The Alaev Family

The Alaev Family

The Alaev Family is a Tajikistan-origin group centred on the musical traditions of Tajikistan and the Jewish music of Bukhara. The ensemble comes from a family of performers led by Allo Alaev, a percussion specialist known for his work on the doira, a frame drum with metal rings inside.

Background and family tradition

Allo Alaev takes up the doira at an early age and quickly develops into a skilled percussionist. He becomes the first percussionist in the folk opera company of Dushanbe, the Tajik capital, and tours and performs with the company for 50 years. He also composes percussion pieces and is able to play up to nine drums at once.

The family carries this performance tradition across generations. The whole Alaev family moves to Israel in 1991, where the ensemble continues to appear in concerts and on television, bringing the family’s music to Israeli audiences and beyond.

Members and instrumentation

The group includes Allo Alaev’s sons Ariel and Amin, and his grandchildren Zvika, Allen, Amir and Aviva. The listed members are אמין אלייב, Amir Alaev and אריאל אלייב. The ensemble is presented as a three-generation group, with younger performers continuing the family’s older musical style.

The Alaev Family performs with a wide range of instruments, including doira, darbukka, Alofon percussion, cajon, Turkish clarinet, garmon accordion, bayan, violin, Bucharian horn, duduk and bass. The bass is played by Yonathan Levy of Izabo.

Style and setting

The group’s music is rooted in rhythmic and dance-based percussion, with an emphasis on ensemble interplay and cross-generational performance. Its repertoire connects Tajik folk traditions and Bukharian Jewish music, while also incorporating a broader mix of Central Asian and related instruments.