Ali Salimi

Who is Ali Salimi?

Ali Salimi, was an Azerbaijani musician, composer and tar player. He had been based in Tehran for the last few decades where he made significant contribution to promotion and development of Azerbaijani music.

Many years before his birth, his father had migrated from Mehmandoust village of Ardabil city to Baku to earn livelihood. Ali Salimi attended the classes of the great and famous musician of Azerbaijan, Ahmad Bakikhanov and after a short while he showed such a talent for music that Ahmad Bakikhanov introduced him to the National Orchestra of Azerbaijan. In Stalin's time, because Ali Salimi's father did not want to change his nationality, he returned to Iran along with his family in 1938, resided in his home town, Ardabil, and obtained a birth certificate in his city.

In 1965 when the singer of Baku Rashid Behbudov had come to Iran to have concerts, he was very impressed when he listened to the composition Ayriliq, and asked Ali Salimi for permission to play that composition in Baku.

Ali Salimi was invited to Tabriz in 1981 as the director of the East Azarbaijan Province TV Orchestra. He conducted the orchestra till his death in 1997, and in the meantime established a private music school in Iran for Azerbaijani music in 1984.