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Urtiin Duu



It is one of the two main forms of Mongolian songs, the other being the short song or bogino duu.

The Urtiin duu was mentioned in literary works as early as the thirteenth century and is widely believed to date back to 2,000 years ago. There has been a rich variety of regional styles preserved, and performances and contemporary pieces play an important role in the daily lives of nomadic peoples in Mongolia and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Republic, which is situated in the northern part of the People's Republic of China.

The genre is called "Long Song" because of the length of the songs, but also because each syllable of text is extended for a long time. Several songs can be long, including Uvgin shuvuu khoyor, also known as Jargaltain delger (lit. 'Old man and the Bird'), which can last up to 3 hours if performed in full length with 32 stanzas.

In Mongolian society, Urtiin duu is associated with significant celebrations and festivities as a form of expression. The Urtiin duu can also be heard at the naadam which features wrestling, archery and horseracing competitions, where it is performed at weddings, inaugurations of new homes, births, branding of foals, and other social events.

A lyrical chant called Urtiin duu is marked by ornament, falsetto, and a wide vocal range, as well as a free compositional form. The rising melody is usually slow and steady, while the falling melody is often punctuated by a lively rhythm. Mongolian nomads traditionally perform and compose Urtiin duu for their pastoral way of life on their ancestral grasslands.

Modern urbanization and industrialization have displaced traditional nomadic lifestyles since the 1950s, resulting in the loss of many traditional practices and expressions. In many parts of the grasslands where the nomads used to live, the desertification process has caused many families to shift to a sedentary way of life, which has led to the loss of many classical themes in Urtiin duu, such as praising the virtues and experiences of typical nomads.

Today, the long song is a nostalgic expression of nostalgia for the past, urtiin duu's song texts, categorization, and singing technique are not only greatly influenced by visual and zoological metaphors connected to nomads that are closely related to ornamentation, the attainment of the right vocal timbre, the singers' understanding of nomad herding life, and their feelings of longing and nostalgia that can be heard through the music.

References

(https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/urtiin-duu-traditional-folk-long-song-00115) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_song#Modern_history)


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