Orhan Gencebay facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Orhan Gencebay
Background information
Birth name	Orhan Kencebay
Born	(1944-08-04) 4 August 1944 (age 81)
Origin	Tekkeköy, Samsun, Turkey
Genres	Arabesque music, Turkish folk music, Ottoman classical music, Sufi music, pop folk, folk rock
Occupation(s)	Singer, composer, music producer, music director, arranger, actor
Instruments	Bağlama, tambur, violin, sitar, guitar, ney, piano, cümbüş, oud, bouzouki, percussion
Years active	1963–present

Orhan Gencebay is a very famous Turkish musician. He was born on August 4, 1944. He is known for playing the bağlama, a traditional Turkish string instrument, incredibly well. Orhan Gencebay is also a talented composer, singer, music producer, and actor. He was born in the coastal town of Samsun, Turkey. In 1998, he was given the special title of State Artist of Turkey. This is a big honor for artists in his country.

Orhan Gencebay's Music Journey

Early Steps in Music

When Orhan Gencebay was 20 and 22 years old, he passed important auditions. These auditions were for the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT). He then became a regular bağlama player for the network for several months. In 1966, he was a top contestant in the National Bağlama Contest. He competed with other great Turkish musicians like Arif Sağ and Cinuçen Tanrıkorur.

Working with Other Artists

In the late 1960s, Orhan Gencebay worked with many different musicians. He also created music for films. Between 1966 and 1968, he played bağlama on many records. He worked with singers such as Muzaffer Akgün and Gülden Karaböcek. Gencebay also directed music for Turkish films like Ana and Kuyu. He teamed up with musicians from various music styles. These included Erkin Koray and Neşet Ertaş. He became known as a great bağlama player and composer. He also released several songs in the style of traditional Turkish folk music.

Creating a New Sound

In 1968, Orhan Gencebay released his first "free-style" song. It was called "Sensiz Bahar Gecmiyor/Basa Gelen Cekilirmis." This song was very successful. Throughout the 1970s, he released many more songs. These songs blended different music styles. He mixed traditional Turkish folk music with Turkish classical music. He also added elements of Western classical music, jazz, rock, and other global sounds. Some people called this new style "Arabesque music." However, Orhan Gencebay felt that this word did not fully describe his unique music.

Starting His Own Company

In 1972, Orhan Gencebay started his own record company. It was called Kervan Record Company. Many other talented musicians joined his company. Some of these artists were Erkin Koray, Ajda Pekkan, and Muazzez Abacı.

Orhan Gencebay's Achievements

Throughout his career, Orhan Gencebay has done a lot. He has acted in 36 movies. He has composed music for almost 90 movies. He has created about a thousand musical works in total. He has released around 35 singles and 15 albums. His albums have sold over 65 million copies legally. This shows how popular and influential his music has been.

Orhan Gencebay's Albums

Studio Albums

Orhan Gencebay in Movies and TV

Movies He Acted In

Movie Soundtracks

• Kızılırmak-Karakoyun, 1967
• Kozanoğlu, 1967
• Ana, 1967
• Kuyu, 1968
• Kara Gözlüm, 1970

TV Shows

• Orhan Abi Halk Show, presenter, TGRT, 1996–1997
• Popstar Alaturka, judge, Star TV, 2006–2008
• Popstar 2013, judge, Star TV, 2013