Ali Tekbas is a vocalist and composer based in Istanbul, Turkey. Born in Iraq, Ali was forced to migrate to Hakkari, Turkey with his family, where he completed his education. During his educational training, he participated in compiling repertoire and research with Ali Imran Erin and Serhat Bostancı, which encouraged him to investigate the roots of traditional Hakkari music. In 1998, he began to compose and perform music inspired by this research, through his band LaWje (“lahv-jeh”).