Mongolia's HAYA to make US debut at IUP in 2018.

The Mongolian music group Haya (Хаяа), will make its US debut in April 2018 at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. A profile of the April 5, 2018 "Migrations" concert, from its management company:

“Migration” is about searching for one’s own spiritual home, experiencing the beauty of life itself, and returning to a simplistic, survivalist lifestyle. HAYA Band’s “Migration” Concert employs innovative musical language alongside classic traditional songs, fusing a variety of musical elements such as chants, the Mongolian horsehead fiddle, plucked string instruments, throat singing, and shaman drums. Their music is refined and captivating. Their shows have a distinct “ceremonious” feel. Migration provides us with a path for escape from this fast-paced modern world, a contemporary migration to another realm, one surrounded by the wonders of nature and life.

Single tickets will be available online starting August 29. IUP is located roughly 60 miles east of Pittsburgh, and the concert will be held in the Fisher Auditorium of the IUP Performing Arts Center from 8:00 pm on April 5.

Mongolian-inspired "nomadic folk metal" band Tengger Cavalry in Lawrenceville, June 6.

The nomadic folk metal band Tengger Cavalry will play at Cattivo on June 6. The band's Facebook page describes the New York based group thus:

TENGGER CAVALRY have been turning heads in the music world since the band’s inception in 2010 they blend the nomadic music tradition of Central Asia with heavy metal, creating a unique genre of music known as Nomadic folk metal. Having sold out Carnegie Hall in a legendary performance and been featured in CNN, Vice, the Guardian, Wall Street Journal and the Village Voice, among countless others, the band is ready to take on the world.

Tickets for the 8:00 pm, 21-and-over show $12 to $14 online. Cattivo is located at 116 44th Street in Lawrenceville (map).

Documentary The Eagle Huntress at CMU, April 6.

The Eagle Huntress, the 2016 documentary about a 13-year-old girl training to be an eagle hunter in Mongolia, will play at the Carnegie Mellon University International Film Festival on April 6. A brief synopsis from the distributor:

THE EAGLE HUNTRESS follows Aisholpan, a 13-year-old girl, as she trains to become the first female in twelve generations of her Kazakh family to become an eagle hunter, and rises to the pinnacle of a tradition that has been handed down from father to son for centuries.

Set against the breathtaking expanse of the Mongolian steppe, THE EAGLE HUNTRESS features some of the most awe-inspiring cinematography ever captured in a documentary, giving this intimate tale of a young girl's quest the dramatic force of an epic narrative film.

While there are many old Kazakh eagle hunters who vehemently reject the idea of any female taking part in their ancient tradition, Aisholpan's father Nurgaiv believes that a girl can do anything a boy can, as long as she's determined.

The movie starts at 7:00 pm in the Jared L. Cohon University Center McConomy Auditorium (map) and includes an interaction with a live falcon from the National Aviary. Tickets are available online.

Chinese-Canadian movie Old Stone (老石), documentary The Eagle Huntress part of CMU International Film Festival in March and April.

The Carnegie Mellon International Film Festival recently announced its films for the 2017 "Faces of Identity" iteration, with the 2016 Chinese-Canadian film Old Stone (老石) and the documentary The Eagle Huntress as part of the line-up. Old Stone will play on March 30 and will feature a panel discussion, and The Eagle Huntress will play on April 6. The schedule is available online, though tickets for these two movies are not yet for sale.

Documentary The Eagle Huntress at newly-opened Tull Family Theater, through February 23.

The Eagle Huntress, the 2016 documentary about a 13-year-old girl training to be an eagle hunter in Mongolia, is playing at the recently-opened Tull Family Theater in Sewickley through February 23. A brief synopsis from the distributor:

THE EAGLE HUNTRESS follows Aisholpan, a 13-year-old girl, as she trains to become the first female in twelve generations of her Kazakh family to become an eagle hunter, and rises to the pinnacle of a tradition that has been handed down from father to son for centuries.

Set against the breathtaking expanse of the Mongolian steppe, THE EAGLE HUNTRESS features some of the most awe-inspiring cinematography ever captured in a documentary, giving this intimate tale of a young girl's quest the dramatic force of an epic narrative film.

While there are many old Kazakh eagle hunters who vehemently reject the idea of any female taking part in their ancient tradition, Aisholpan's father Nurgaiv believes that a girl can do anything a boy can, as long as she's determined.

Tickets and showtimes are available from the theater's website. The Tull Family Theater is located at 418 Walnut St. in Sewickley (map), about 15 miles northwest of Pittsburgh.

Nomadic Perspectives on Multivocality in the Altai Mountains, January 19 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Center for Russian and East European Studies will host Robert O. Beahrs and his talk "Nomadic Perspectives on Multivocality in the Altai Mountains" on January 19.

Over the past forty years, nomadic vocal practices from Inner Asia known as "throat-singing" or "overtone singing have been commonly misunderstood. Drawing on twelve years of fieldwork in Tuva and Altai, this presentation explores how localized cosmologies and indigenous philosophies of voice and music suggest new ways of conceiving of xöömei beyond ethnic identity and vocal technique. This project joins a number of recent anthropological studies of Central Eurasia that reexamine how indigenous peoples were inscribed into the ethnographic archive and offers new ways of conceiving of the poetics and politics of life in less human-centered ecologies.

The talk starts at 3:30 pm in 4217 Posvar Hall (map) and is free and open to the public.

Documentary The Eagle Huntress in Pittsburgh, from November 25.

The Eagle Huntress, the 2016 documentary about a 13-year-old girl training to be an eagle hunter in Mongolia, will play at the Harris Theater from November 25 through December 8.

Documentary Live From UB. about the rock music scene in Mongolia, November 3 at Pitt.

The 2015 documentary Live From UB will play at the University of Pittsburgh on November 3. A synopsis, from the documentary's official site:

LIVE FROM UB explores the small but vibrant rock scene in Mongolia’s capital, Ulaanbaatar (also called ‘UB’). It blends the story of one band creating original Mongolian rock with interviews from experts and Mongolian rock legends. Rock was a catalyst in the democratic revolution of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Now, more than twenty years later, the first generation to grow up in this new society is making its own music. Unlike the generation before them, the new music makers grew up watching MTV and can access music from anywhere in the world in an instant. But these young Mongolians are defying the forces of globalization and using modern music to both explore and assert their own unique heritage. Like Mongolia at large, they are eager to be recognized beyond their borders, but without sacrificing their identity.

Filmmaker Lauren Knapp will also be on hand. The event starts at 6:00 pm in 232 Cathedral of Learning (map) and is free and open to the public.

Documentary The Eagle Huntress in Pittsburgh, from November 25.

The Eagle Huntress, the 2016 documentary about a 13-year-old girl training to be an eagle hunter in Mongolia, will play at the Harris Theater from November 25 through December 8.

Mongolian-inspired "nomadic folk metal" band Tengger Cavalry in Lawrenceville, June 3.

The nomadic folk metal band Tengger Cavalry will play at the newly-reopened Belvedere's Ultra-Dive on June 3. The band's Facebook page describes the New York based group thus:

TENGGER CAVALRY have been turning heads in the music world since the band’s inception in 2010 they blend the nomadic music tradition of Central Asia with heavy metal, creating a unique genre of music known as Nomadic folk metal. Having sold out Carnegie Hall in a legendary performance and been featured in CNN, Vice, the Guardian, Wall Street Journal and the Village Voice, among countless others, the band is ready to take on the world.

Tickets for the 8:00 pm show are not yet available, but those interested can RSVP online. Belvedere's Ultra-Dive is located at 4016 Butler St. in Lawrenceville (map).

Throat Singing Workshop with Ensemble Alash at Pitt, February 22.

via Alash Ensemble official website.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of Music and the Center for Russian and Eastern European Studies will host a throat singing workshop with Ensemble Alash, from the Republic of Tuva, on Monday, February 22.

Take part in a throat-singing workshop taught by throat-singers from the Republic of Tuva.
Contact Robbie Beahrs for more info: robeahrs@pitt.edu

The event runs from 2:15 to 4:15 in 132 Music Building (map), and is free and open to the public. More information about Alash Ensemble is available on their website.

Live from UB documentary on Mongolian rock music, July 12 and 18 in Oakland.

Live from UB, a documentary on Mongolian rock music by Pittsburgh transplant Lauren Knapp, will play at the Silk Screen Asian American Film Festival on July 12 and 18. The film's synopsis:

LIVE FROM UB explores the small but vibrant rock scene in Mongolia’s capital, Ulaanbaatar (also called ‘UB’) by blending the story of one band creating original Mongolian rock with interviews from experts and Mongolian rock legends. Rock was a catalyst in the democratic revolution of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Now, more than twenty years later, the first generation to grow up in this new society is making its own music. Unlike the generation before them, the new music makers grew up watching MTV and can access music from anywhere in the world in an instant. But these young Mongolians are defying the forces of globalization and using modern music to both explore and assert their own unique heritage. Like Mongolia at large, they are eager to be recognized beyond their borders, but without sacrificing their identity

.
Both screenings will be held at the Melwood Screening Room in Oakland (map). The screening on the 18th will be followed by a Q & A with Knapp. Ticket information is available on the film festival's website.

"Huun Huur Tu and Alash–A Festival of Khoomei (Tuvan Throat Singing)" in Oakland, November 8.

via Facebook.

Pittsburgh will host two Tuvan throat singing performing groups on Saturday, November 8. The groups, Huun Huur Tu and Alash, will perform at Synod Hall on N. Craig St. in Oakland. The event is free for Pitt undergraduates who register through the PITTArts website, and $30 for the general public ($25 in advance). Doors open at 7:00 pm. For profiles of the two groups, and for ticket information, visit the Calliope website.

Asian films in previous 3RFFs.

Old newspapers tell us a little about some Asian films part of previous versions of the Three Rivers Film Festival. Film lineups weren't published very often, and Asian movies---then as now---made up small fractions of the festivals as a whole, but there are some inspired choices, including: the first Studio Ghibli film, a 1992 Japanese porn-slash-drama, a Korean film that spawned "stories of viewers vomiting or passing out during the more gruesome scenes".


Laputa: Castle in the Sky (天空の城ラピュタ) was part of the 1989 festival; Tokyo Decadence (トパーズ) a couple years later; Take Care of My Cat (고양이를 부탁해), The Isle (섬), Lan Yu (藍宇), and Devils on the Doorstep (鬼子来了) played at the 2002 festival; The Cave of the Yellow Dog (Шар нохойн там) and Invisible Waves (คำพิพากษาของมหาสมุทร) in 2006; and Thirst (박쥐) in 2009.

Live from UB Rough Cut Screening, June 25.

A rough-cut screening for Live from UB, a documentary by Pittsburgh-based Lauren Knapp about the rock scene in Mongolia, at the Melwood Screening Room in Oakland (map) on June 25.

TED Talk: "How Rock Music Shaped the New Mongolia".

Today Lauren Knapp uploaded her 16-minute talk at Greater Johnstown High School titled "Live from UB: How Rock Music Shaped the New Mongolia". Knapp has been in the local news the past year for her documentary Live from UB, and wrote at length in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in September on the country and its rock scene.