ümit Yaşar Oğuzcan. She arranged one of these compositions, earning her the distinction of being one of Turkey's first female arrangers. She also persuaded Murat Kalaycıoğlu to collaborate with her. The album was released in 1984.^[3]

Ayşegül Aldinç performed Bir Bahar Aşkısın (You Are a Spring Love), a song composed by Kırbağ with lyrics by Aysel Gürel, at the 1987 Kuşadası Golden Pigeon Music Competition. Kırbağ arranged the song and conducted a thirty-piece orchestra before an audience of twenty thousand, earning the title of the first female orchestra conductor in Turkish pop music history. At the same event, she was honoured with the Güneş Newspaper Special Award.^[3]

In 1991, she was awarded first place by TRT for the best composition of the year with Bırak Ellerimi, performed by Zerrin Özer.^[4]

Early in her career, she came to fame with her songs Ölsem de Bir Kalsam da Bir, Unutulur, Az Bana, Kırık Hava, and Sevgi Kuşun Kanadında, as well as compositions by Zülfü Livaneli. Over her artistic career, she worked with Şanar Yurdatapan, Hakkı Yücel, Yusuf Ziya Ulusoy, Murat Kalaycıoğlu, Hasan Hüseyin Demirel, and Alp Murat Alper, who performed her compositions. Kırbağ participated in many festivals and concerts in Turkey and abroad and released a total of fifteen albums. In 1988, she collaborated with Edip Akbayram and performed vocals together on the album Özgürlük. In 2000, she began performing as a soloist with the Ankara Metropolitan City Orchestra. She also joined MESAM as a member of the audit board.^[4]

Banu Kırbağ died from cancer on 18 August 2025, at the age of 74.^[5] The following day, her funeral was held, and she was buried at Zincirlikuyu Cemetery.^[6]

Source:^[7]

• Şimdi Yalnızım (Banu Solo) / Seni Öyle Seviyorum Ki (Yonca-1974)
• Çukulata Sevgilim / Kara Kara Badem Gözler (Yonca-1974)
• Ağlama Gönlüm Ağlama / Seni Gidi Çapkın (Yonca-1975)
• Kalbim İstanbul'da / Kaleden Top Atarlar (Yonca-1976)

• Vefasız / Eski Bir Mektup (Disko-1970)
• Sormadan Gir / Zalim (Polydor-1974)
• Nasıl Mutlu Olurum Sensiz / Öyle Bir Dünyada Yaşıyorum Ki (Yonca-1976)
• Ölsem De Bir Kalsam Da Bir / Buna Sevmek Denirse (Hop-1979)
• Eski Sevgili / Yok Ki (Hop-1980)
• Bir Ömür Geçti (2k23-2024)

• Zafer, Banu ve Hülya (Yonca-1976)
• Bir Demet Müzik (Balet-1981)
• Anlatamıyorum (Balet-1984)
• Canım Can Çekişmede (Bayar-1986)
• Gün Kavuşurken (Fono-1988)
• Kırık Hava (Bayar-1990)
• Gider Olduk (Sarp-1992)
• Sevdalardayım (Göksoy/Ada-1994)
• Türküler Yolladım Sana (Major-1998)
• En İyileriyle Banu (2 CD, Ossi-5 February 2009)

• Banu Kırbağ discography at Discogs
• Banu Kırbağ at Bir Zamanlar
• Banu Kırbağ on Twitter
• Banu Kırbağ at IMDb
• web.archive.org/web/20110224191617/http://www.banukirbag.com/ archived