site.btaGuitarists Cenk Erdogan and Antonio Forcione to Play in Sofia

Guitarists Cenk Erdogan and Antonio Forcione will perform at Sofia Live Club on December 3, bringing together the Orient and the Mediterranean, Jazz Plus said on Monday.

“Antonio Forcione and Cenk Erdogan operate on the same wavelength,” the organizers noted, adding that both of them are virtuoso performers of their acoustic guitars. “Erdogan plays fretless guitar, incorporating the age-old Anatolian tradition into his music. Forcione composes beautiful Mediterranean music. Both have their own specific playing technique and a distinctive sound,” Jazz Plus pointed out.

The two guitarists first met at a masterclass in Istanbul 20 years ago: one was a teacher, the other was a student. Seventeen years went by before their second encounter, when Jazz Plus suggested they join the Storytellers project in Sofia in 2019.

Teaching fretless guitar at the Berklee College of Music, Erdogan is one of the few guitar players who combines Anatolian melodies with contemporary jazz.

Born in Montecilfone, Italy, and dubbed the Jimi Hendrix of the acoustic guitar, Forcione began his career as a street musician in London. At present, he is recognized by critics and the public as one of the greatest acoustic guitarists.