Cahit Berkay (born August 3, 1946, Uluborlu, Isparta) is a Turkish musician who was one of the founders of the musical group called Mongolians.

He was born in 1946 in Uluborlu district of Isparta. He came to Istanbul with his family in 1959. He finished high school in Istanbul Kabataş Erkek High School. He completed his higher education at Istanbul University Faculty of Economics.

He started music by playing the mandolin in elementary school. Between 1960-1965, he made music as an amateur. In 1962 he founded the band called "Black Pearls". In 1965, he entered the professional music world with the Selçuk Alagöz orchestra. He joined the Golden Microphone with Selçuk Alagöz in 1966 and came in 3rd. In 1967, he played behind Rana Alagöz and came third once again in the 1967 Golden Microphone.

In 1968, he joined the rock band Moğollar with the Alagöz orchestra drummer Engin Yörükoğlu, replacing guitarist Tahir Nejat Özyılmazel. While Aziz Azmet and Murat Ses were composing the first period of the group, Azmet's departure from the group in 1970 brought Cahit Berkay's composer personality to the fore. With Cahit Berkay coming to the forefront, the group turned to a more folkloric and called Anatolian rock style instead of psychedelic rock and rock and roll. Apart from the guitar, baglama, cura and string drum began to play.

Their popularity increased with Cahit Berkay's composition “Mountain and Child” and in 1971 they played with Barış Manço, who was looking for a new band. Continuing its solo career on the other hand, the band released the album Danses et Rythmes de la Turquie the same year. This album, which consists mostly of Murat Ses compositions, won the "French Academie Charles Cros Grand Prix Du Disque" award in France. After this award, the group that left Manço decided to continue their career.

After this period, Mongolians worked with Selda Bağcan, Cem Karaca and Ali Rıza Binboğa as well as solo 45s. “Honor Trouble”, one of the most important songs of Karaca, was recorded. Berkay returned to Paris in 1975. He continued Monğollar as a duo with his former bandmate Engin Yörükoğlu. In 1975, "Hittit Sun" album, almost all of which was composed by Berkay, was released abroad. With the success of this, Berkay and Yörükoğlu released their “Ensemble d'Cappadocia” album, consisting of classical Turkish music pieces in 1976, but the album sold very little. He served in Kütahya for a short term in 1976. Although Berkay continued the band until 1978, the group broke up.

With the petition gathered in 1993, the Mongols decided to reunite years later. The group returned a year later with the album "Mongols 94". Unlike their previous periods, they started to give political and environmental messages. Most of the songs belonged to Cahit Berkay. In addition, Berkay started vocals with this album. Berkay worked with Turgut Berkes in the lyric of "1996 Colors" dated 4 and "1998. Year's albums are also in the style of 30 albums.

Cahit Berkay and his bandmate Taner Öngür supported the organization of the Barışarock festival against the Rock'n Coke festival sponsored by Coca Cola. In 2004, they released the album "Yürüdük Durmadan". In 2008, Cahit Berkay left her vocalist to Cem Karaca's son Emrah Karaca and continued as a guitarist and composer in the Moğollar. His album “Umut Yolunu Bulur”, mostly composed of Berkay compositions, was released in 2009.

Movie soundtrack

Berkay composed the soundtrack for his movie Before the Ice Melts in 1965, with Şahin Gültekin before the Mongols. In the last period of the Mongols, Berkay focused on making music for motion pictures. Berkay, who started film music in 1975, released the soundtrack for his first and only solo 45, “Thank You Babaanne”. He won the 1976st Istanbul Film Festival “Best Film Music” award in 1 with the music he made for the movie “I Have to You”. The music he made for Selvi Boylum Al Yazmalım movie was very much appreciated. He received the best soundtrack award at the 15th Antalya Film Festival with his composition for the movie Cinleri of Fırat. He received the Golden Orange three more times after this award.

Cahit Berkay has composed 2009 movie and TV series music and countless commercial music until 162.

Other works

Berkay, who took a break from non-cinema music for a long time, contributed two songs to Zülfü Livaneli's "Days" album only in 1980. After his friend Cem Karaca returned to the country in 1987, he started working with him. In 1990, Karaca, Berkay and Uğur Dikmen released the album Yiyin Efendiler. In July of the same year, Cahit Berkay's composition "Kahya Yahya", performed by Cem Karaca, won the 1990 Kuşadası Golden Pigeon Music Competition. The trio's partnership Where did we stay in 1992? continued with his album. The title song of the album was "Thumbtack Rap Rap" by Cahit Berkay and was later interpreted by different artists many times. He accompanied Cem Karaca in the 1999 album “Bindik Bir Alamete…”.

Berkay, in 1997, played by Kenan Doğulu, "Have you ever asked me?" He played as a guest actor in the TV series. In 2005, he played the role of "Newton Mustafa" in the movie Two Super Films. He plays the role of "Hilmi Baba" in the television series called Sudan Bıkmış Balıklar, which was broadcast on Star TV in 2012.

Solo career

Cahit Berkay, who continued his solo career alongside the Moğollar, released his first soundtrack album in 1997. The 1999 and 2001 sequels of this album came. In 2002, he took part with the song "Dörde Özlem" in the collective album named "Guitar's Asi Çocukları". In 2005, he released the soundtrack album of Sinema Bir Mucizedir. He founded Grup Zan in 2007 and released the album Toprak. In 2009, he released the soundtrack of his latest album, Yağmurdan After.

Apart from these albums, Barış Manço played the song "Rüya" in the memorial album. He accompanied Replikas with “Anatolian Civilizations in the First Age” in the compilation album “Rock Class” and “Innocent Notiliz” song performed by the group 4 Yüz in the commemoration album Uzay Heparı - Sonsuza.

Awards

1971 Académie Charles Cros Award
1990 Kuşadası Golden Pigeon Music Competition winner (composition)
1978 Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival Best Film Music (The Jinn of Fırat)
1982 Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival Best Film Music (A Broken Love Story)
1991 Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival Best Film Music (Hidden Face)
1999 Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival Lifetime Honorary Award
2000 Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival Best Film Music (Angels House)
1988 Ankara International Film Festival Best Film Music (Despite All)
1995 Ankara International Film Festival Best Film Music (Work)
2006 Ankara International Film Festival Best Film Music (Cinema Is A Miracle / Magic Lantern)
1983 Cinema Writers Association - Best Film Music (A Broken Love Story)
Cinema Days 1983 - Best Soundtrack (A Broken Love Story)
1976 Istanbul Film Festival - Best Film Music (I Have to You)

Solo

1975: Thank You Grandma / Thank You Grandma (Instrumental)
1997: Soundtracks Vol. one
1999: Soundtracks Vol. one
2001: Soundtracks Vol. one
2005: Cinema Is A Miracle Soundtrack
2007: Toprak (Cahit Berkay and Group Zan)
2009: After Rain
2012: Remaining (with Derya Petek)

Other

1966: I Search / Come To The Gardens Bahar (Selçuk Alagöz)
1967: Konya Kabağı / Black Eyed Peas in Gardens (Rana Alagöz)
1980: Our Days (Zülfü Livaneli)
1990: Eat Efendiler (Cem Karaca, Cahit Berkay, Uğur Dikmen)
1992: Where were we? (Cem Karaca, Cahit Berkay, Uğur Dikmen)
1999: A Boarded Sign… (Cem Karaca, Cahit Berkay, Uğur Dikmen)
2002: Rebel Children of the Guitar (Collection album, "Dörde Özlem")
2002: Songs of Peace in My Heart (Collection album, "Dream")
2008: Rock Class (Collected album, "Anatolian Civilizations in the First Age" with Replikas)
2008: Uzay Heparı Forever (Compilation album, "We Are Not Innocent" with 4 Faces)

Who is Cahit Berkay?