We all know it. There is a dearth of high quality music out there, specifically in what we call “pop” music. Popular music? oh the irony, it actually isn’t. The soul-draining garbage we consistently are hearing in the background of every convenience store and public sphere has caused many individuals to do some soul-searching.
We all want something different: something with meaning. Music is purely about taste, and I’m not going to tell you what to listen to, but hey Mongolian Folk Metal/Rock is gaining worldwide popularity. It becomes obvious why.
Music With Roots
The Mongolian language is perfect for this genre. With its guttural trills and aggressive intonation, it’s no wonder that the descendants of the Great Genghis Khan resonate with this militant, yet fluid style of music. Heavy metal is not just about screaming and head banging. There is a lot of room for mixing poetic pieces while adding a little warrior spirit with quick beats. Yes, it is possible to paint a poetic picture of the endless sea of green grasslands, while tuning your ears to its exciting, conflict-ridden past. The bands below have gained international recognition, and some are even going on world tours.
Let’s take a look at a few Mongolian Metal bands that are causing heads to bang across the world.
The HU. Your gateway to Mongolian Metal
The HU is a Folk Metal band originating from Ulaanbaator, Mongolia. The band’s style blends traditional throat singing with heavy metal. Mongolian poetry and war cries are infused into their rhythms too. Their top two music videos gained more than 100 million views worldwide and became a global sensation, resulting in a world tour.
The name “The HU” appears to be a spin off of an older band called “the Who”, but the word HU comes from the Mongolian root word for human. This is inspired their genre name of “Hunnu Rock” which derives its name from an ancient Mongolian Empire called the Hunnu. In the west, they were called the Huns. To the Chinese they were referred to as Xiongnu.
The HU combines rock and metal with traditional Mongolian instruments such as the famous Morin Khuur, horse head fiddle that you’ll see in their videos. The Tumur Khuur (jaw harp) and Tovshuur (Mongolian guitar) are used as well. All members have at least a bachelor’s degree in music, some have higher degrees. Check out their website here. Next, listen to their two hit songs “Wolf Totem” and “Yuve Yuve Yu”.
Nine Treasures (九宝)
This band hails from Inner Mongolia, an autonomous region of northern China. The majority of its members are from Inner Mongolia hence the Chinese characters. The band’s style also consists of heavy metal mixed with traditional Mongolian melodies, but also tends to have a galloping chanting style to resemble riding through the lush green plains of Inner Mongolia.
Throat singing choruses are abundant in their songs. As a personal favorite, this band was my first exposure to this music genre as I heard their hit song “Sonsii” in an Inner Mongolian craft beer bar and couldn’t resist asking the bartender what kind of music this is. Hence, the gateway was opened.
Hanggai (杭盖乐队)
Also having members with origins in Inner Mongolia, Hanggai focuses more on Mongolian Folk Rock. Their music tends to have a traditional twist to it, as grassland melodies are more of a central theme. Based in Beijing, Hanggai is known for remixing Mongolian songs such as “Xiger Xiger” with contemporary tunes. The word Hanngai comes from a Mongolian word meaning endless green pastures and blue skies. The music evokes scenes of beautiful Mongolian countryside with a lyrical focus on the people and customs. From personal experience, the first time I heard one of their songs was while commuting to work in a taxi. The taxi driver was blasting their song as we pulled into the school I worked at. Quite an image isn’t it? Here’s a hit song called “Wisdom eyes”.
Tengger Cavalry
This band is quite unique in that it is a multi-racial band from New York City that specializes in Mongolian Folk Metal. It’s common for ethnic Mongolians to be skilled in the art of folk music, but only a limited number of members are from Inner Mongolia. As a result, this band even translates some of their songs into English to fuse it with Mongolian. The result is a creative blend of east and west. Some of their songs have even been used in video games such as Civilization 6 and Doom Eternal. Unfortunately, the band has broken up and the founding member member passed away from undisclosed causes.
In conclusion, I hope I opened your mind to an endless journey of new music. Once you vibe with one song, it’ll lead to more songs and bands in this genre. Good luck on your journey out of the pop music matrix!
Check out more ypt.life articles about Mongolia here.