{{Short description|Turkish singer and songwriter}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Leman Sam | image = Leman Sam Istanbul konser 8.jpg | caption = Sam at concert in August 2011 | birth_name = Emine Leman Senkan<ref name="muyorbir">{{cite web | url = http://www.muyorbir.org.tr/files/uyeListesi.pdf | accessdate = 18 April 2017 | title = MÜYORBİR Asil Üye Listesi | publisher = muyorbir.org | date = | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20170419101824/http://www.muyorbir.org.tr/files/uyeListesi.pdf | archivedate = 19 April 2017}}</ref> | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1951|2|22|df=yes}}<ref>{{cite AV media |people=Çağlayan, Armağan (host) |date=August 31, 2021 |title=Dur Bi Dinle - Leman Sam |language=Turkish |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VoynZVKkoU |access-date=August 31, 2021 |time=06:30 |publisher=196Sekiz |via=YouTube}}</ref> | birth_place = Üsküdar, Istanbul, Turkey | genre = Folk, pop | occupation = Singer | years_active = 1988–present | website = http://www.lemansam.biz }} '''Leman Sam''' (born '''Emine Leman Senkan'''; 22 February 1951) is a Turkish singer and songwriter.<ref>BBC, [http://www.bbc-now.co.uk/music/artists/9d3255d5-ea08-4aad-b488-81c39ca786c0 Leman Sam] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140517195129/http://www.bbc-now.co.uk/music/artists/9d3255d5-ea08-4aad-b488-81c39ca786c0 |date=2014-05-17 }}, Access date: ''17 May 2014''</ref> Her daughter Şevval Sam and her grandson Taro Emir Tekin are both actors.

==Background== Leman Sam's origins have been described as ''Rumeli''. She grew up in Turkey and has received formal education in theater, singing and dance. She worked in an opera chorus for a time. She has recorded several Azeri türküs.<ref>{{Cite web| title = Leman Sam Haberleri| work = HÜRRİYET - ARAMA| accessdate = 2018-05-13| url = http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/haberleri/leman-sam}}</ref>

== Career == In addition to her distinctive style, she has received appreciation for her folk songs. She is also famous as an artist who can sing in multiple languages including Greek, French, and Spanish. Sam, who is not observed in the media platforms, has given concerts in many cities and countries including many diplomatic concerts.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.interajans.nl/turkey-now-leman-sam-konseriyle-baslayacak/|title=Turkey Now, Leman Sam konseriyle başlayacak|publisher=İnter Ajans|date=13 December 2011|accessdate=22 December 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141017040308/http://interajans.nl/turkey-now-leman-sam-konseriyle-baslayacak/|archive-date=17 October 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Sam, who is sensitive to the protection of natural life and animal rights, carries out activities that raise awareness for related community. The character Tuba in Yılmaz Erdoğan's movie ''Vizontele Tuuba'' is in fact an imaginary depiction inspired by Sam's life.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.milliyet.com.tr/2008/02/01/magazin/yazali.html|title=Vizontele'deki Tuuba meğer Leman Sam'mış!|publisher=Hürriyet|date=1 February 2008|accessdate=22 December 2012}}</ref>

==Other activities== Leman Sam is an environmentalist and is known for her activities in favor of human rights and animal rights. In order to support the process of resolving the Kurdish problem, a democratic initiative was held in 2009 which featured a program called the "Art for Peace Initiative" consisting of 282 artists including Sam.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.radikal.com.tr/turkiye/282_sanatcidan_kurt_acilimina_destek-959525|title=282 sanatçıdan Kürt açılımına destek|date=16 October 2009|accessdate=18 May 2014|work=Radikal}}</ref>

Sam participated in projects to raise awareness about Chernobyl disaster's effects on Turkey, and on its 23rd anniversary she gave a concert at the anti-nuclear rally in Sinop, Turkey, under the motto "Don't Forget Chernobyl, Own the Future".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://politeknik.org.tr/cernobili-unutma-gelecee-sahip-ck/|title=Çernobil'i Unutma Geleceğe Sahip Çık|date=27 April 2009|accessdate=18 May 2014|work=Politeknik}}</ref> In 2013, on the decision of cutting of trees for construction of artillery barracks in Taksim Gezi Park, she said on her Twitter account "If the nation do not give a lesson to these people in the elections and bring them back to power, the beautiful lands of Anatolia will see their end."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://odatv.com/n.php?n=leman-sama-akpli-linci-2905131200|title=Leman Sam'a AKP'li linci|date=29 May 2013|accessdate=18 May 2014|work=ODATV}}</ref> She dedicated the song "Ağıt" on her official Twitter account to of "All children murdered" at the protests, referring to Berkin Elvan, who died at the age of 15 after the police hit him in the head with a tear gas pod during the Gezi Park protests.<ref>Leman Sam resmi ''Twitter'' hesabı, [https://twitter.com/Leman_Sam/status/458959707177500672 Katledilen tüm çocuklara], 23 April 2014</ref>

Sam criticized police officers, who attacked the protesters following the Soma mine disaster, on her Twitter saying "Customize it, cover it up, cause deaths, attack those who protest with pepper gas, and as if it's not enough, beat and kill them!".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.aydinlikgazete.com/guendem/40485-leman-samdan-ankara-saldirisi-tepkisi.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140516160557/http://www.aydinlikgazete.com/guendem/40485-leman-samdan-ankara-saldirisi-tepkisi.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=May 16, 2014|title=Leman Sam'dan Ankara saldırısı tepkisi|date=14 May 2014|accessdate=18 May 2014|work=Aydınlık Gazete}}</ref> In the same year, on the Eid al-Adha she addressed the issue of slaughtering animals by Muslims on her Twitter account in Turkey "For me what ISIS does [to people] is the same as what these people do by putting blades on an innocent animal's throat."<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.milliyet.com.tr/leman-sam-dan-skandal-kurban-tweeti-magazin-1950299/ | title = Leman Sam'dan skandal kurban tweeti | date = 4 October 2014 | publisher = Milliyet | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20150513144133/http://www.milliyet.com.tr/leman-sam-dan-skandal-kurban-tweeti-magazin-1950299/ | archivedate = 13 May 2015}}</ref>

==Discography==

===Albums=== *1988: ''Livaneli Şarkıları'' *1990: ''Çağrı'' *1992: ''Ayak Sesleri'' *1994: ''Eski Fotoğraflar'' *1998: ''İlla'' *2012: ''Nereye Kadar''

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20080426182955/http://lemansam.biz/ Official website]}}

{{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Sam, Leman}} Category:Turkish women pop singers Category:1951 births Category:Turkish folk singers Category:Turkish pop singers Category:Living people