Apolas Lermi (born Abdurrahman Lermi in 1986) is a prominent Turkish folk musician and singer renowned for his dedicated work in preserving and performing the unique traditional music of the Black Sea (Karadeniz) region. He is particularly celebrated for singing in both Turkish and Romeyka (Pontic Greek), an endangered dialect based on Ancient Greek that is still spoken in parts of northeastern Turkey.
Musical Profile & Background
- Origins: Born in Tonya, Trabzon. He moved to Istanbul at age 10, where his musical journey later intensified during his school years.
- Instruments: He is a skilled vocalist who frequently plays the kemençe (the traditional Black Sea bowed string instrument) and the guitar.
- Cultural Impact: His work has brought widespread cultural awareness to Black Sea musical heritage. He blends deep, emotional love stories with socially conscious protest music.
Key Albums & Discography
- Kalandar (2011): His groundbreaking debut album featuring tracks in Romeyka, representing a pioneering linguistic and cultural milestone in Turkey’s mainstream music industry.
- Santa (2014): His highly acclaimed second solo album, which helped earn him the Trabzon Journalists Association Art Award.
- Romeika (2016): A meticulously curated archive album dedicated exclusively to preserving Pontic Greek songs.
- Momoyer (2018): A direct thematic continuation of his traditional Black Sea folk series.
- Hobur (2025): One of his newest projects, featuring recent releases like the track “Siriksa”.
Hit Songs
He has generated a large international following, primarily driven by massive regional hits such as:
- “Mektup”
- “Eski Yar”
- “Bir Baktım”
- “Gel Göğsüme Sığ Yarim”
Apolas Lermi is available to book for concerts, festivals, corporate events, weddings and private functions across the UK, Turkey and internationally. The Jazba team handles the full engagement end to end — artist liaison, travel, stage, sound and promotion — so you deal with one trusted point of contact from first enquiry to final encore.
