When I first visited Mongolia in 1993 I managed to book my return visit the next year by receiving an invite from the Mongolian Ministry of Culture & Recreation to tour with Nada, a music group that I co-founded with Graeme Scott and Alquimia. Below is a brief report of the tour that I sent to my sponsors, the British Council, The Arts Council and The Tibet Foundation. I have added some images from the footage shot by Steve Teers of DiVa Pictures
NADA completed the most extensive musical tour of Mongolia by a British group. 17 concerts were played in the month or so of the tour. NADA travelled over 2,000km visiting 7 different aimags (provinces) performing their unique brand of cross-cultural music to the people of Mongolia. They collaborated with Mongolian musicians and made contacts with musicologists, schools, composers and theatre directors all around the country. NADA members carried out research projects in their sphere of interest. NADA were interviewed for Mongolian radio and a 40-minute program about NADA was broadcast on Mongolian national television. All in all the tour was a resounding success of cultural cooperation between Britain and Mongolia. The tour has also opened the gateway for further cultural and educational exchange between the two countries.
NADA in this reincarnation consisted of
Michael Ormiston: ‑ Tour leader, khöömii, limbe, ney, clarinet, Tibetan singing bowls, Morin Khuur, Ocarina, shawm, darabuka, voice, Khalsan Khuur, Tomur Khuur and harmonic flutes.
Graeme Scott: ‑ Darabuka, voice, keyboards and improvised piano (when one was found).
Viv Corringham: ‑ Voice (Turkish and Gospel songs), darabuka.
Sianed Jones: ‑ Voice (welsh and original melodies) and violin.
Richard Manning: ‑ Didgeridoo.
Steve Teers – Video camera, drums and flute