Sengedorje and Batterjoe Khovd 1993

Buriad took me to Khovd Theatre to meet Sengedorj the Khöömii singer there. He was not in. Eventually we went to his nearby flat. He was not at work because he had damaged/broken his ankle falling off a horse! His ankle was in plaster. Sengedorj was keen to hear my Anglii Khöömii & immediately tried to help me improve. He sang me some of his wonderful melodic Khöömii, although he said his voice was not 100%. It was clear that the quality of his drone was very important and was the main difference to my anglii Khöömii. In this informal lesson he asked one of his shy daughters to sing.  Sengedorj also showed me his Tsuur. The top had been broken so he had fixed it with a section of a plastic tube. He had learnt from Narantsogt, the master Tsuur player whose family held the tradition during the communist period (1924 to 1990). Today in 2007 his family tradition is lost due to Narantsogt son’s death. French ethnomusicologist, Alain Desjacques book with Cd, “Melodies de flute d’une berger Mongol” (2004) is an excellent study of the Tsuur and Narantsogt. Sengedorj gave me one of his Khalsuun khuurs (bamboo Jews-harp). It was very rustic and very difficult to play due to being badly made.. You can now (2007) buy some good Khalsun khuurs at the music shop in UB. Buriad was keen to introduce me to Battarjoe. He was a respected amateur musician who played many instruments and could imitate all sorts of animal calls and noises.