Mongolian fusion band ensures beat goes on

Hasibagen, morin khuur player and khoomei singer, joined the band in 2019 to make the album, Big Band Brass. Hasibagen worked with award-winning composer Tan Dun in Tan's music works, including Wolf Totem and Buddha Passion. Tan also held concerts by working with Hanggai, combining symphony orchestras with the sounds from the grassland.

"My younger brother used to be a member of Hanggai so I have kept a close relationship with the band for years. The band's music is very close to nature, to our homes," says Hasibagen, born in Chifeng, Inner Mongolia. He graduated from the Inner Mongolia Arts University in 2000 as one of the first group of students majoring in morin khuur at the school. From 2000 to 2007, he was a morin khuur teacher at the university before he went to Japan to join in a cultural exchange program for about two years.

According to Ilchi, the band has been fully booked by outdoor music festivals nationwide. In September, they will tour US cities for about 14 days, before they tour in Europe early next year. On Dec 19, they will give another concert in Beijing.

"We will celebrate our 20th birthday next year. I am very proud about what we have achieved. As a band, we want to keep on bringing new sounds, which can inspire young musicians and audiences," says Ilchi.

This weekend, Ilchi will also co-launch a project called Nomad Relays in Beijing. The nonprofit project features academic lectures, film screenings, art exhibitions and live music performances to present the charm of nomadic culture, exploring its contemporary significance and reflecting on its future. Film director Uragshaa, who is known for films such as Painted Skin: The Resurrection and fantasy adventure blockbuster Mojin: The Lost Legend, will participate as one of the project's initiators and organizers.