The ensemble Alash is carrying the proud traditions of Tuvan music into the future. They are among the first of a new generation of Tuvan musicians who have matured in the musically fertile and adventurous post-communist period in Tuva. Having been students not only of well-known musicians such as Kongar-ool Ondar, they are also recipients of the musical knowledge of their own families and regions.
The ensemble was formed in 1999 in the basement of the Kyzyl Arts College under the name of Changy-Xaya and became the resident traditional ensemble at the school. At this time in Tuva there was occurring a great groundswell of support for the education of Tuva's "treasures," i.e. its unique artistic traditions esp. concerning Xoomei, or throat singing.
However, while the lads were playing traditional music on their own time in the damp basement on Kochetovo street, they were learning the ways of harmony, theory, staff notation and western classical music on instruments that were strange hybrids of Tuvan traditional instruments and violins and cellos etc. They found these instruments also appealing, and have now begun exploration in the new sound worlds that arise in their unique, dual musical consciousness.
Two of the members of Alash were students of master Xoomeizhi (throat-singer) Kongar-ool Ondar at the Republic School of the Arts, and Mr. Ondar has played a key role in the life of the ensemble since its early days as Artistic Director, encouraging and guiding their formation as an ensemble. However, the members of the ensemble acknowledge the influence of many diverse sources - Tuvan and otherwise - in the work.
In the words of ensemble member Mai-ool Sedip, "Our music, Tuvan music, will always be there. We are simply its players. As young musicians and graduates of the Arts college, we like to play within the great range of expression that the tradition offers, finding areas where our knowledge of complex rhythms and western harmonies mesh well with the traditional sound and feel of Tuvan music. In addition, we frequently employ instruments not used by other Tuvan ensembles, old instruments such as the murgu, shoor and limpi [wind instruments], which are not as frequently played in Tuva these days."
