Tamás István Berki was born in Budapest, Hungary to Dezső Berki (1910 – 12 April 1994) and Irén Tröster (14 February 1917 – 22 December 1994),[1] just after the end of the Second World War.
From 1969 to 1972, Berki mastered the nuances of jazz music at the Béla Bartók Conservatory, under the guidance of the likes of János Gonda and György Vukán.[2] 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.[2]
Career
Early career (1966-1984)
In 1966, Berki founded the Gerilla Band with Tibor Vámos (the eventual author, Miklós Vámos) and bassist, Ágnes Gergely.
With the help of a classmate, Berki joined Interbrass in 1973, which greatly helped him in finding his own path in music.[3] 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.[4] He was slowly but surely establishing a foothold for himself in the world of Hungarian music.
Solo career (1984-present)
In 1984, Berki presented his first solo album to Imre Wilpert of Hungaroton, who in turn forwarded his material into a song contest – without his knowledge – which was eventually won by Berki's "Igazi paradicsom (Real Paradise)".[3] This launched his solo career, leading to the releases of seven other solo albums and his eventual establishment as one of the foremost names of Hungarian jazz.
In 1996, Berki appeared on the soundtrack of the Hungarian dub of Toy Story.[5]
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.[6] He retired from his teaching position at the university in 2019.[7]
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".[4][8] 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.[9]
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.[10] Berki has formed a close friendship with Sárik, even featuring the pianist at his 70th Birthday Concert in 2016.[10]
At the end of 2023, Berki released a novel studio album titled "Hintaló", which dealt with themes of nostalgia and reflection as the singer examined his life through his music.[11] 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.[12]
For the albums "Bika Jam" and "Minden Délibáb" – for which he acted as the producer – Berki drew the album covers himself.[13]
It is estimated that Berki has held more than 4,000 concerts throughout his longevous career.[6]
Berki uses the scat technique of vocal improvisation extensively in his songs.[14]
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.[15] Although the book is a work of fiction, the narrative is constructed from the singer's own life experiences and stories.[16] Berki is not planning on writing a sequel for the book as he humorously commented on keeping Hangszálak his "first and last novel".[13]
Personal life
Berki married Erzsébet Kurucz in 1975. The couple had a son, Balázs (born 1976) and a daughter, Lili Emily (born 1990).[17]
Discography
Gerilla Band
Year
Title
1966
"Mr. John elment Vietnámba / Ejtőernyős dal"
1967
"Disszidensek (Ecc-pecc-kimehecc...) / Várunk este a szobornál / Nem lehet tudni"
1971
"Antal Gazda"
1971
"Umlaut tu phenye / Gazsi cigány"
Gonda Sextet Band
Year
Title
Album
1976
"Shaman Song (Sámánének)"
Sámánének
"Confused Heads (Elcserélt Fejek)"
"Afro-Cuban"
"Profane Feast (Profán Ünnep)"
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.[18]
