Kalben

Kalben, real name Kalben Sağdıç, is a Turkish musician, songwriter and composer born in İskenderun in 1986. Her connection with music began at the age of eight, when her mother gave her a keyboard, and she picked up her first guitar at 14. She graduated from Bilkent University with a degree in International Relations and later completed a master's degree in Media and Cultural Studies at the same university.

Before pursuing music full-time, Kalben worked in different fields. After moving to Istanbul, she began dedicating more time to music. In 2014, a video of her performing “Sadece” with only her guitar at a Sofar Sounds concert in Galata quickly attracted attention and introduced her music to a much wider audience.

Kalben released her self-titled debut album in 2016, building a devoted audience with songs such as “Sadece”, “Saçlar”, “Haydi Söyle”, “Fırtınalar” and “Yol”. She continued her musical journey with releases including Sonsuza Kadar (2017), Aşk Çeşmesi (2019), Kalp Hanım (2020) and Eski Dünyanın Yangını (2022).

Everyday life, relationships, loneliness, love and personal stories are central to Kalben’s music. With her distinctive voice and simple yet powerful songwriting, she connects her songs directly with listeners. She has also collaborated with artists from different generations, including Mabel Matiz, Nükhet Duru, Erol Evgin and Pinhani.

Kalben marked her 10th year in music with her fifth studio album, Kayıp Aşıklar Ülkesi, a 13-track collection entirely written and composed by her. With the album, she further established herself not simply as a singer, but as a storyteller who uses music to share her own stories.

With her distinctive songwriting, intimate live performances and strong connection with her audience, Kalben continues to create music and perform as one of the unique voices of Türkiye’s alternative pop and independent music scene.