Alihan Samedov

A traditional musician from Azerbaijan, Alihan Samedov was born in Sumqayit, in the then Soviet Union, on April 27, 1964. Descended from a family of musicians, he studied traditional music in specialized schools and learned to play the balaban, a double-reed instrument that became his specialty, as well as the oboe, clarinet and saxophone. After graduating in 1990, he went on to perform at festivals and teach chess, his other passion turned professional activity. Based in Turkey, he recorded a series of albums devoted to balaban and won several honorary awards. His most popular albums include Balaban (The Land of Fire) (1997), Balaban 6 (2001) and Nale (Traditional Music of Azerbaijan) (2004).