Anda Union
Not for the first time, I am at NAC to witness Anda Union. Having seen them before, having both the Homeland album and the From The Steppes To The City DVD in my collection, I knew what to expect from the Mongolian folk ensemble. Even so, from the moment the ensemble took to the stage in their traditional garb, this was a special evening.
As the name of the DVD documentary suggests, the members of Anda Union are now city based but have their roots in the grasslands of Inner Mongolia. The music that they play has its origins in the traditions of the steppes, recounting tales of horses, drinking, herding, horses, drinking and, yes, more horses. It is easy to become lost in the sound and be transported to the wilds of Northern China.
For the most part, the group play as a seven piece. Centre stage, Chinggel plays wind instruments, including the moadinchur flute. Flanking him, Saikhannakhaa, Urgen, Uni and Nars play morin khuur (horse-head fiddle), tobshur (lute) and guitar. Behind, another Urgen provides drums and percussion. All six sing, both in a style familiar to Western ears but also in an overtone or throat singing style where two or more pitches are sung simultaneously. Alien it may be but it is also utterly compelling. Stage left, Chinggeltu is a not so secret star, playing the ikh khuur, a box-shaped double bass.
From time to time, the musicians are joined by vocalists Tsetsegmaa and, as he is introduced to the audience, the handsome cowboy Biligbaatar. Tsetsegmaa’s voice is high, clear and is an unutterably beautiful thing to behold when she performs Mother completely unaccompanied.
The style ranges from upbeat and jaunty, with the opener having a surprising resemblance to Cotton Eye Joe, to poignant, mournful and melancholy that portrays the isolated splendour of their homeland. Encore Galloping Horses may not match the duet between horse and morin khuur that features so effectively on From The Steppes… (check it out on YouTube) but the whinnying of the fiddles and the thundering hooves of the percussion conjure the sound of a herd in full flight.
Catch Anda Union live if you can. Strange and alien as some of the sounds may be they produce music that is as melodic, strong, beautiful and moving as anything from more familiar traditions. If you can’t catch them live, search out their two LPs and the DVD.
