ISTANBUL
Turkish record producer Hasan Saltik died on Wednesday at the age of 57 due to a sudden heart attack.
His funeral will be held at Kartal Djemevi in the Kartal district of Istanbul at 1.00 p.m on Friday.
Saltik founded his record company, Kalan Muzik, in 1991, four years after apprenticing with his cousin Rahmi Saltuk, also a famous singer.
He produced more than 1,000 albums in an illustrious career that spread over three decades.
He was known for the fusion of rare classical Turkish records with Anatolian, Caucasian, and Balkan folk songs.
The producer released important ethnomusicological records, compiled from collectors and families of traditional musicians.
Saltik was called "the anthropologist of folk music" by Time Magazine in 2004 and was awarded the prestigious Heroes of Europe.
His death has left a void in the Turkish music scene and left fans heartbroken.
In a message of condolence, Turkey’s Culture and Tourism Ministry said in a tweet: "It is with deep sadness that we learned of the death of precious producer Hasan Saltik, who brought invaluable works to our musical memory. May God have mercy on the deceased, we express our condolences to his family and loved ones."
Saltik was born in 1964 in Turkey's eastern province of Tunceli where he completed his primary education.
For secondary education, he came to Istanbul, where he attended the Suadiye High School.
He dropped out of the Istanbul University State Conservatory due to financial difficulties.
In 2017, the Istanbul Technical University awarded him an honorary doctorate in music.
