Emre Gültekin was initiated into the art of the Turkish saz by Talip Özkan and his father, the bard Lütfü Gültekin. Emre learned to play saz, a long-necked lute that produces the most subtle harmonies. This elusive instrument made its way through the Middle East to Siberia, taking on all shapes and sizes. It was in Anatolia that the saz flourished with masters such as Talip Ozkan and Mustafa Karaçeper, who passed on their art to Emre.

Today, Emre stands on his own two feet and is knee deep in all kinds of musical projects such as his duo with Armenian duduk player Vardan Hovanissian and the Indian-Turkish Baul Meets Saz. He likes to work with musicians from various backgrounds, from Malick Pathe Sow (Senegal) to Goran Bregovic (Serbia), from Véronique Gillet (Belgium) to La Roza Enflorese (early music). He also played in groups such as Blindnote, family group Gültekinler, in addition to his activity as a sound engineer. For some time, he has also been diversifying his activities into composing film music.