Written by B.Narandelger Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Altan Urag’s B.Bolortungalag chats with the UB Post:
Q: Could you please introduce the members of Ultan Urag to our readers and tell us a bit about the band?
A: The Altan Urag folk rock band was established in 2004, and there are seven members in the band. I am the drummer and I play the Dulcimer, B.Erdenebat is the lead singer, B.Burentsogt plays the Morin Khuur (“horse head fiddle”), Ts.Gangaa is our large fiddle player, M.Chimedtogtokh Khoomii plays the read, and E.Erdenetsetseg is our Long Song singer.
Q: Why was the folk rock genre chosen for the band?
A: We wanted to create a new musical crossover in the Mongolian musical universe. There are many groups that play folk musical instruments, but we didn’t want to be just like the other bands. We try to be innovative and use the instruments in a different way to create a different rock sound.
Q: How did all the members meet?
A: We have all known each other for 20 years, and took a national music class at the Music and Dance College together when we were quite young. We decided to establish the band after we graduated college.
Q: Why did you decide to call the band Ultan Urag?
A: We talked about a band name for a long time, and we all decided we liked Ultan Urag (meaning, “Royal Blood”) very much. In ancient time, Chingis Khaan’s ‘royal blood’ conquered half of the world in strength and tried to protect the national land. We deemed that we are continuing that royal blood through our music.
Q: What does the band hope to relay in its music?
We think that Mongolian national folk is wonderful, and the Morin Khuur and Khoomii instruments are becoming known around the world. We think that Mongolian youth need to learn about national folk music and songs.
Q: How many CDs have been produced since the band was established?
A: We made seven CDs. The first was titled Unaga Torov and it was followed by Made In Altan Urag , Ertee uridiin Tsagt (“Once Upon a Time”), and Tsus Blood, ( kind of folk rock), as well as others. Most of them were kind of chill with a folk rock and ethnic sound. Each of the albums has nine songs.
Q: How many concerts has the band had since its establishment?
A: We had our fist big concert in Mongolia on July 8 and our first CD came out in 2004. We have organized many concerts in Mongolia’s nine universities and six secondary schools for students in the last year. We prefer quality concert as opposed to quantity. In other words, the numbers aren’t as important as how people enjoy the shows.
Q: How many international shows have you had?
A: We have traveled to many countries such as the United States, Russia, China, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Switzerland, Norway, France, and Japan. Traveling concerts are one of the most important parts of our lives and we’re glad that people outside of Mongolia have received us so well.
Q: How did international audiences react to the music?
A: All of the people of these countries received us with a lot of friendliness. They are surprised to listen to our sound, and most of them say that it is wonderful and very real. Some people said that they didn’t even know there were bands in Mongolia. We liked the countries. People were so outgoing and very wonderful. Particularly, we liked the crowds in Japan, Russia and Switzerland.
Q: Does the band plan to play live in the near future?
A: We are planning a concert for our new CD on Aug. 12 in Mongolia and we attended the Fuji Rock Festival in Japan from July 22-26. We are also planning to go to Korea in September.
Q: Has the band ever collaborated on other media projects?
A: We made songs for the movie Khadag and we did the soundtrack for the blockbuster movie Mongol, which had been nominated for an Oscar.
Q: Could you please explain the significance of Ultan Urag’s “Blood Song” and the Inder Mongon Khuur (Monster Head Fiddle)?
A: The Blood Song was the song of warriors from Khalkh Gol River. Many brave warriors fought for Mongolia and we wanted to praise the warriors for their efforts. Their blood is so important. As for Inder Mongon Khuur, there is a legend of an awful monster that was afraid of people because our forefathers fashioned a small head of the monster to hang over the doors to scare it. That’s why we made the monster fiddle for the band.