This event featured seven performer groups representing the culture of Inner Mongolia, an autonomous area of China. The first presentation was folk songs by the Nair Band. This included throat singing, ancient string instruments, a guitar and sound box. Throat singing is millennium old tradition that has boomed in popularity recently. And no wonder. It’s a unique and strangely beautiful sound. In one long breath the singer can produce three pitches: a ‘throaty’ low pitch, a mid-pitch and a bird-like high sound. Throat singing now has devotees just about everywhere. The famous Hu band toured Australia three years ago to packed houses. Using traditional Mongolian instruments and throat singing, this ‘rock’ group also toured North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania.
The next item was the Dance of the Golden Crown, representing one of the northern tribes. Next was a solo performance by Narisha. Her voice is beautiful, and the audience craved for more of her flowing melodies. The next was the Pipa (string instrument) and Bamboo Flute Duet. Then came the solo dance performance of “The Fragrance of Milk Tea” where the dancer in flowing shirts amazed us by balancing a teapot on her head through various complex dance movements. Next was male trio singing melodic songs of the Mongolian grasslands. And last was “Fragrance Across Miles”, a women’s dance reflecting how tea is used to welcome visitors and neighbours all across of the vast region. The graceful dance was a perfect end to the evening.
Perfect, too, because of the casual style the performers created within the formal setting. The audience enthusiastically joined in with the singing.
It was the sort of performance that makes you go online to find out about Mongolia. It’s BIG, and includes Mongolia (the country), the Chinese autonomous region of Inner Mongolia and several small autonomous regions such as Tuva.
If there is one word to sum up the seven performances in this event, it would be ‘graceful’.
This event took place at the Seymour Centre on the 22nd April 2025.
