BAHRI KARACAY

vocalist, saz, percussion

Bahri was born in Erzurum, a city in northeastern Turkey. At the age of twelve he joined the Erzurum Folk Dance and Music Organization (EFDMO). Only five months after becoming part of his country's very first folk-music children's choir, Bahri performed as a soloist at a live concert and soon after appeared on a local TV station. He continued to perform solos in live concerts while continuing his music education with the same organization. At fourteen, he was hired by Turkey's government-owned and only Radio and Television Organization (TRT) to be part of its Folk-Music Choir, which produced radio programs on a regular basis. His unique voice and style was recognized by several music authorities which resulted in some of his recordings being permanently placed in the National Folk Music Archives of his natice country. This was followed by appearances in several programs on national television channels.

After a long break due to his graduate studies both in Germany and in the United States, Bahri became actively involved with his music again. In 1997, he established Turkana, a band composed of Turkish and American musicians. In 1996, he composed his very first song called ”Keyfim Yerinde.” The first CD of Turkana features six of Bahri Karacay's original compositions.

He is currently working at the University of Iowa at the Department of Pediatrics as a research scientist.

Visit also Bahri's personal website at www.bahrikaracay.com