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<\/p>\nBringing traditional music to the masses without losing what makes it special is no easy task. But a group of traditional Mongolian musicians have succeeded on that score, in part by combining the music of their ancestors with a modern form: heavy metal.<\/p>\n
The Members of the Hu are all formally trained musicians, deeply immersed in the historic music of their native Mongolia. Formed in 2016, the group features Galbadrakh \u201cGala\u201d Tsendbaatar and Enkhsaikhan \u201cEnkush\u201d Batjargal, both of whom play the morin khuur, an ancient bowed fiddle instrument with historical designation from UNESCO.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Nyamjantsan \u201cJaya\u201d Galsanjamts plays a Mongolian instrument known as the tumur hhuur; Western listeners might call the instrument a Jew’s harp or jaw harp. The fourth member of the group, Temuulen \u201cTemka\u201d Naranbaatar plays the tovshuur, a handmade plucked instrument similar to a lute. All four musicians sing, often in the traditional and distinctive tuvan throat singing style. Also known as khoomei, that vocal tradition is known for its creation of overtones, an effect that creates a kind of auditory illusion of multiple singers.<\/p>\n
If the Hu\u2019s music went only as far as what those details suggest, it would likely be a kind of fascinating Eastern\/Asian folk, rooted in tradition and somewhat foreign- and exotic-sounding to Western ears. Their releases might be stocked in a music store\u2019s \u201cworld music\u201d section along with Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Youssou N\u2019Dour, Fela Kuti, Ravi Shankar and other esteemed creative figures whose artistry has existed largely outside of European and American musical traditions.<\/p>\n
But the Hu stand apart from those and others, because the group really, really rocks. The Hu seamlessly and creatively meld their traditional instrumentation with electric guitar, electric bass and a full drum kit. The result, as heard on a pair of albums (2019\u2019s The Gereg<\/i> and 2022\u2019s Rumble of Thunder<\/i>) is Mongolian heavy metal.<\/p>\n
Producer and songwriter Bayarmagnai \u201cDashka\u201d Dashdondog put the group together, selecting top students from the Mongolian State Music and Dance Conservatory in the country\u2019s capital city, Ulaanbaatar. \u201cWe were hand-selected by Dashka,\u201d Enkush explains through a translator. \u201cHe has 40 years of experience in the music industry.\u201d<\/p>\n
As revolutionary and groundbreaking as the idea of Mongolian metal might seem, the Hu aren\u2019t the first group to combine the two disparate styles. Enkush says that he and his band mates grew up listening to Egschiglen and Altan Urag, pioneers in the hybrid form. But while Egschiglen saw some of its music released on a German label, neither of those groups had their music distributed in the U.S. So for Western listeners, the Hu makes a sound like nothing else.<\/p>\n
Music is often called the universal language, and the Hu are a testament to the truth of that axiom. While Western listeners won\u2019t understand any of the Hu\u2019s lyrics, the thoughts and emotions at the songs\u2019 core still get through. \u201cI personally don\u2019t think that you guys are missing out on anything,\u201d Enkush says. \u201cEvery fan I talk with says that they get the feeling of what we\u2019re trying to say. They understand that we\u2019re singing about inner power and strength as well as the history of our ancestors.\u201d<\/p>\n
The group\u2019s debut album demonstrated the appeal of their unusual music. The Gereg<\/i> charted in ten countries, climbing all the way to the #11 spot on Australia’s album chart. In the U.S., the album made it to a perfectly respectable #103. Rumble of Thunder<\/i> performed well, too; within a year of its release, the album was reissued with \u2013 depending on the format \u2013 three to ten bonus tracks. Four of the Hu\u2019s singles made it into the Top 40 on Billboard<\/i>\u2019s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart, spending a total of 78 weeks on the chart.<\/p>\n
The group\u2019s live show brings tradition and modernity together. Augmented by four additional Mongolian musicians handling the modern metal firepower, the Hu is currently touring major and mid-sized markets across the U.S. and Canada. And Enkush says that he is constantly surprised by the enthusiastic reaction his band receives. \u201cIn every corner of the world, we find people who are passionate about the music that we perform,\u201d he says. Noting that many fans discover the Hu\u2019s music on YouTube, Enkush says that listeners then come to concerts familiar with their catalog, often chanting along with the songs. \u201cEverywhere we go, they chant, and that really fascinates me,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
The music of the Mongolian metallers is proving its appeal even beyond albums and concerts: The Hu has been featured in two popular Star Wars Jedi<\/i> action-adventure video games. \u201cOur music has no limits,\u201d Enkush says with pride. \u201cWe can even create something extraterrestrial.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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