MONGOLIAN BAND EGSCHIGLEN AT THE RAINFOREST WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL
Date: 23 May 2006
Written By: Yeoh Jun-Lin
“The Secret History of the Mongolians” begins with this :-
“….The ancestor of Genghis Khan was a grey wolf, created in heaven and chosen by fate. His spouse was a white hind. They came across lake Tenggis, and at the spring of the Onan River near the Burhan haldun mountain they chose their camp where their child was born..."
And since then, the mystery and allure of the Mongolians and their great leader, Genghis Khan, has never left us.
Genghis Khan led his people and unified the whole of Central Asia, conquered the Chinese Empire in the 13th century, founded dynasties in India and West Asia, and came close to threatening the boundaries of eastern Europe.
They had a special breed of horses that had the stamina to last days and weeks without stopping. They came from a barren region from the steppes and the deserts, criss-crossed by high and hostile mountains. They lived a nomadic life, with their portable yurts as houses and their treasure made up of 5 kinds of “jewels” – horses, yaks, camels, sheep and goats.
Their music was meant to soothe and communicate with their animals. Singing was their main understanding of music. Instruments only existed to accompany their songs.
Even today, communal singing is part of their entertainment in their lonely silent environment.
They have developed a complex singing technique that involves the co-action and simultaneous control of the peritoneum, the diaphragm, lungs, vocal chords, larynx, tongue, lips and oral cavity.
This is the famous khoomei or throat singing, sometimes also called overtone singing.
In 2003, the Rainforest World Music Festival brought in the renown Huun Huur Tu who did a fusion set with the Russian band Malerija.
This year, the festival is bringing in a more traditional and acoustic performance of this wonderful Mongolian music with EGSCHIGLEN which means “beautiful melody” which was founded in 1991 by master students from the Conservatory of Ulaanbaatar.
They bring with them, not only the acrobatic and miraculous sounds of throat singing, but also exotic instruments like the morin khuur – the horse-head vertically held violin. There is also a dulcimer that is very much similar to the Chinese yang-qing that they call the yoochin. This is boosted by the 2-stringed lute called the tobshuur.
EGSCHIGLEN also comes to Borneo with a dancer and their colourful magnificent clothes. Their songs can be traced back to the shamanistic roots, where they had a great penchant for epics and ballads and odes.
The Rainforest World Music Festival will run from the 7th to the 9th of July at the Sarawak Cultural Village, just 45 minutes outside of Kuching.
Tickets are available at RM60 per day which will gain access to all daytime workshops as well as the evening shows. Children aged 3 – 12 are eligible for half priced tickets of RM30 a day.
These tickets will be available at all the Visitor Information Centres in Kuching, Miri and Sibu.
Or call 082-423600 for more information.
The festival’s website www.rainforestmusic-borneo.com will have information and updates about the festival as well as pictures and materials from previous festivals.
Malaysia Airlines is again the Official Airlines with fROOTS magazine as Media Sponsor. The official telco for the festival is DIGI and supporting sponsors are Heineken and Water Genesis.
The Ministry of Tourism is supporting the event which has been hailed as one of the success stories of the region, while the Sarawak Tourism Board will orchestrate the festival.
As winner of the PATA gold award 2006 for the Heritage and Culture category, the Rainforest World Music Festival will bring in, along with EGSCHIGLEN, other bands like Kilema from Madagascar, Les Yeux Noirs from France, Tengir-Too from Kyrgyzstan, Hotel Palindrone from Austria, Chungmyung Arts Troop from Korea, Aynur from Turkey, and more.
From Malaysia will also be the Malaysian Dhol Federation, Chinese percussion from Persatuan Orkestra Tradisi Oriental Kuching and Sarawak musicians.
For 3 days and 3 nights, the usual peace and tranquility of the Santubong area in Sarawak will be visited by the most improbable and exotic mix of music.
EGSHIGLEN will be playing on main stage as well as presenting workshops. If you want to have a go at throat singing, it is said that a cold glass of milk will help you on your way.
Yeoh Jun-Lin
Artistic Director
Rainforest World Music Festival
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