One of the prominent names among the young generation of Kurdish musicians, Berfin Aktay attributes the roots of her connection with music to her family, especially her father.

Aktay, who was born in the Nusaybin district of Mardin, attracted attention with the song “Canda” she sang during her high school years. After completing her high school education, she settled in Diyarbakır to receive professional music education.

Her musical journey began in Diyarbakır

Berfin Aktay took her first steps on stage by receiving music education at the Cegerxwin Culture and Art Center in Diyarbakır. Her experience there allowed her to develop both technically and culturally. In 2017, she settled in Istanbul to take her artistic journey one step further.

Academic music education at ITU

Aktay, who further professionalized her music by studying Music Technology – Sound Design at the Istanbul Technical University Turkish Music State Conservatory in Istanbul, continues her work in Istanbul. However, she does not lose touch with her roots by giving concerts in Diyarbakır, Mardin and surrounding cities from time to time.

“My father was the reason I met art”

Berfin Aktay states that her father was the biggest source of her interest in music:

“My father used to write, play and sing his own songs. My father was my fountain of art. I started in his footsteps. I drank from his fountain of culture and art in the house.”

These words show how sincere, personal and cultural Berfin’s connection with art is.

A fountain of art flowing from father to daughter

Berfin Aktay, as an artist who has been trained both academically and culturally, brings a young and original breath to Kurdish music. She reproduces the artistic heritage she inherited from her father with her own voice and style. Despite her work in Istanbul, the connection she has established with cities such as Diyarbakır and Mardin also leaves deep marks on her art.