Muazzez Ersoy

{{Short description|Turkish singer (born 1958)}}

{{infobox musical artist

| name = Muazzez Ersoy

| birth_name = Hatice Yıldız Levent

| alias = Nostalgia Queen

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1958|8|9|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Uzunköprü, Edirne, Turkey

| instruments = Vocals

| genre = Turkish classical, Pop, Arabesque

| years_active = 1982–present

| label = Elenor Müzik (1991–1992)
Raks Müzik (1993)
Levent Müzik Yapım (1994–2000)
DMC (2002, 2013–present)
Avrupa Müzik (2004–2006)
Öncü Müzik (2007–2010)

| website = [http://www.muazzezersoy.net/ MuazzezErsoy.net]

}}

Hatice Yıldız Levent, better known by her stage name Muazzez Ersoy, (born 9 August 1958) is a Turkish classical music singer. In 1998, with the suggestion of the 33rd government of Turkey's Ministry of Culture, she was chosen as a State Artist.{{cite news|url=http://arsiv.ntvmsnbc.com/news/18508.asp|title=Sanatçılar ünvansız kaldı|author=Evin Doğu|date=19 July 2000|access-date=7 December 2013|work=NTV-MSNBC}}{{cite web |url=http://www.discoverturkey.com/english/haberler/haberler-sanatcilar.html |title=T.C. Kultur Bakanligi / Ministry of Culture, Republic of Turkey |access-date=2007-09-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071213153614/http://www.discoverturkey.com/english/haberler/haberler-sanatcilar.html |archive-date=2007-12-13 |language=tr}} Due to singing nostalgic songs, she is also known with the title "Nostalgia Queen" inside Turkey.{{cite news|url=http://hurarsiv.hurriyet.com.tr/goster/printnews.aspx?DocID=-67946|title=Kredi alıp vergi ödüyorum|date=15 March 1999|access-date=17 January 2014|work=Hürriyet}}{{cite news|url=http://www.magazinsortie.com/kultur-sanat/nostalji-kralicesi-taclandi-h2595.html|title=Nostalji kraliçesi taçlandı!|work=Magazinsortie}} In 2006, she was chosen as a goodwill ambassador for United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.{{cite news|url=http://arsiv.ntvmsnbc.com/news/375063.asp|title=Muazzez Ersoy, BM iyi niyet elçisi|author=Evin Doğu|date=31 May 2006|access-date=7 December 2013|work=NTV-MSNBC}}{{cite news|url=http://www.posta.com.tr/turkiye/YazarHaberDetay/Iyi-niyet-Muazzez-Ersoy-a-kismet-.htm?ArticleID=154509|title=İyi niyet Muazzez Ersoy'a kısmet!|date=27 December 2012|access-date=7 December 2013|work=Posta}}{{cite web |url=http://archive.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=126106 |title=Archived copy |access-date=2007-09-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930181710/http://archive.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=126106 |archive-date=2007-09-30 |language=tr}}

Ersoy spent her childhood and early adulthood in Kasımpaşa, Beyoğlu.{{cite news|url=http://haber.rotahaber.com/muazzez-ersoy-ve-erdoganin-iftar-sohbeti_385642.html|title=Müezzinden Tabut Cilacısına 49 Ünlünün İlk Meslekleri|date=22 July 2013|access-date=17 January 2014|work=Rota Haber}} Muazzez's paternal family roots are in Kastamonu, a city in the Western Black Sea region. She has previously given concerts as part of Kas-Der (Kastamonu Solidarity Association) and filmed a music video in Tosya district of Kastamonu.

She became initially interested in music due to her mother's affinity for music. This passion of her mother influenced Ersoy during her youth, and after finishing secondary school, she decided to continue her studies by taking music lessons. She took lessons from music teachers such as İrfan Özbakır and Baki Duyarlar. She did a «clerkship»{{cite news|url=http://listelist.com/unlulerin-ilk-meslekleri/|title=Müezzinden Tabut Cilacısına 49 Ünlünün İlk Meslekleri|author=Yunus Emre Erk|date=13 September 2013|access-date=17 January 2014|work=Listelist}}{{cite news|url=http://www.vaybee.de/tuerkisch/channel/lifestyle/96574.php|title=Ünlülerin geçmişi|access-date=17 January 2014|work=Vaybeee}} and spent her savings on music lessons.

Ersoy, who achieved great sales with her nostalgia album series, recently rerecorded the pop songs that were released in the 90s. In the album titled “90’dan POP”, Ersoy performed the songs of Tarkan, Sezen Aksu, Serdar Ortaç, Yıldız Tilbe, Harun Kolçak, Eda and Metin Özülkü, and released the first music video of the album for Serdar Ortaç's song "Değmez".{{Cite web|url=http://www.magazinsortie.com/muzik/nostalji-kralicesi-pop-albumle-dondu-h8374.html|title = Nostalji Kraliçesi Pop Albümle Döndü}}

She also hosted the TV program "Yıldız Akşamı" on TRT Müzik.{{Cite web |url=http://trtmuzik.net.tr/Program/Detail/669/yildiz-aksami |title=Yıldız Akşamı TRT Müzik resmi sitesi |access-date=2018-09-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130308023333/http://www.trtmuzik.net.tr/Program/Detail/669/yildiz-aksami |archive-date=2013-03-08 |url-status=dead }}