Federico Ielapi

Selami Şahin is a musician. He was born in 1948 in Yoncakaya village, Yayladağı district of Hatay. He is the fourth of six siblings; two brothers and three sisters. His mother was a housewife, and his father was a construction worker. Due to financial difficulties, he couldn't continue his education after primary school. With his parents' permission, he started working at the age of 14. Although he dreamed of becoming a singer, he worked in various places in Antakya, Adana, and Ankara beforehand. His arrival in Istanbul in 1963 was a turning point. He worked at a record store in Doğubank İş Hanı for a while. He learned music notation by himself with the help of books. In 1964, he released a 45 record with two songs by composer İrfan Özbakır, titled "Bana Yalvarma Artık." He worked with many composers such as Cavit Deringöl, Zeynettin Maraş, Orhan Gencebay, and Abdullah Nail Bayşu. He gained fame with his 45 record "Sabır Taşı" in 1965/1966. His song "Sen Mevsimler Gibisin" won the Golden Butterfly Award for Song of the Year.