Laments about the open steppe, nature and horses are popular themes of traditional Mongolian music. Long songs, as
the name suggests, last quite a while and are loud by Mongolians. The original long songs were written about 800 years
ago and their special songs written for weddings, festivals and religious ceremonies. There are major long song concerts
staged every year in Ulaanbaatar and Norovbanzad is Mongolia's long song diva.
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| Mongolian traditional musical ensemble |
There are traditional Mongolian string and wind instruments, as well as drums and gongs. Mongolians have made their
music through the ages using metal, stone, bamboo, leather and wood. The most popular musical instrument is the Morin
Huur (the horse fiddle) which is said to represent the movement and sounds of a horse. It is a square fiddle with a long,
straight handle curved at the tip and topped with a carving of a horse's head. Every Mongolian family strives to have a
Morin Huur in their ger although they are hand-made. Small flutes and pipes are also popular.
Many musical instruments are used purely for religious ceremonies. A shell shaped bugle called 'Dun' is used to gather
lamas before a ceremony and Ganlin horns are still used to dispel bad spirits. The Ganlin is made from the femur of an
eighteen-year-old female virgin (who died of natural causes) and is filed down to size. Examples of this controversial
instrument can be found in Choijin lama museum in Ulaanbaatar (See the city guide section) and Manzshir monastery (See
the Bogd Khaan National Park section) 50 kilometers south west of the capital.
Mongolia's Buddhist temples host the spectacular Tsam dances during special religious ceremonies. Lamas wearing huge,
ornate masks and brilliantly decorated costumes sway and circle to the sound of gongs and trumpets. It is a theatrical
art by those bearing the external appearance and characters of different apostles and devils, legendary animals and
figures. The scenery, opening, inaction, musical climax and outcome of Tsam dance reflect the character of the participants
in different ways: cruel, calm or humorous.
But Mongolia's best known traditional music is Hoomii, described as "double-throat singing". Perfecting this eerie
beautiful, acoustic singing takes lengthy training. Hoomii originates from western Mongolia, but is performed across
the country.
Meanwhile western music has become a big thing in post 1990 Mongolia. A number of western sounding bands have hit
the domestic charts, Chingis Khaan, Kharanga, Hurd and Niciton are all popular with young people. Individual singers
such as Ariunaa and Saraa also play to packed houses everywhere across Ulaanbaatar.
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