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Urna Chahar-Tugchi was born into a family of livestock farmers in the
grasslands of the Ordos district in the Southwest region of Inner Mongolia.
Today Urna is regarded as one of the most outstanding female vocalists
of Asia. Based in Bavaria, Germany, Urna continues to carry the spirit
of her homeland in her music as she performs around the world.
Urna's developed her musical talent and instincts while learning the
Yangqin (Chinese dulcimer) in Hohhot, the capital of Inner Mongolia, with
a visiting professor from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. At the age
of eighteen, Urna decided to leave Mongolia to study at the Shanghai Conservatory
of Music – an extraordinarily brave decision, for at the time she
did not speak one word of Mandarin Chinese and her family knew very little
of Shanghai, let alone its location. With this move, Urna's life and career
took a dramatic turn.
One Russian music critic named Urna, along with the Tuvan singer Sainkho,
one of the "two Asian Divas". In the summer of 2003, Urna sealed
her place as a major contributor to world music in Europe when she was
awarded the RUTH prize in Germany for Best International Artist.
Urna is gifted with the ability to genuinely communicate with her listeners
through her music, as she transcends all linguistic and cultural barriers
with her dynamic, soaring voice. Many of Urna’s songs evoke the
immense grasslands of Mongolia and tell of the Mongolian ways of life,
and her performances are unforgettable to those who witness or participate
in her music. Many describe Urna's singing as akin to the experience of
a religious ceremony -- although her music does not necessarily speak
of religion, she explains, “I interpret my songs with all my life
and energy; therefore, I feel rebirth after each performance.”
While Urna is rooted in the traditional music of her homeland, she continues
to take her music in new directions. Her latest compositions emphasize
free, brushstroke-like improvisations, which have been inspired by her
recent experiences with other cultures and musicians and her life outside
of Mongolia.
With this constant yearning to take her music beyond convention, Urna
has collaborated with many internationally-renown musicians including
the Hungarian violinist Zoltan Lantos, Ramesh Shotham from India, and
Muhammud Reza and Saam Schlamminger from Central Asia, and Jerzy Bawol
from the Polish band Kroke.
Urna's latest recording, Amilal (Life), is a collaborative effort that
features accompaniment from the highly acclaimed Zarb percussion masters
from Iran, Djamchid Chemirani and Keyvan Chemirani. Completed in 2004,
Amilal is Urna’s personal record of her travels after leaving
Mongolia, and portrays her views of the world and human beings, as well
as her wish for a peaceful world. Musically, Amilal is a departure from
the traditional focus of Urna’s past recordings, which center
on the traditional songs, life and memories of her childhood in Mongolia.
With the new compositions on this recording, Urna maintains the dignity
and the spirit of a Mongolian while embracing a newly-emerging identity
as a “world citizen.” Amilal also features Urna’s
frequent and close collaborator, violinist Zoltan Lantos.
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