The band Egschiglen ("Beautiful melody") was founded in 1991 by master students of the
conservatory of Ulaanbaatar. Still today 4 founding
members are the heart of the group. From the very beginning, the musicians
are focusing on contemporary music of Mongolia and searching
systematically for the sound dimensions of this repertory with their
traditional instruments and the central asian vocal technics.The music of a country is formed by its landscape and the way of life of its people. Mongolia, in the heart of Asia, is a vast country, roughly five times the size of Germany. Endless graslands in the south envelope into the barren beauty of the Gobi desert. From the snow-covered Altai and Changaj mountains clear rivers run through forests and flatlands. A large part of the more than 2 million Mongolians still live as nomads to this very day, in harmony and rhythm with nature, and together with their "five jewels": horses, camels, cattle, sheep and goats. The music of the Mongolians breathes the freedom and power of the simple way of life close to the nature.
Magnificant lucidity - is the fruit of years of research and travel between the conservatory of Ulaan Baatar, capital of Mongolia, and Röthenbach a. d. Pegnitz, small village in Germany. In this most southern German area of Franconia, the Egschiglen musicians regularly erected their traditional yurts to be nearer to European concert halls. What a distance they have covered since 1991 when the group, firmly rooted in tradition, was founded by a handfull students with commited contemporary attitudes!
Their first performances were modern Mongolian compositions written by fellow compatriots of the Soviet school. Their sucesses in the West were few due to audiences mostly accustomed to traditional folk music.
Since those beginnings, Egschiglen has transformed the art of folk music, far from native the grasslands and the traditional shamanistic and lamaistic forms such as epics and odes, survived miraculously 60 years of socialism.
It’s time for a walk through the labyrinth of vocal acrobatics: the diaphonic - the epic singing, or the melodic. Aditionally there are the try outs with experimental sounds of the -horse head violin, dulcimer, bass, and the two strings luthe.
Over the time the group has developped a unic vocal and instrumental language of their own. Their compositions and orchestrations reflect a fluent transformation of their native songs into magnificant contemporary music. Egschiglen’s concerts have involved into sparkling symphonies, expressions of pure freedom, always remaining true to its spiritual and nomadic roots.
Today the musical and poetic universe of these mongolian nomads continues to expand and grow. Their music reflects the excitement and joy with which these eternal nomads travel.
Migdorj Tumenbayar 1st moriin khuur, vocals
Amartuwshin Baasandorj khöömii solo vocals, tobshuur, percussion
Uuganbaatar Tsend-Ochir ih khuur
Sarangerel Tserevsamba joochin, percussion, vocals
Ariunaa Tserendavaa dance
Taivan Chimeddoo presenter