Haj Qorban Soleymani was born circa 1920 in `Aliabad, a small village north of Quchan. The majority of people in this small village are of a Turkish origin, so is he. Haj Qorban is regarded as a great bakhshi and an exemplary musician life of the northern Khorasan. He accompanies his dotar-playing by singing in Turkish, Kurdish, and Persian. Playing the dotar as well as singing is a traditional heritage in his family. He learned music from his father, his father from his grandfather, and so on. His son and grandsons also play the dotar and sing. After his father's death, Haj Qorban continued his study with some other bakhshis of the region, namely such bakhshis as Khan Mohammad, `Evaz, and Gholam-Hossein. Haj Qorban has taken part in many national and international festivals and musical events. He has performed music in many countries including Syria, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, France, and the United States. ...