Egschiglen

Egschiglen are a Mongolian Folk band, formed in Ulan Bator in 1991. In English Egschiglen means "Beautiful Melody", and they are one of very few traditional Mongolian bands to have become popular in the rest of the World. Right from the beginning, Egschiglen set the focus of their artistic work on contemporary music. They systematically explored the sound dimensions of works by classical-modernist Mongolian composers, using traditional instruments from Mongolia and Central Asian including the morin khuur (a violin with two strings made of horse hair), tobshuur (a lute symbolizing a swan's throat as neck), joochin, bass, percussion and singing techniques like khöömii throat singing. Their music is characterized by the delicacy and transparency of chamber music, but also by its deeply natural, compelling force. In Egschiglen’s performances, tunes from shamanist or Buddhist tradition, which are common in Central Asia, impress through their diversity of expression and their intricate arrangements.