A master of musical instrument design and production, Akbarali Alijanovich Aliev is making his first appearance at the Market from his hometown, the tradition-rich city of Bukhara. He specializes in creating traditional lutes, stringed instruments and wind instruments that display the elegant, long-necked designs of Uzbekistan tradition. He plays many of the instruments – doira, tar and rubab – with the stirring, mysterious sound of his homeland.

Akbarali uses bulberry, nut, grapewood, calfskin, leather from goats and deer, and even fish skin for some specific applications. Inlays and engraving adorn the work. He notes that music brings people together and that we cannot imagine life without music. He describes the sounds of a well-made musical instrument as “perfect and very lovely.”