Mustafa Sandal

Mustafa Sandal (born 11 January 1970) is a Turkish singer-songwriter.

In 1989, his passion for music led him to leave the United States after two-and-a-half years and he returned to Turkey.

His professional journey in music began at Istanbul Gelişim Studio, owned by Garo Mafyan.

It was there that he unveiled a talent for composing and songwriting.

At the beginning of the 1990s, he wrote and composed a number of songs for other singers and made a reputation for himself in the music industry.

He wrote and composed his first song "Vazgeçme" together with Bülent Tezcan and the song was given to singer Ajda Pekkan who released it in 1991.

Ajda Pekkan, Sezen Aksu, Zerrin Özer, Muazzez Abacı, Ayşegül Aldinç, Yonca Evcimik, Ozan Orhon, Burak Kut, Deniz Arcak, Emel Müftüoğlu, İzel, Reyhan Karaca, Sibel Alaş, Asya, Hakan Peker, Sertab Erener, Ferda Anıl Yarkın and Mert Ekren are among the artists for whom Sandal has written and composed songs.

For a while he worked for the music legend Onno Tunç as an assistant.

In 1994, with the release of his first studio album Suç Bende and its subsequent success, he made a name for himself in Turkey.

In July 1994, his first studio album Suç Bende was released.

This was followed by the release of another album titled Gölgede Aynı in 1996.

In 1996, he continued his studies at the American College of London.

He learned English, Italian and French.

In 1998, the song "Aya Benzer" from his new album Detay became a number-one hit in Turkey.

After signing a contract with Sony Music, he released the album Araba.

The song "Araba" from the album became a massive hit.

He also served in the military for 28 days in 1999 in Malatya.

Sandal, known for his passion for flying, is a certified pilot.

Throughout his career he continued to release many albums, including Akışına Bırak (2000), Kop (2002).

For his album Kop, he was voted the "Best Male Artist" in 2002.

In addition to his work in the field of music, television, advertising, cinema and other important achievements, Sandal has sold more than 14 million albums worldwide and has collaborated with many artists, including Ajda Pekkan, Sezen Aksu and Hakan Peker.

Mustafa Sandal was born in Istanbul.

His father Yusuf Sandal was from Erzincan, while his mother Tülin İleri was from Adana.

The family lived in Arnavutköy, Istanbul.

His maternal grandfather was musician Hüseyin İleri who worked for TRT.

Mustafa Sandal had his primary education in Tarabya at Özel Dost School.

He later moved to Geneva and got enrolled in Collège du Léman.

After 8 years of studying, he went to the United States and started studying at the New Hampshire University.

Later, under the label Universal Music-Polydor, he released the album Seven (2003), followed by İste (2004), Devamı Var (2007), and Karizma (2009).

Sandal was married on 13 January 2008 in Hôtel Les Ottomans à Istanbul to the famous Serbian singer Emina Jahović whom he met in July 2004 in Bodrum, Muğla.

The couple's first child, Yaman, was born by Caesarean section in Istanbul on 8 August 2008.

In 2011, his single with Gülben Ergen, "Şıkır Şıkır", became the most downloaded song of the year.

On 26 July 2011, the Sandals announced that they were expecting their second child in the winter.

In 2012, Sandal released his 10th studio album Organik.

On 21 February 2012, Emina Sandal gave birth at the American Hospital to a baby boy, Yavuz.

The couple's children speak both Turkish and Serbian.

In 2013, his new single "Tesir Altında" became one of the best-selling singles of 2013.

Sandal has won many awards throughout his career.

The couple divorced in 2018, citing irreconcilable differences.

Sandal married Melis Sütşurup on 3 June 2022 at the Turkish embassy in Rome, Italy.