Nicole Brunner

Silvie Bursalıoğlu, stage name Asu Maralman, is a singer of Armenian origin. One of the sought-after performers of the 1970s, Maralman was brought back into the spotlight by the song "Bağrı Yanık Dostlara" used in the film "Kaybedenler Kulübü". Born in Istanbul in 1948, she began her musical journey with piano and vocal training at home at a young age. She is the younger sister of Nonna Bella, who rose to fame in the early 1970s with the record "Şimdi Sen Varsın Dünyamda". In 1961, she won first place in the Caddebostan Singing Competition and, like her sister, found herself in the world of music. While studying at the Italian Trade High School, she secretly performed in various wedding halls and later performed dance music with Uğurtan Günal, Önder Bali, and the Boğaziçi Orchestra under Ersan Erdura. Until 1968, she performed under the name Silvia Bella. In 1967, she married Orhan Şevki and began working in their own orchestras. After her marriage, she began performing under the name "Asu Maralman". Her first record, "Bir Görsem Ölmeden – Nerdesin", was released by Diskotür in 1971. She made her professional debut in 1973 at the Erenköy Lalezar Gazino with the support of Zeki Müren. In 1974, she was a finalist in the 1st Toplu İğne Songwriting Competition with the song "Bir Ayrılık, Bir Yoksulluk, Bir Ölüm", but did not win. In 1977, she had her biggest breakthrough with the 45 record "Bal Gibi Olur", with lyrics by Bülent Pozam and music by Selmi Andak. This success continued with the 45s "Sabah Ola Hayrola" and "Şarkılar Yazdım". In 1980, she released her first and only LP, "Bağrı Yanık Dostlara", which she financed herself. In 1983, she stopped performing in gazinos and nightclubs. In 1986, she released a cassette of arranged Turkish folk songs titled "Pop-Folk". In 1987, she performed in the USA and Canada for a year. From 1989 onwards, she began performing programs in tourist facilities, singing songs in twelve languages. In 2000, Ada Müzik released a "Best Of" album of her 45s as part of the Eski 45'likler project.