Ali was born in Tehran (Iran) in the summer of 1974. Youngest of five, Ali grew up in a music loving family. In 1986, he moved to Strasbourg (France), where he completed his high school, focusing on Animal Biology and Mathematics. In 1996, Ali came to the Saint Louis area to pursue a Bachelors degree in Biology and French Literature at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, which he achieved in the spring of 2000. Besides being part of the Farshid etniKo elite, Ali works at SIUE as an assistant advisor for international students.

Ali has also been involved in many multicultural events in the past few years in the Saint Louis area. He was part of Grupo Mediterraneo, the band that became aCousTic inTernoTe, where he played Middle Eastern and Latin Percussion. Today he enhances this adventure with Farshid etniKo.

Ali uses Matador bongos, Matador congas and Thumba Turkish and Egyptian Darbukas, as well as many other percussion instruments from South America, most of which are available at Drum Headquarters on Manchester Rd. in Saint Louis, MO.

Events Organized:
International Festival 1999, (President of ISC) for which he obtained 2 awards “Best Program of the year” and "Emerging Student Leader of the Year.”
Christian Week 1999
International Night 2000 (program chair)

Recording experience:
Guitar Summit Vol. # 1: Grupo Mediterraneo
Klezmer Moods with Sandy Waltman
Farshid etniKo (Recording now)

Interests:
Paulo Cohelo is one of the best contemporary writers I have ever read (I hate reading!), his work (The Alchemist, By the River Piedra I sat and Wept, and The Pilgrimage) is simple but yet it deeply penetrates you and purifies your soul.

Most of my musical influence comes from these great bands, check them out:
Persian Classical Music: Shahram, Nazeri, Shadjarian, and Alizadeh, etc…
Indian Classical Music: Ravi Shankar, Imrat Khan, and Ali Akbar Khan
Gipsy Kings, Strunz&Farah, Shakti, Buena Vista Social Club, Cuba LA, Angela, Santana, Enya, Lorena McKenneth, Jaques Brel, Edith Piaff, Stan Getz, etc…

God Bless…