Afif Tain was born near Homs, Syria in 1974, and developed an early interest in the oud. He began to teach himself the oud at the age of 15, and eventually enrolled at the Institute of Music in Homs. He graduated as a music teacher at the age of 19. In 1995 he moved to Santa Barbara, California, where he played with the University if California Arabic Musical Ensemble. In 2000 he moved to Los Angeles, where he lives today with his wife Dina and daughter Lindsey. Afif currently performs with the Kan Zaman ensemble under the direction of Wael Kakish. You can find out more about Afif Taian on his website, which includes audio and video clips.