| Orhan Gencebay (born August 4, 1944 in Samsun, Turkey as Orhan Kencebay) is a Turkish musician, bağlama virtuoso, composer, singer, arranger, music producer, music director, and actor. Orhan was born in the coastal town of Samsun on August 4, 1944. He started learning music at the age of 6, taking violin and mandolin lessons from Emin Tarakci who was an old Classical Musician from the Ukraine Conservatoire. At the age of 7, Orhan started playing the bağlama (a traditional Turkish instrument), and continued taking traditional Turkish folk music lessons. At 10, he created his first composition. At 13, he started playing the tambur, an instrument often used in Turkish classical music to improve himself in the theoretical and practical details of Turkish classical music. During his high school years, he performed in Classical and Traditional Turkish Folk Music societies playing the tambur and baglama, taught music lessons in his own music courses, and took part in organizing community music centers in Istanbul and Samsun. From 16, he became interested in jazz and rock music, and played tenor saxophone in wind orchestras. He entered the Turkish conservatory in Istanbul, and stayed there for 4 years. In the military, he kept on playing saxophone in the military brass band. At 20 and 22, he passed the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) exams, allowing him to become a resident baglama player at the network for several months. In 1966 he got an excellent grade in ... |
