{{short description|Dutch singer (born 1990)}} {{About|the singer-songwriter|the village in Pärnu County, Estonia|Kärsu|the village in Altınözü, Turkey|Karsu, Altınözü}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}{{Use British English|date=March 2026}}
{{Infobox musical artist | name = Karsu | image = Karsu donmez-1516520115.jpeg | caption = Karsu in 2014 | birth_name = Karsu Dönmez | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1990|4|19}} | birth_place = Amsterdam, Netherlands | genre = <!--Do not change. All genres are sourced in the intro.-->{{hlist|Jazz|rhythm and blues|pop|}} | occupation = {{hlist|Singer|songwriter}} | instrument = {{hlist|Vocals|piano}} | years_active = 2007–present | label = SuMusic | website = {{URL|karsu.nl}} }}
'''Karsu Dönmez''' (born 19 April 1990), known mononymously as '''Karsu''', is a Turkish-Dutch singer, pianist and composer. While her music style is a blend of various genres, jazz pop is probably the best description for it.<ref name="Girlscene8180">{{cite web|url=https://www.girlscene.nl/artikel/8180-girlscenes-jitske-interviewt-karsu|title=Girlscene's Jitske interviewt Karsu!|website=Girlscene|date=22 November 2012|accessdate=22 March 2018}}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> She has songs in Dutch, English, and Turkish.
== Biography == Karsu was born in Amsterdam.<ref name="hurriyet">{{Cite web |date=2016-06-26 |title=Karsu Dönmez wins prestigious Dutch award |url=https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/karsu-donmez-wins-prestigious-dutch-award-100927 |access-date=2025-01-12 |website=Hürriyet Daily News}}</ref><ref name="hatay">{{Cite web |last=Hacialioglu |first=Selin |date=9 February 2024 |title=Turkish-Dutch musician Donmez opens music house in earthquake-stricken Hatay |url=https://www.turkiyetoday.com/turkiye/turkish-dutch-musician-donmez-opens-music-house-in-earthquake-stricken-hatay-11478/ |access-date=2025-01-12 |website=Türkiye Today}}</ref> Her family is originally from Hatay, Turkey.<ref name="hurriyet" /> At age seven, her parents bought a piano with money they had put aside for buying a car. At 14, she was making a name for herself by performing at her parents' restaurant. She came to prominence after performances at the Carnegie Hall in New York, US, and several appearances on Dutch television.<ref name="karsu">{{cite web|url=http://www.karsu.nl/biography/|website=karsu.nl|title=Karsu » Bio|accessdate=22 March 2018|archive-date=3 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180403211901/http://www.karsu.nl/biography/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In 2010, Karsu's first album ''Live aan 't IJ'' was released. In October 2012, her first studio album, ''Confession'', followed, and was received positively by the press. On ''Colors'' from 2015, her compositions are more playful and cheerful than her previous work. The title of the album refers to Karsu's bicultural background with roots in Turkey and Amsterdam.
In 2016, the Edison Foundation gave her the Edison Award for ''Colors''.<ref name="karsu" /> She built a music school for refugees in Athens.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sabah.com.tr/fotohaber/magazin/karsu-donmez-suriyeli-cocuklar-icin-okul-acti|title = Karsu Dönmez Suriyeli çocuklar için okul açtı}}</ref> She also took role as a director, for helping refugees in Amsterdam. Her life was documented by director Mercedes Stalenhoef and follows Karsu as she climbs the ladder from the restaurant to the stage of Carnegie Hall, and further into the music world.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.idfa.nl/en/film/95071262-844f-4115-92dd-272e6f713cfd/karsu|title = Karsu {{pipe}} IDFA}}</ref>
Karsu was one of the five finalists in the {{esccnty|Netherlands|y=2024|t=Dutch internal selection}} for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, where Joost Klein was ultimately chosen.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Raatgever |first=Stefan |date=3 May 2024 |title=Niet Joost Klein, maar Numidia was lang favoriet om voor Nederland naar Songfestival te gaan |trans-title=Not Joost Klein, but Numidia had long been the favourite to represent the Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest |url=https://www.parool.nl/kunst-media/niet-joost-klein-maar-numidia-was-lang-favoriet-om-voor-nederland-naar-songfestival-te-gaan~bab1d03e/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |website=Het Parool |language=nl}}</ref>
==Discography== ===Studio albums=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Album !! Release date |- | ''Live aan 't IJ''|| 2010 |- | ''Confession''|| 2012 |- | ''Colors''|| 2015 |- | ''Karsu''|| 2019 |} '' Tabula Rasa'' 2025
===Live albums=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Album !! Release date |- | ''Play My Strings (Live at the Royal Concertgebouw) ''|| 2018 |}
===Singles=== * "Raise Our Hands" (2014) * "Jest Oldu" (2018) * "Paint It Black" (2018) * "A Change Is Gonna Come" (2018) * "Esmerim Biçim Biçim" (2018) * "Itiraf" (2019) * "Sana Ne" (2019) * "Ben Yanındayım" (feat. Çağrı Sinci) (2019) * "Sonunda" (2021)
== References == {{Reflist}} {{Authority control}}
Category:Singers from Amsterdam Category:Dutch people of Turkish descent Category:Dutch singer-songwriters Category:1990 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century Dutch singers Category:21st-century Dutch women singers