Salif Ali (Sasho) was born in Kurdzhali in 1961 of Turkish Romani ancestry. He joined Ivo Papazov’s band Trakiya in 1983 and toured with them in Europe, North America, and Australia. He also toured in the United States with the Yunakov Ensemble as part of the 1999 Gypsy Caravan, and in 2001 performed with Papazov in the Bang On a Can Festival at the Brooklyn Aacademy of Music.
Salif comes from a musical family; his father played tupan (two-headed drum), his grandfather played clarinet, and he learned to play drums from his brother. Salif is known for his high energy, wild temperament, and brilliant solo improvisations.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
Thank you for this. Salif Ali is one of the most extraordinary musicians I’ve heard in 76 years. Although I’ve heard him hailed as the best drummer in the world and despite his mastery of technique, feeling and sheer energy there seems to be very little about him on the web. It’s a mystery to me why his is not a household name.