Erol Kumandaş was born in the city of Trabzon in north-eastern Turkey. He developed an interest in music while still at school, which led to him taking up the oud, but he also went on to study mechanical engineering at Gazi University. Kumandaş has played the oud with the Ankara Turkish Music Association and Hacettepe University Choir, and also accompanied a wide variety of other artists. He currently lives in Ankara.