Kongar-ool Ondar
Encyclopedia
Kongar-ol Ondar is a master Tuvan throat singer and a member of the Great Khural of Tuva
. Ondar was born in 1962 near the Khemchik River
in western Tuva
. Considered a living treasure by the Republic of Tuva, Ondar is granted a stipend and an apartment for the musical skills he possesses. Jovial and personable, Ondar is probably the best-known face of khöömei
(Tuvan
: хөөмей) throat singing to Westerners, appearing on the Late Show with David Letterman
and in interviews for CNN
and other networks.
In the Central Asia
n tradition of self-fulfilling child naming, Kongar-ol literally translates to "Loud Boy".
Ondar is also known outside Tuva for inviting American
blues
musician Paul Pena
to Tuva. Pena, who had learned throat singing before coming to Tuva, was the subject of the documentary Genghis Blues
in which Ondar was also featured.
He also appears on the Béla Fleck
and the Flecktones
albums Outbound , album/DVD Live at the Quick
and "Jingle All the Way
".
Great Khural of Tuva
The Great Khural of Tuva is the bicameral legislature of the Tyva Republic. The Great Khural replaced the Supreme Council in 1994.-Structure:...
. Ondar was born in 1962 near the Khemchik River
Khemchik River
Khemchik River is a river in Tuva in Russia, a left tributary of the Yenisey River. The length of the river is 320 km, the area of its drainage basin is 27,000 km². The Khemchik freezes up in November and remains icebound until late April - early May. Its main tributaries are the Alash, Ak-Sug,...
in western Tuva
Tuva
The Tyva Republic , or Tuva , is a federal subject of Russia . It lies in the geographical center of Asia, in southern Siberia. The republic borders with the Altai Republic, the Republic of Khakassia, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Irkutsk Oblast, and the Republic of Buryatia in Russia and with Mongolia to the...
. Considered a living treasure by the Republic of Tuva, Ondar is granted a stipend and an apartment for the musical skills he possesses. Jovial and personable, Ondar is probably the best-known face of khöömei
Khoomei
Khoomei , also spelled Xoomii, Xöömei, Xöömej, Khöömei, or Höömey, refers to...
(Tuvan
Tuvan language
Tuvan , also known as Tuvinian, Tyvan or Tuvin, is a Turkic language spoken in the Republic of Tuva in south-central Siberia in Russia. The language has borrowed a great number of roots from the Mongolian language and more recently from the Russian language...
: хөөмей) throat singing to Westerners, appearing on the Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
and in interviews for CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
and other networks.
In the Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
n tradition of self-fulfilling child naming, Kongar-ol literally translates to "Loud Boy".
Ondar is also known outside Tuva for inviting American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
musician Paul Pena
Paul Pena
Paul Pena was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist of Cape Verdean descent.His music from the first half of his career touched on Delta blues, jazz, morna, flamenco, folk and rock and roll...
to Tuva. Pena, who had learned throat singing before coming to Tuva, was the subject of the documentary Genghis Blues
Genghis Blues
Genghis Blues is a documentary film directed by Roko Belic. It centers on the journey of blind American singer Paul Pena to the isolated Asian nation of Tuva due to his interest in Tuvan throat singing....
in which Ondar was also featured.
He also appears on the Béla Fleck
Béla Fleck
Béla Anton Leoš Fleck is an American banjo player. Widely acknowledged as one of the world's most innovative and technically proficient banjo players, he is best known for his work with the bands New Grass Revival and Béla Fleck and the Flecktones.-Early life and career details:Fleck was born in...
and the Flecktones
Béla Fleck and the Flecktones
Béla Fleck and the Flecktones is a primarily instrumental group from the United States, that draws equally on bluegrass, fusion and jazz, sometimes dubbed "blu-bop". The band formed in 1988, initially to perform once on the PBS series Lonesome Pine Specials. The Flecktones have toured extensively...
albums Outbound , album/DVD Live at the Quick
Live at the Quick
Live at the Quick is the ninth album released by Béla Fleck and the Flecktones and their second live album. It was recorded live at the Quick Center For The Arts in Fairfield, Connecticut in 2000.- Reception :...
and "Jingle All the Way
Jingle All the Way (Béla Fleck and the Flecktones album)
Jingle All the Way is a Christmas album and the thirteenth album overall by Béla Fleck and the Flecktones. Released in 2008 under Rounder, it marks the band's first record since their departure from Columbia. Jingle All the Way reached #1 on the Top Contemporary Jazz chart, the group's first album...
".