A group of traditional Mongolian musicians bring their unique sounds to this year’s Dumfries & Galloway Arts Festival.
Anda Union are coming to Lockerbie as part of their 22-venue tour of the UK in a bid to raise awareness of the threats to their grasslands habitat and celebrate their unique musical culture.
Anda Union’s thoroughly addictive and accessible fusion of Mongolian musical styles draws directly from the band’s roots in the differing ethnic nomadic cultures.
The nine members are keenly aware of the threat climate change and modernity is posing to their ancient grasslands and Mongolian culture and are bound by a mission to promote the essence of their music to the world.
Anda Union are accomplished singers, moving fluently from hoomai, the guttural throat song, to the clear long notes of ortinduu, long-song. They play multiple instruments including the morin huur, the maodun chaoer, a three-holed flute, as well as Mongolian versions of the lute, and mouth harp.
Mongols have a strong musical tradition that is passed from generation to generation. The morin huur, or horse head fiddle, pays homage to the most important animal in the Mongol culture: almost all houses have a morin huur hanging in the hallway.
Formed in 2000 the band trained in traditional Mongolian music from a young age, many coming from musical families. They are leaders in a musical movement finding inspiration in the old music. Driven to preserve an endangered way of life by keeping their music alive, as a group they hold on to the essence of Mongolian music whilst creating a form of music that is new.
They have influenced a generation of young Mongolians in Inner Mongolia as traditional music flourishes in the capital, Hohhot.
Dumfries & Galloway Arts Festival programme director, Peter Renwick, said: “Anda Union have a truly unique sound which resonates perfectly with everyone’s perceptions of the Steppes and sweeping grasslands.
“It is a joy to be hosting a group of world-class musicians who are driven to keeping their traditions alive and relevant today. We are very, very happy to be supporting them and bringing such an unusual musical style to audiences in the region. We hope that lots of people will come out and support them on the evening.”
Anda Union come to Lockerbie Town Hall on Friday, 1 June at 8pm.
Tickets (half price for under 26s) from the Midsteeple Box office on 01387 253383 and Wigtown Festival Company 01988 403222. Festival programmes are available from outlets across the region or online in digital format from www.dgartsfestival.org.uk
