Shiwa (various artists) : Tibet Foundation TFR20001 (his tracks recorded 1993)

This CD feature three tracks with khöömii on them. Two are by Gereltsogt, the brother of Ganbold and one by his eight year old son Jamba, who is learning to sing khöömii There are a couple of track by the ensemble Tumen Ekh with the rest being Tibet Folk and religious music.

 

1 Tse‑Meyon‑Ten Prayer of the truth

   by Monks from Tashil Lhunpo Monastery

   A prayer composed by His Holiness the fourteenth Dalai Lama of Tibet, shortly     

    after fleeing to exile in India in 1959. In a melodic chant the monks express the   

   wishes of the Tibetans for the restoration of Tibet and the hope that Tibet will

   overcome all difficulties.

2 Boovd Dungching Garav Magtaal Praise to Dungching Garav

   By Tumi Ekh

   A charming example of Mongolian Huumii overtone singing. This item was used in     

   the film "The Cup", the first full-length feature film in the Tibetan Language. The

   film centres on one young monks' preoccupation with the football world cup in

   1998 and the effect he has on his fellow monks at the Monastery. Here the

   simplicity and naturalness of the singing is immediate and arresting. Dungching

  Garav is a popular mountain in Mongolia among huumii singers, and the singer

  praises Dungching Garav

3 Toeshe Sugze La By Gangjong Doeghar

   Tibetan folk songs are centuries old and though the melodies remain unchanged

   the lyrics are often composed to suit the occasion. The title refers to the type of

  song and not the content of the words.

4 Kyang She Solo song By Gangjong Doeghar

   “Kyang, She” is a type solo song. Much Tibetan folk music is accompanied by

   dancing, but 'Kvang She" are songs for solo voice without dancing.

5 Huumii By Tumi Ekh

   Huummii singing  is a rare Mongolian art form still flourishing in the province of

   Uuvi. There  are five different types of Huumii, all of which use the technique of applying high abdominal pressure to produce several different pitches. Here the

   singing is singing about the different styles of huumii.

6 Song of the Earth By Tumi Ekh

   This is a song performed by Tumi Ekh and was recorded “live” in Mongolia in 1999. It features an ensemble of singers and musicians. This item   

   weaves in and out of different melodies and textures and is an excellent example of Mongolian folk music.

7 Khan‑Dro Ge‑Jang Melodies of Deities

   This chan is also called Chu, and is translated as CUT. Tibetan Buddhists believe that all suffering comes from attachment to the ego. The is very

   powerful but very negative  and this Tantric Chant cuts through the emotive and negative energies. Here, the monks chant in a deep trance like state 

   and accompany the chant with a repetitive beat from the Chod Dat, a large hand held drum and the Dril Bu, the hand held bell. The chanting is 

   punctuated by bursts from the Kang-lin, the thigh bone trumpet. This is a portion of a ritual that lasted for about forty minutes

8 Sug Zema La By Tumi Ekh

   This is an example of a Tibetan group song and dance. The lute player interjects and calls to the dancers to change steps or direction.

9 Buulgan Sharin Domog By Tumi Ekh

   Music specially composed for the Moriin Huur, the horse headed fiddle simulating the movements of the two humped Bactrian camel in the Gobi

   desert. A young orphaned camel is introduced to a new mother,

10 Altain Magtaal By Tumi Ekh

     Altain Magtaal is a prayer offered in the form of music and song to the deities of he Altai ranges, the most famous mountains in Mongolia.

11 Dhumor Huur By Tumi Ekh

     The Dhumor Huur is the Mongolian form of an instrument known in the west as a jaws harp. It is often played before Huumii singing. In this sole

     example the traditions of Mongolian folk music are applied to produce an interesting music similar to Huumii

12 Kham Lu By Tumi Ekh

“Lu” is a Tibetan musical tradition similar to the “aria” in western music. It is a virtuoso piece that requires great vocal technique and powers of expression. This type of song is most common amongst the herdsmen, especially in Kham, east Tibet. High in the mountain and in the vastness of space, herdsmen appreciate the beauty of nature and the innocence of the herds, and wishes for ones lover to be close. On the song the singers expresses affection for nature, animals and her lover.

13 Samten Kyil The opening of Samten Kyil, The Tibetan Peace garden

This item features a sound montage of tashi Lhunpo monks and portions of speeches made at the Samten Kyil opening. On May 113th 1999 His Holiness The Dalai Lama blessed and opened Samten Kyil, the Tibetan Peace Gardens in the grounds of the Imperial War Museum, London. The Garden was built as an offering to the people of Britain from Tibet Foundation.

 

Tumi Ekh

 

The Tumi Ekh Company of Mongolian Song and Dance are the company best known in Ulaan Batar for its high quality of performance, and it is the company, which makes regular presentations of performing arts in Nairamdal, the National Recreation Park in the capital.

Mongolia, the beautiful land of Ghenghis Khan, rich in cultural heritage and ancient traditions, for the past 70 years, was all but lost to Russian‑style communist rule. Now a renaissance is under way as the Mongolian people rediscover their Buddhist religion and their extraordinary history with its ancient culture, particularly dance and music.

Tumi Ekh retain their national charm in their singing with all the faith and spontaneity that must have existed in the original performances. In song some of the voices sound like Bulgarian and Romanian choirs or even Tibetan country singing. The most famous of all songs is the overtone singing called Hoomii.

Hoornii emerged from Western Mongolia. The story is that the people admired 12 waterfalls and they tried to imitate their sound. As a result Hoomii came into being.

 

Gangjong Doeghar

Gangjong Doeghar comprises of musicians and artists trained at the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts in Dharamsala, India, and the Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Cultural Institute in Kalimpong, India; the first such Tibetan Institute established in India. They have presented their performances all over India, and also in Europe at the instigation of Tibet Foundation. Their songs and dances are accompanied by a variety of musical instruments such as Dranyen, the Six stringed Lute, Gyangling, the Shawm, Pi‑wang, the fiddle and Gyumangs, the dulcimer, and also drum, cymbals and flute.

 

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