Cengiz Kurtoğlu

Cengiz Kurtoğlu — Biography

Cengiz Kurtoğlu is one of the best-loved voices of Turkish tavern music, with a devoted audience built on songs about heartbreak and separation. His fans call themselves "Cengizciler". He still performs live, and in 2020 his Usta Çırak project was named Best Project at the 46th Golden Butterfly Awards.

He came to music while working as a clerk at the tea factory in his home town of Arhavi, where he formed an orchestra called "Ciha Dağı Efsanesi". After military service he moved to Istanbul in 1982 and sent a recording to the well-known producer Şahin Özer; his first album, Sen Sözden Anlamaz Mısın?, came out in 1984. During his first period with Özer Plakçılık he released albums such as Unutulan, Yıllarım, Bizim Şarkımız, Gözlerin and Hain Geceler; Gelin Etmişler, Resmini Öptüm de Yattım and Küllenen Aşk are among his best-known songs. Besides tavern music he has arabesque albums, and he has sometimes sung Black Sea folk tunes.

Later came Canın Sağolsun (2006), Sessizce (2010) and Saklı Düşler (2014), followed by Usta Çırak with Hakan Altun, Kalpsiz (2021) with Ayşen Birgör and Aşkın Cenneti (2022). Of Laz descent, he finished his schooling in Arhavi, plays the piano, and has three children.