Search - Enver Izmailov :: Minaret

Guitar tapping with multi-ethnic fusion

Andrey Adjamov | 08/04/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Enver Ismailov lives in Crimea, a peninsula in the Black Sea that used to belong to Greeks, Ottoman Turks, Russians and now is part of Ukraine. He is of Crimean Tatar stock, which means his native music is filled with complicated odd meters resembling Turkish, Balkan and Mediterranean ethnic traditions. Born and raised in Ferghana (now in Uzbekistan), he was exposed to traditional music of Central Asia and began his career performing at Uzbek weddings.



In the late 1970s Ismailov independently developed the technique of tapping without knowing anything about Stanley Jordan, the official pioneer of guitar tapping. In the 1980s Ismailov played with Sato, a groundbreaking ethnic-fusion band that made a sensation at Soviet jazz festivals and recorded a couple of excellent albums. In 1988 he moved to Crimea, and in 1995 was awarded the title of best European guitarist at a guitar festival in Lausanne, Switzerland.



On Minaret Ismailov's sidemen are percussionist Rustem Bari and saxophone, clarinet and flute player Narket Ramazanov. Bari is a master of various percussion instruments, and Ramazanov sounds like an Oriental virtuoso turned into a devout disciple of Coltrane.



Ismailov's compositions are often based on Crimean, Cacausian, Uzbek, Russian and Indian folk tunes. Without using any electronic gadgets he makes his guitar sound like a sitar, ancient lute, cembalo, Uzbek dutar or Turkish oud, said a Ukrainian jazz critic.



These days Ismailov performs solo concerts for jazz connoiseurs in Kiev, Moscow and the rest of Europe, and lives in a Crimean village formerly known as the Testament of Lenin."

The fascination of Enver Ismailov

Maxim Masiutin | Chisinau, Republic of Moldova | 06/28/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Enver Ismailov, born in Kazahstan, former Soviet Republic, is the one of the best jass guitarists in the world. During his tour to France, he met with the musitians of the jazz band Trigon, from the Republic of Moldova. Later they became friends, and begun playing together much. I've been in a live performance once in a club. It must be said that Enver Ismailov is very fascinating man with great natural charm! His soul is open, and his music is charming and enchanting eithdr. I won't even speak about the virtuosity. Simply visit Ismailov's performance and you will understand me. Even this CD will make you feel the charm."