Mesut Kurtis

Mesut Kurtis (Turkish: Mesut Kurtiş; born July 1981) is a Macedonian Islamic singer of Turkish descent represented by and signed to Awakening Records.

Background and education

Kurtis was born in Skopje, Macedonia. His parents are of Turkish origin. 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 and Jurisprudence. from the European Institute of Human Sciences, University of Wales

Kurtis comes from a scholarly and religious family. His great-grandfather was a well known scholar at the time of the Ottoman Empire.

Career

Kurtis showed a strong interest in Islamic nasheeds from a very young age. He joined several nasheed groups in Macedonia that performed local social clubs, mosques, and conferences and also made several international visits including performances in Turkey and neighbouring places. His music is influenced by Sufi, Turkish classical, Arabic and European styles.

In May 2004, his debut album Salawat, produced by Awakening Records, was released and featured songs that combine Arabic, Turkish and English. 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.