Paul Aljian learned how to play the daf and tombak with Mr. Shimirani, Mr. Bahram Sadeghian, and Mr. Glen Yalez. In search of his desired sound quality, he has applied his skills in woodwork to make dombaks and different styles of daf, including the one he plays in Dastgah Nava. Aljian's extensive knowledge in both instrument creation as well as performance has made him one of the most versatile and accomplished tombak players in the Persian music scene. He has been playing with the Chakavak Ensemble for over 18 years.
