Traditional music of the Tsuur

Tsuur music is a blend between traditional instruments and vocal performance, created simultaneously by both the musical instrument and the human throat. The Uriankhai Mongolians of the Altai Region have a long, rich history with their music, which is an integral part of their daily lives. Tsuur music has its origins in an ancient practice of emulating natural sounds to worship nature and its guardian spirits. The Tsuur is a vertical pipe-shaped wooden wind instrument with three finger holes. Its timbre is very unique, not found in any other wooden wind instruments in Mongolia. The tsuur is played by touching the mouthpiece of a pipe (amgai) with the performer's front teeth and making a clear and gentle whistling sound. The performer also sings a vocal drone similar to the Khöömei technique. Therefore, the tsuur produces a very unique and extraordinary melody.

Traditional tsuur music is played to ensure hunting success, favorable weather conditions, benedictions for safe journeys, weddings, and other celebrations. Music serves as a performing art, reflects human feelings when traveling alone, and connects a human to nature. Both the höömei and tsuur are said to imitate the sound of the Even River, which originates from a glacier on the snow-capped summit of the Altai Range. There is a belief that this river produces majestic sounds in different conditions. For example, the sound of a river with a high level of water, or one with a low level of water. It also differs depending upon whether the listener is close to or far from the river.

Tsuur music is deeply connected to the livelihood and customs of the Uriankhai Mongolians in the Altai region, and it remains an integral part of their daily life. The Uriankhai have regarded the tsuur as “music of the Altai Mountains,” and they regard it as a force that protects their dwellings against evil. They place their tsuur near the altar to keep evils away. In recent decades, the tsuur tradition has been threatened by negligence and animosity toward folk customs and religious faith. Many locales now lack tsuur performers, and no families have a tsuur in their possession. There are only forty known pieces preserved among the Uriankhai Mongolians. These pieces are only passed down through the memory of successive generations, making this art form very susceptible to disappearing. In 2014, the Government of Mongolia approved the national program "Mongol Tsuur" to help preserve Mongolian tsuur, develop the study of Mongolian tsuur, evaluate formal and informal tsuur training, and support governmental and non-governmental organizations in promoting the traditional music of tsuur. This national program will also create databases for information about tsuur and encourage tsuur performers. However, the absence of training, skills, and financial support provided by the government has negatively impacted the survival of tsuur traditional music.

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