Introduction
Berkant was the stage name of Turkish singer Berkant Akgürgen (December 31, 1938 - October 1, 2012).
Life
He was born in Ankara on 31 December 1938 to Cahide Akgürgen. His father Hasan Akgürgenwas a teacher in Hasanoğlan village institute. During his highschool education in Ankara and Denizli, Berkant took piano lessons and after his compulsory military service he also learned saxophone.
Career
In 1957, he began his music career as an instrument player in Ankara . In 1960, he transferred to İstanbul and in 1965 he began singing. He also released several 45 rpm records. In 1967, he sang Samanyolu, a song composed by Metin Bükey with lyrics by Teoman Alpay. The record was an unpredicted success and earned him a gold record. (This song was later on covered by Dutch singer David Alexandre Winter with French lyrics.) After this success he continued singing and also composing. He married Serpil Örümcer in 1971, but they divorced in 1972.
Death
He died in İstanbul due to cancer on 1 October 2012. He was survived by his wife Engin, daughter Fatma Fulya and two sons Ovgü and Öykü.
Legacy
In Mersin where he lived most of his last years, a street in Yenişehir intracity district is named after Berkant.
Albums
In addition to his 44 records, he also released 3 albums:
- Ah Kızlar
- Berkant Midi LP
- Berkant Samanyolu