Ali Ben Sou Alle was born Jean-Baptiste SOUALLE in 1824 in Arras, France. He first studied the clarinet, winning a first prize in
Clarinet in the class of Klosé at the Paris Conservatory. He then entered the Paris Opera orchestra, but left France in 1848 because of the revolution, fleeing to London.
In 1850, he met Louis JUILLIEN, another early saxophonist, who encouraged Soualle to take up the saxophone. Soualle made several modifications to the instrument, including changes to the octave mechanism and the other keys for trills and alternative fingerings, many of which are used in modern saxophones.
He named his hybrid creation the "turcophone" and began composing works for the instrument, which included fantasies on operatic themes, character pieces and a series of descriptive works which document several concert tours in Europe, Australia and the Orient which Soualle undertook.
Upon his return to France around 1861, after his conversion to Islam, he changed his name to Ali Ben Sou Alle. Under that name, he performed recitals for the Prince of Wales and for the Emperor Napoleon III and his family in 1865. After this date, no trace of his career has currently been uncovered and it is though that he probably died around 1867.
Souvenirs de l´Inde (Souvenirs of India) starts with an expressive andante. A folksong from the region of Malabar is presented in an evocation of drums, bells and pipes and is then varied. The final polonaise is in rondo form and ends with a brilliant coda.