Tamás Berki

Tamás István Berki (born 16 May 1946) is a Hungarian singer, songwriter, guitarist, drummer, television personality and teacher.

Early life Tamás István Berki was born in Budapest, Hungary to Dezső Berki (1910 – 12 April 1994) and Irén Tröster (14 February 1917 – 22 December 1994), just after the end of the Second World War.

From 1969 to 1972, Berki mastered the nuances of jazz music at the , under the guidance of the likes of János Gonda and György Vukán. After his graduation, he was invited to work as a teaching assistant at the Conservatory and proceeded to stay there for the next five years. In the following years, Berki acted as a soloist for a variety of smaller and larger bands. His work with Sándor Benkó's Benkó Dixieland Band contributed greatly to his early rise in the world of jazz.

After 1996, Berki began to focus increasingly on teaching and guiding the next generation of Hungarian singers. He commenced teaching singing at the Music Studio of Kőbánya in 1996 and jazz at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in 1997.

In 1988, Berki released his second solo album, "Hé, Mi a Bigyó?", swiftly succeeding it with a third album in 1990, "Jó Reggelt". His 1995 and 1996 albums, "Mende-Sülysáp Blues" and "Berki Sings Jazz", further solidified his portfolio. Following a brief period of silence, in 2004, Berki returned with a long-awaited solo album titled, "A Híd". This was followed by another album in 2009, entitled "Bika Jam", which dealt with the singer's birth and the experiences of his family during the Second World War.

His 2014 album, "Minden Délibáb," was a joint project between him and Hungarian pianist Péter Sárik. Since 2012, they have been appearing together as a performing duo in numerous shows. Berki has formed a close friendship with Sárik, even featuring the pianist at his 70th Birthday Concert in 2016. From the outset, he aimed to create a heavily biographical album, as the singer began working on the album in 2019, after the death of his sister. In January 2024, for this particular release, Berki was proclaimed Male Singer of the Year by JazzMa.hu.

For the albums "Bika Jam" and "Minden Délibáb" – for which he acted as the producer – Berki drew the album covers himself.

It is estimated that Berki has held more than 4,000 concerts throughout his longevous career.

Berki uses the scat technique of vocal improvisation extensively in his songs.

Television career (1994-2000) From 1994 to 1998, Berki became Duna TV's popular music editor and from 1998-2000, the broadcaster's jazz editor.

Writing career (2022-present) During the pandemic, Berki wrote a novel titled Hangszálak, which was subsequently published in 2022. Although the book is a work of fiction, the narrative is constructed from the singer's own life experiences and stories. Berki is not planning on writing a sequel for the book as he humorously commented on keeping Hangszálak his "first and last novel".

Discography

Gerilla Band

Gonda Sextet Band

Benkó Dixieland Band Berki first became involved with Benkó Dixieland in 1973. He never joined the band, nonetheless, Berki continued to frequently appear on the band's albums as a soloist.

Heart of My Heart (1991)

Christmas Mass (1991)

Take The A-Train (1996)

Benkó Dixieland Band 50th Anniversary Concert (2007)

Solo discography Berki commenced releasing solo records in 1984. He released nine albums between 1984 and 2023.

Igazi Paradicsom (1984)

Hé, Mi a Bigyó? (1988)

Jó Reggelt (1990)

A Mende-Sülysáp Blues - Best of Tamás Berki (1995)

Berki Sings Jazz with Shabu-Shabu (1996)

A Híd (2004)

Bika (2009)

Minden Délibáb (2014)

Hintaló (2023)

Ancestry

+Family Tree of Tamás BerkiTamás Berki(16 May 1946, Budapest)Father:Dezső Berki (18 June 1910,Budapest – 10 April 1994, Budapest)opticianPaternal grandfather:Salamon Berkovits (26 January 1875, Som –19 August 1944, Budapest)Paternal great-grandfather:Farkas BerkovitsPaternal great-grandmother:Teréz HauzmannPaternal grandmother:Julianna Kaufer (31 August 1883, Diószeg – ?)Paternal great-grandfather:József Kaufer(14 November 1856, Galánta)Paternal great-grandmother:Katalin Müller (1860, Galánta –23 July 1898, Budapest)Mother:Irén Tröster(17 February 1917, Budapest –22 December 1994, Budapest)Maternal grandfather:Elek Tröster (26 November 1881, Budapest –2 November 1959, Budapest)Maternal great-grandfather:Lipót Tröster(1842, Vörösvár –14 August 1888, Budapest)Maternal great-grandmother:Etelka FischerMaternal grandmother:Kornélia Weinberger (12 September 1885, Budapest –22 November 1953, Budapest)Maternal great-grandfather:Bertalan Weinberger(1848, Óbuda – ?)Maternal great-grandmother:Zsófia Oszmann(1855, Kecskemét – ?)

Honours and awards

For Socialist Culture (1987) Inter-Lyra Award (2000) Gábor Szabó Award (2004) Artisjus Award (2006, 2021) Knight's Cross of the Hungarian Order of Merit (2007)