Mehmet Akatay

Projects with Tarkan, Sezen Aksu, Ajda Pekkan und İbrahim Tatlıses

Mehmet Akatay was born in 1969 in Izmir and received training in Turkish music rhythms and the repertoire of his music-loving father, Memduh Akatay, at a young age. In 1987, he moved to Istanbul, where he met Burhanettin Tonguç and was taught rhythm and notes by him for an extended period. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with numerous artists from the Turkish music scene, including Tarkan, Sezen Aksu, Ajda Pekkan, and İbrahim Tatlıses, accompanying them on both albums and live performances. In 2003, together with his older brother Hamdi Akatay, he released the album Akatay Project Dest Be Dest. His solo album Sazlı Sözlü Project followed in 2017. Mehmet Akatay regularly participates in international festivals such as Tamburi Mundi, the Montreux Jazz Festival, Jazz à Vienne, and the New York Ethnic Festival and contributes to numerous album productions by various artists.