Алтай Хайрхан - Altai Khairkhan
dancer
The band « Altai Khairkhan » was created ten years ago. It has already produced 2 CDs and one DVD.
The « Altai » is one the main mountain range in West Mongolia. "Khairkhan" means to worship. Hence, « Altai Khairkhan » can be translated as « the worshiped Altai mountains ».
The band's repertoire comprises mainly of Mongolian traditional songs. The names of the original authors have been lost, but their poetry and melodies are famous throughout the country and are sung by all. These songs live on from generation to generation.
As customary, we sing these songs by adding our own interpretations, modifications, and words in order to enrich them, according to our sensitivity.
We use a range of throat singing techniques, which are unique to Mongolia. The most unusual is the "overtone singing", called Khöömei.
The Khöömei : this overtone singing technique originates from the people living in the Altaï mountains. Transmitted orally from generations to generations, it has survived since centuries. It is believed that the amazing resonance produced by simultaneously overlaying two different tones was initially an attempt to imitate the sounds of Nature, such as the wind, the flow of water or echoes across the cliffs. There are different sounds and techniques within overtone singing.
The Morin Khuur, also known as « the horse headed fiddle », has been in the hands of the Mongolian people since time immemorial. The court of Genghis Khan used to host official players of this ancestral instrument. Several legends recount the origin of the horse headed fiddle, with slight variations. They speak of a young man who, at the death of the horse he adored, carved his head on the top of his fiddle and used the hair of its tail to make two strings. By doing so, he gave life to his horse by musically reproducing his postures and sounds, including neighing. The instrument is a tribute the horse, considered the Mongol's best friend.