Mesut Kurtis
| Mesut Kurtis | |
|---|---|
|
Kurtis performing at a concert at the American University in Cairo in 2010 | |
| Background information | |
| Native name | Mesut Kurtiş |
| Born |
July 1981 (age 34) Skopje, Macedonia |
| Origin | United Kingdom |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Labels | Awakening |
| Associated acts | |
| Website |
www |
Mesut Kurtis (Turkish: Mesut Kurtiş; born July 1981) is a Macedonian Islamic singer of Turkish descent represented by and signed to Awakening Records.[1]
Background and education
Kurtis was born in Skopje, Macedonia. His parents are of Turkish origin.[2] He studied at the College of Skojpe and came to the UK at a young age to pursue his studies. He graduated with a degree in Human Sciences, Islamic Law[3][4] and Jurisprudence.[5] from the European Institute of Human Sciences, University of Wales[3]
Kurtis comes from a scholarly and religious family.[3] His great-grandfather was a well known scholar at the time of the Ottoman Empire.[6]
Career
Kurtis showed a strong interest in Islamic nasheeds from a very young age. He joined several nasheed groups in Macedonia that performed local[5] social clubs, mosques, and conferences[7] and also made several international visits including performances in Turkey and neighbouring places.[5] His music is influenced by Sufi, Turkish classical, Arabic and European styles.[8]
In May 2004, his debut album Salawat, produced by Awakening Records, was released and [9] featured songs that combine Arabic, Turkish and English.[10] It was well received by Muslim listeners around the world after his first music video "Al‐Burdah" which was filmed on location in the islands off the coast of Turkey.[11]
In June 2009, his second album Beloved was released.[12] On 7 July 2014, his third album Tabassam was released.
Kurtis sings in Arabic, English and Turkish.[6] He is also fluent in five languages.[5] He has performed several concerts in the UK, France, Macedonia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and others.[13]
Philanthropy
- On 14 April 2012, Kurtis took part in "Send A Little Hope" charity concert organised by Awakening Records and Save An Orphan organization at London's Hammersmith Apollo with Hamza Namira, Irfan Makki, Maher Zain and Raef to raise awareness and collect donations.[14] Over £175,000 were pledged on the night.[15]
- On 21 April 2012, Kurtis performed at University City Hall by Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services in collaboration with the American University of Sharjah with Maher Zain in the charity concert aiming at introducing youth to disability issues and emphasising the importance of voluntarily work.[16]
- Kurtis took part in "Sound of Light 2014" tour organized by Awakening Records and Human Appeal International in France and UK to collect fund for Gaza.[17] A concert in Bradford, England raised £520,000.[18]
Discography
Albums
| Title | Album details | Chart positions | Certifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salawat |
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| Beloved |
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| Tabassam |
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Videography
- 2007: "Burdah"
- 2009: "Beloved"
- 2012: "Sevgili"
- 2014: "Rouhi Fidak"
- 2014: "Aşkınla Yansın Özüm"
See also
References
- ↑ "Biography Of Mesut Kurtis". iMuslimz Network. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
- ↑ Shahid, Omar (13 April 2012). "Islamic singers rewrite western hits to find new audiences for 'faith-inspired' songs". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
- 1 2 3 "Nasheed: Mesut Kurtis". MuslimHipHop.com. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
- ↑ "Mesut Kurtis". Islamic Lyrics.
- 1 2 3 4 "Salawat By Mesut Kurtis Featuring Sami Yusuf CD". The Muslim Shop. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
- 1 2 "Mesut kurtis". Islamzik.com. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
- ↑ "Mesut Kurtis Biography (About Mesut Kurtis)". Blogspot. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
- ↑ "Mesut Kurtis #TRT1 - TV Interview". Awakening Records. 3 September 2009. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
- ↑ "Salawat, Mesut Kurtis, Featured by Sami Yusuf". Islamic Goods Direct. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
- ↑ "Mesut Kurtis - Salawat". The Nasheed Shop. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
- ↑ "Mesut Kurtis #AlJazeera". Awakening Records. 10 November 2010. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
- ↑ "Mesut Kurtis - Beloved". Amazon.com. 25 June 2009. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
- ↑ "Mesut Kurtis #FRANCE". Awakening Records. 28 November 2010. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
- ↑ Shahid, Omar (10 April 2012). "The Concert of the year". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
- ↑ "Over £175,000 pledged on the night at our 'Send A Little Hope' charity concert!". Save An Orphan. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
- ↑ Shahid, Omar (17 April 2012). "Making Muslim Music for charity: Maher Zain and Mesut Kurtis". Al Bawaba. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
- ↑ "Sounds of Light ft Maher Zain". Troxy. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
- ↑ Faridi, Hasan (1 November 2014). "Bradford raises £520,000 in Sounds Of Light fundraiser". West Yorkshire: The Yorkshire Standard. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
External links
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