A talent lost when barely into his thirties, Yavuz Çetin -- later referred to as the Golden Kid -- can easily be regarded as one the best Turkish guitar players. Aside from his solo albums, he was most famous for being the touring guitarist for MFÖ, but was also a favorite session player.
Çetin was born in Samsun in September 25, 1970, a week after Jimi Hendrix died. He traveled as a kid in Anatolia and started playing local instruments. In the mid-'80s Çetin obtained his first acoustic guitar, and he studied blues and rock methods with professionals. In high school he won a contest with a song he co-wrote with Ercan Saatçi. After high school he enrolled in the Music Department of Marmara University in Istanbul. Throughout his college years, Çetin kept playing in clubs and writing songs.
With his band Labirent he won another song contest, and he also formed the long-lasting cover band Blue Blues Band with Batu Mutlugil (father of Duman bandmember Batuhan Mutlugil), Kerim Çapli, and Sunay Akin.
Çetin's encounter with Fuat Güner (of MFÖ) in the mid-'90s was a turning point in his career. He started playing guitar as a session musician, contributing to the music of several advertisements as well as a number of hit songs. He released his debut, Ilk..., in 1997. The album featured mostly mellow blues tracks, classic blues, and rock & roll themes.
Preparations for his second album commenced in 2000. Written completely by Çetin, Satilik was considered a near masterpiece -- however, he wouldn't live to see it. After completing all the recordings, he took his own life, jumping from the famous Bosphorus Bridge connecting the two continents of Asia and Europe. August 15, 2001, is a day of mourning for many Turkish rock fans. Yavuz Çetin took his place in the world among all the other guitar heroes who died too young, leaving behind the inevitable question of what might have happened if he had lived.
You can learn more about Yavuz Çetin here:
About the curator - Ada Bayramoglu
Ada is a high schooler from İstanbul who cannot be seen without her headphones. She is a “support your local” kind of girl who knows all the best places to drink coffee in her hometown. Her subconscious is full of “Turkish Classical Music”, which she has been listening to since she was born. She likes everlasting conversations with her friends about music and art. If you don’t know where she is just look at the nearest concert hall and she’ll be there.