Horders Beyond Borders: Hanggai--Introducing The New Mongolian Folk Revival

For the last few days I've been listening to Hanggai, a group from China comprised of Mongolians who are updating traditional Mongolian traditional music for a modern audience. I have heard people state that these guys sound like the Velvet Underground; it is true that they are informed by Western music, but for the most part I don't really hear it. On Introducing Hanggai, I can All Tomorrow's Parties clearly on the second song, Yekul Song, between the droning tempo and the crash of the cymbals. What I hear is traditional music, at times revved up a bit, but terrific for what it is and the tradition and culture behind it. For the most part the music is made with traditional instruments, namely the Morin Khuur, a horse-hair fiddle, which to my ears sounds a lot like a cello, and the Tobshuur, which is a two-stringed lute, according to Robin Haller's informative liner notes to the album. It is nice to see that in a society that perhaps many of us in the United States incorrectly view as a gigantic mono-culture there are numerous local traditions. For Hanggai this is one method to preserve ancient traditions into the present and the future.

I like the cover picture quite a bit, these guys look like true badasses. My overactive imagination images that they could be Mongolian rappers (look at the guy in the right corner), or even a long-in-the-tooth Mongolian boy band. Very cool outfits. Actually the reality is a lot better. There music inhabits the Steppes of my mind in the same way I hear The Ukrainians (punked up Traditional Ukrainian band from the UK) when they do a song like Cherez Richku, Cherez Hai. I turned on the Colbert show last week and there was Tinariwen, the Twareg desert group, and they give off a similar vibe. There is a resonance there, almost a genealogical record that reaches back into the haze of yesterday. In so many places there was no written languages, or what records existed rotted away, were burned up, or destroyed. What we know of the past was preserved through the oral traditions, songs, poems, story-telling, reenactments of rituals and historic events. In many cases, even when we have records, what people right down are anomalies, unusual events like plagues, droughts, invasions, bad winters. But we can usually glean a lot about everyday life from the content of folk songs.



And there is of course a long standing tradition in Communism where human nature is to be changed for the better. Unfortunately we are often a hasty species and we try to force the issue in extremely unpleasant ways. It's nice to see that groups like Hanggai are keeping their individualism alive, because I would be surprised if a significant number of people in high places do not look on these small developments with approval, particularly because of their Tibetan region which was absorbed into China more than 50 years ago.

I was a little surprised that the Mongolian musical tradition also incorporates throat singing called hoomei, which I had first heard performed on Tuvan albums, by groups like Huun-Huun Tuur. Of course it shouldn't be that surprising that this could occur in different places. On the other hand it may be that the tradition hit the road and was transmitted across the Tundra over the centuries. I don't know enough about it. The droning overtone singing definitely has a a reverent religious feel to it.

But what I can say is the singing on this album is terrific, as is the musicianship. If I was to tell you that these guys are the Chinese equivalent of the Velvet Underground, I think people could buy this and be pretty disappointed. Sure John Cale played the electric viola but I think it is a big stretch. Llchi, the frontman played in punk bands before Hanggai, but his new project is very much a traditional bent. But if you like interesting music and don't want to hear the same old business jammed into your earholes ad nauseum, this might be just the thing you've been looking for.

The band is made up of: Ilchi on vocals and Tobshuur, Bagen on vocals and Morin Khuur, Hurcha vocals on track 10, Xu Jingchen on Sanxian (Chinese three-string lute), Hexigtuu on Sihu (four string bowed instrument), and Robin Haller and Matteo Scumaci played percussion, guitars, etc. Haller also recorded and produced the album. In some places somebody is playing something that sounds like a Jew's harp.



Some of the songs I really like are the opening Banjo and I, and the hard hitting hoomei vocalled Wuji. The previously mentioned Yakul Song is also really excellent. The Drinking Song with the lively group call and response is also nice. But I don't find too many faults with this album. It might not be to every one's taste, but I know what I like. I just may not have heard it yet.