Mongolia's Music
In Mongolia, there are several traditional styles of music-making, including throat singing called khoomi, as well as accompaniment by musical instruments. Long and short songs are usually odes to nature, horses, family, spirits or really anything in the natural world. Most of the lyrics to the long songs are generations old, with many being from about 800 years ago. Traditional folk songs in Mongolia are not written down. They were taught to each generation orally, so the songs could continue being passed on, and future generations would remember how their ancestors lived in the past. The most widely used instrument in Mongolian music, other than voice, is the morin khuur . Singing is a huge part of Mongolia's music - the voice is an instrument a person always has with them. Herders would sing to their animals to call them, comfort them or try to heal them. The Mongolian style of throat singing, khoomii, as well as long, short, and epic songs are deeply rooted in the country's past, and many artists are incorporating them in contemporary music.
An example of a khoomii ensemble:
An example of a khoomii ensemble:
Other kinds on traditional songs, such as epics, would recall great past events, and could be extremely long. They would usually be sung in the courts of royalty, and could last an entire day.