Mongolian ethnic rock meets Estonian folklore at The Spirit of Tengri

Some of the participants of The Spirit of Tengri have come to Kazakhstan for the first time to perform in front of thousands of people. Musicians were surprised with the scale of the festival and geographic variety of participants.

Hanggai from Beijing performs ethnic rock. The name of the band comes from a Mongolian word which refers to idealized images of meadows, mountains, full rivers and endless blue sky. Hanggai originated in 2004 after the leader of the band Yiliqi learned about throat singing and decided to explore the rich musical field. He travelled to Inner Mongolia to learn about throat singing and met his future band mates Hugejiltu and Batubagen. The musicians aim to popularize Mongolia abroad and mix traditional music with rock, European music and spice it up with a bit of punk. Hanggai artists play morin khuur, a traditional Mongolian bowed stringed instrument.

Hanggai from China

“It is our first time in Kazakhstan. We have common roots and we always wanted to come here and sing Mongolian songs. We have travelled a lot and seen the reaction of the audience to our music. The music comes from our hearts. It is completely new for the audience. We think this festival can unite people. The organization is great. Each festival has its own style,” Hanggai band said.

TRAD.ATTACK is a new band from Estonia founded in 2014. The first album of the band has gained a wide recognition from both the general public and music critics. The band is gaining more and more fans in Baltic countries, Russia and other places around the world.

“We have come to Kazakhstan for the first time and we are surprised that a festival like The Spirit of Tengri is happening here. We like your country, culture and traditions. We are happy to present our work here. Certainly, we want to see a lot of people in the audience. The festival will definitely be a large scale event,” the musicians said.

TRAD.ATTACK can be distinguished by the band’s incredible energy, spirit and bold and contemporary take on Estonian folklore music. The musicians use old records to bring old and famous masters back to the stage with them. TRAD.ATTACK uses an Estonian jaw harp, parmupill.

The Spirit of Tengri takes place on June 6 and 7. The open-air festival of ethnic music starts at 7 pm at the square in front of the Republic Palace (crossing of Abay and Dostyk streets). Entrance is free. Musicians from 11 countries are participating in the festival. In addition, a choir of the Kurmangazy Kazakh National Conservatory will perform at the festival.

By Gyuzel Kamalova