Ümit Takma

Ümit Takma was born in Eskişehir in 1957. He has had an interest in Turkish classical music since his childhood. He worked by himself very hard in order to pass the examination of Turkish Ministry of Culture, Diyarbakır State Chorus. In 1991 he began to play classic kemençe professionally. He also has an interest in Turkish Traditional Arts, and started making saz by himself as an amateur. With the help of the artist of kemençe Reşat Uca, and carpenter Cemal Tokgöz, Takma became a professional craftsman to make saz. He has made 12 kemençes. He has also worked with Zafer Karazeybek, who is a mother-of-pearl master craftsman, and learned how to inlay mother-of-pearl in his instruments. These saz instruments are used in TRT Radio and the State Chorus, which belongs to the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism.