Music of Buryatia
Encyclopedia
Buryatia is a part of the Russian Federation
. One of the country's main instruments is a two-stringed horse-head fiddle
called a morin khuur
. This is a similar instrument to that found across the region. Other elements of Buryat music, such as the use of fourths both in tuning instruments and in songs, and pentatonic scale
s, reveal similarities to music from Siberia and Eastern Asia. There traditionally was no polyphony
, instead voices and instruments performed the same melody in unison but varied in timing and ornamentation
.
Narrative
structures are a part of most Buryat folk music, often in the form of epic tales, and the last song of famous leaders; these include the Last Song of Rinchin Dorzhin.
Under Soviet control, Buryat folk music was sanitized and only allowed in forms that were supportive of the state's power. This period, along with the new state-approved songs recollecting new events such as the Civil War
, also left behind traditions of student songsters and blatniye pesni, or songs based on prison
slang
.
The first Buryat rock band was Uragsha, who were one of the few bands of the time to sing both in Russian and their native tongue. Their collaborations with La MaMa
theater in New York
in late 1990s led to their embrace of traditional music and shamanic
roots too, and eventually to formation of the group Namgar
that represents Buryat traditional music at world music
festivals since 2001.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. One of the country's main instruments is a two-stringed horse-head fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
called a morin khuur
Morin khuur
The morin khuur is a traditional Mongolian bowed stringed instrument. It is one of the most important musical instruments of the Mongol people, and is considered a symbol of the Mongolian nation. The morin khuur is one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity identified...
. This is a similar instrument to that found across the region. Other elements of Buryat music, such as the use of fourths both in tuning instruments and in songs, and pentatonic scale
Musical scale
In music, a scale is a sequence of musical notes in ascending and descending order. Most commonly, especially in the context of the common practice period, the notes of a scale will belong to a single key, thus providing material for or being used to conveniently represent part or all of a musical...
s, reveal similarities to music from Siberia and Eastern Asia. There traditionally was no polyphony
Polyphony
In music, polyphony is a texture consisting of two or more independent melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice or music with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords ....
, instead voices and instruments performed the same melody in unison but varied in timing and ornamentation
Ornament (music)
In music, ornaments or embellishments are musical flourishes that are not necessary to carry the overall line of the melody , but serve instead to decorate or "ornament" that line. Many ornaments are performed as "fast notes" around a central note...
.
Narrative
Narrative
A narrative is a constructive format that describes a sequence of non-fictional or fictional events. The word derives from the Latin verb narrare, "to recount", and is related to the adjective gnarus, "knowing" or "skilled"...
structures are a part of most Buryat folk music, often in the form of epic tales, and the last song of famous leaders; these include the Last Song of Rinchin Dorzhin.
Under Soviet control, Buryat folk music was sanitized and only allowed in forms that were supportive of the state's power. This period, along with the new state-approved songs recollecting new events such as the Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
, also left behind traditions of student songsters and blatniye pesni, or songs based on prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
slang
Slang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
.
The first Buryat rock band was Uragsha, who were one of the few bands of the time to sing both in Russian and their native tongue. Their collaborations with La MaMa
La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club
La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club is an off-off Broadway theatre founded in 1961 by Ellen Stewart, and named in reference to her. Located on Manhattan's Lower East Side, the theatre grew out of Stewart's tiny basement boutique for her fashion designs; the boutique's space acted as a theatre for...
theater in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in late 1990s led to their embrace of traditional music and shamanic
Shamanism
Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world. To quote Eliade: "A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = technique of ecstasy." Shamanism encompasses the...
roots too, and eventually to formation of the group Namgar
Namgar
Namgar is a 4-piece music group that performs traditional Buryat and Mongolian music.Its leader Namgar Lhasaranova comes from the east borderland where three countries, Russia, Mongolia, and China meet. She inherited a rich singing tradition of the Buryat people who reside in Russian regions of...
that represents Buryat traditional music at world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
festivals since 2001.