Rocking, cross-culturallyA former Fulbright Fellow, Mike, came back to Mongolia for work and a visit...we were all lucky he did! Mike is a musician and ethnomusicologist. When he was here before he studied the Mongolian Moriin Khuur, or horse head fiddle. He called up some of his old teachers, friends, and some students that he knows from Hohot (the capital of Inner Mongolia where he is currently residing) and had a jam session. Some of the students are from Xinjiang, Western China. They are Chahar Mongols, a different tribe from the Khalkha Mongols that live here in Outer Mongolia. Because two of the young men grew up in Xinjiang, they speak Uighur, Kazakh, Mongolian and Chinese. They also play the dombra, a famous Kazakh instrument. One of the guys is great at Khoomi , Mongolian throat singing. All of these young men are students at the Dance and Music University here in Ulaanbataar, and the older men are teachers of Mongolian traditional instruments.
The jam session was such a wonderful fusion of Central Asian culture, with a little bit of twangy American rock and blues thrown in. I took some clips, hopefully they will load up for your listening and viewing pleasure.
4 comments:
Sounds cool! Hey, when are you going to post your picture with the Lemons??
Bagsh: awesome clips! I especially like the fourth one with the two dudes singing khoomi who (and it may be the dim lighting and black knit caps) look like they'd sooner be playing Metallica -- or just getting their Hurd on.
best
A+M+M+J
HA!
Good times! I'm glad you both liked the clips! Picture with me and the Lemons will be posted once I get a copy!
Annie, this is just the coolest thing I've ever seen/heard! What an experience it must have been. Hope you're staying warm!
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