Enver Izmaylov

Enver Izmaylov graduated from the Fergana music school in 1973 majoring on bassoon, and had started playing the guitar at age 15 (about 1970).

Izmaylov does not pluck the strings, but uses jazz tapping - an original technique of electric guitar playing when a musician plays with both hands on the neck by tapping on the strings with his finger-tips, as if it were a keyboard. He developed this technique to a climax simultaneously with, but not knowing of Stanley Jordan. Emmett Chapman developed a similar technique in the late 1960s.

Izmaylov's music is an original blend of mainstream jazz, Crimean Tatar, Turkish, Uzbek and Balkan folk music and classical music. Many of his pieces are composed in time signatures which are not standard in classical music, but are common in Balkan music and Central Asian music, such as 5/8, 7/8, 9/8, 11/8, 11/16 and 13/16.

Izmaylov has toured extensively in Russia, Ukraine and Europe and has participated in several cross-cultural projects in Eastern Europe. He was the first-prize winner of the First European International Guitarist Competition. Enver Izmaylov was voted for the Musician Of The Year 1995 by the Ukrainian music critics.

Izmaylov is also a competent throat singer.

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