Ali Hassan Kuban was born in 1933, in Gotha, Egypt, a small village in the heart of Nubia near Aswan.

At the age of seven his family moved to Cairo where, in the Nubian Boy Scouts, he learnt to play the clarinet and the tar (bagpipes). In 1949 he performed as a clarinettist at the Opera of Cairo and started playing in Nubian wedding bands before forming his own eight-piece group, the first Nubian band to feature a brass section alongside traditional instruments.

Kuban began to add other outside influences: electric instruments, the rhythms of Cuba and James Brown. This potent mix made him a star, his fame spreading beyond the Nubian communities, selling millions of cassettes. In the 90's Kuban made several recordings for the international market and toured outside of Egypt. In Cairo he operated up to seven different bands and employed over 60 musicians. It is said that no Nubian wedding party was complete without an appearance by Kuban.
Ali Hassan Kuban died in June 2001 in Cairo just after the release of his last album "Real Nubian" on PIRANHA Musik.

Carthage Music administers master rights and music publishing rights for Ali Hassan Kuban for Piranha Musik in the UK.