Huun Huur Tu Mongolian Folk Music CDs

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Tuvan: xün xürtü

Huun Huur Tu is a four-member folk music group from the small Russian republic of Tuva, a geographical and spiritual neighbor of Mongolia. Huun Huur Tu plays traditional Mongolian instruments such as the morin khuur, igil, and doshpuluur, as well as western instruments like the guitar and piano. The group is particularly reknown for its throat singing, for which Tuva itself is the world's most famous area.

Collectively, the band members are adept at several types of throat-singing, and it is the mixture of their astonishing vocals, beautiful instrumentation, and infectious Tuvan pride that has catapulted Huun Huur Tu onto the world music stage.

The ensemble began as Kungurtuk in 1992 by Kaigal-ool Khovalyg, brothers Sayan and Alexander Bapa, and Albert Kuvezin. The intent of the men was to keep alive the traditional music of Tuva, although from the start they were open to modernization and exploring new musical avenues.

Changing their name to Huun Huur Tu, they released their first album, 60 Horses In My Herd, in 1993. The album was an elegant, absorbing collection of songs featuring music imbued with an almost tangible feeling of tradition, personal freedom, and an unyielding thematic focus. 60 Horses In My Herd is the sound of the huge open spaces and loneliness so fundamental to central Asia.

Members
Albert Kuvezin left the group after this album, and founded Yat-Kha, the world's most noted folk/rock/throat-singing band. His replacement was the first in a succession of personnel changes during the 1990's.

The members of Huun Huur Tu have included:

Sayan Bapa Current member 1993-
Kaigal-ool Khovalyg Current member 1993-
Alexei Saryglar Current member 1995-
Radik Tolouche Current member 2005-

Albert Kuvezin 1993-1994
Alexander Bapa 1993-1995
Anatoli Kuular 1994-2003
Andrey Mongush 2003-2005

As Huun Huur Tu progresses, the group incorporates more and more modern instruments in their music. They often tour and record outside of Tuva, and have had several Western musicians play on their albums.

However, the group sounds like nothing else in the world today, thanks in large part to their repeatedly and consistently dipping into the Tuvan music well for inspiration. While they are excited about merging their land's ancient sound with more modern, international ideas, their main drive is to play the Tuvan music they have loved since they were children.

Huun Huur Tu delivers music from a wild, timeless land where the world of spirits is as real as the horses galloping freely through the shadows of the Altai Mountains.

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Huun Huur Tu CDs