Genghis flavour
Hanggai wield a several instruments a lute called Tobshuur, a horse-head fiddle, banjo, guitar and percussion. But pots and pans are not their usual tools of performance. Their frontman, the colourful Ilchi, says an invitation to demonstrate Mongolian cuisine at Womadelaide comes as a bit of a thrill.
“We have performed at Womads in Spain, the UK and Abu Dhabi and we have loved playing them,” he declares through a creamy-voiced interpreter in Beijing.
“But we are more excited about this one because we get to do a workshop of cooking.”
There are six musicians in the Mongolian Hanggai band vocalist Hurcha, Hugejiltu, who plays a fiddle called the morin khuur, percussionist Li Dan, Xu Jingchen on guitar and banjo, bassist Wu June and Ilchi, player of the two-stringed lute called tobshuur.
“We’re not foodies,” says Ilchi. “But we are anxious to share the type of cooking and flavours with which we are familiar. Hanggai is not just about music, it is about culture.
“Sharing food will bring a warm, good feeling.”
Ilchi was raised a city boy, but part of his heart lies out on the great grasslands of Mongolia, home of Genghis Khan and, of Ilchi’s own ancestors. Maybe his stomach lies there, too, since he sings praise to horses’ milk, which is one of the staples of the traditional Mongolian kitchen.
“You must be out on the grasslands to drink it,” he explains. “You can’t buy it in the grocery in Beijing. But it is very good for your health, especially for the stomach.” It is not an ingredient in the dishes the musicians will prepare for Womadelaide.
“We will cook a traditional Mongolian dish, a porridge with mutton. Definitely mutton because we know that Australia and New Zealand have very good mutton.
“We may cook something Chinese as well.”
This variation on the usual performance routine apart, Hangaii plans to share new depths of musical culture with Australians. Reclaiming and sustaining Mongolian culture is a commitment of Ilchi a man who can also brag a former performer life as front man in a punk band. “Punk has been one of the musical fashions in China,” he says.
The more traditional folkloric and fusion music of Hanggai is now performed around China in small to medium music houses. “About the size of your pubs,” he estimates.
“Our singing comes from the earliest harmonisations in Mongolian singing when one singer would lead and then several harmonies would be vased on the lead, then the leads would sing melody and the others would sing one harmony note and hold that note. This was a musical forerunner. We call it Chor. This was music of the time of Genghis Khan.”
Ilchi travelled to Inner Mongolia to learn throat singing from the master. “Most Mongolian throat singers have learnt from the same master of Hoomei who teaches at the university in Ulan Bator.”
The Mongolians are just one of many minority cultures living in China and Ilchi believes it is vital for them all to help sustain a sense of the difference of cultures. He believes it is important to have a sense of self and history.
The name Hanggai suggests this a Mongolian word for which represents the stereotypical Mongolian grassland landscape.
By the same token, Ilchi is a modern man with broad musical interests and skills. So Hanggai also promotes music which can be deemed fusion.
Some popular genres that find their way into Hanggai music and influences have included Neil Diamond and Pink Floyd a new young generation living in a different culture, calling upon other cultures to assert its independence from the mainstream, perhaps. Ilchi wants to make sure the world understands this need while not being too outspoken or political.
He says he is not a political animal at all. He is all about culture and so is Hanggai.
They don’t use Twitter or Facebook simply because, says Ilchi, they are not available in China. They are, however, well exposed on YouTube, from pre-Olympic Games promotional footage to clips of their performances.
“We have performed at Womads in Spain, the UK and Abu Dhabi and we have loved playing them,” he declares through a creamy-voiced interpreter in Beijing.
“But we are more excited about this one because we get to do a workshop of cooking.”
There are six musicians in the Mongolian Hanggai band vocalist Hurcha, Hugejiltu, who plays a fiddle called the morin khuur, percussionist Li Dan, Xu Jingchen on guitar and banjo, bassist Wu June and Ilchi, player of the two-stringed lute called tobshuur.
“We’re not foodies,” says Ilchi. “But we are anxious to share the type of cooking and flavours with which we are familiar. Hanggai is not just about music, it is about culture.
“Sharing food will bring a warm, good feeling.”
Ilchi was raised a city boy, but part of his heart lies out on the great grasslands of Mongolia, home of Genghis Khan and, of Ilchi’s own ancestors. Maybe his stomach lies there, too, since he sings praise to horses’ milk, which is one of the staples of the traditional Mongolian kitchen.
“You must be out on the grasslands to drink it,” he explains. “You can’t buy it in the grocery in Beijing. But it is very good for your health, especially for the stomach.” It is not an ingredient in the dishes the musicians will prepare for Womadelaide.
“We will cook a traditional Mongolian dish, a porridge with mutton. Definitely mutton because we know that Australia and New Zealand have very good mutton.
“We may cook something Chinese as well.”
This variation on the usual performance routine apart, Hangaii plans to share new depths of musical culture with Australians. Reclaiming and sustaining Mongolian culture is a commitment of Ilchi a man who can also brag a former performer life as front man in a punk band. “Punk has been one of the musical fashions in China,” he says.
The more traditional folkloric and fusion music of Hanggai is now performed around China in small to medium music houses. “About the size of your pubs,” he estimates.
“Our singing comes from the earliest harmonisations in Mongolian singing when one singer would lead and then several harmonies would be vased on the lead, then the leads would sing melody and the others would sing one harmony note and hold that note. This was a musical forerunner. We call it Chor. This was music of the time of Genghis Khan.”
Ilchi travelled to Inner Mongolia to learn throat singing from the master. “Most Mongolian throat singers have learnt from the same master of Hoomei who teaches at the university in Ulan Bator.”
The Mongolians are just one of many minority cultures living in China and Ilchi believes it is vital for them all to help sustain a sense of the difference of cultures. He believes it is important to have a sense of self and history.
The name Hanggai suggests this a Mongolian word for which represents the stereotypical Mongolian grassland landscape.
By the same token, Ilchi is a modern man with broad musical interests and skills. So Hanggai also promotes music which can be deemed fusion.
Some popular genres that find their way into Hanggai music and influences have included Neil Diamond and Pink Floyd a new young generation living in a different culture, calling upon other cultures to assert its independence from the mainstream, perhaps. Ilchi wants to make sure the world understands this need while not being too outspoken or political.
He says he is not a political animal at all. He is all about culture and so is Hanggai.
They don’t use Twitter or Facebook simply because, says Ilchi, they are not available in China. They are, however, well exposed on YouTube, from pre-Olympic Games promotional footage to clips of their performances.
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