More about Urna: her official bio
Urna Chahar-Tugchi was born into a family of livestock farmers in the grasslands of the Ordos district in the Southwest of Inner Mongolia. Being raised among horses and sheep and surrounded by head-high grass and sand dunes, Urna was imbued with a feeling of the endless expanse of the steppe.
Urna's hunger for wisdom and other cultures lead her from the steppe to the far-off Chinese metropolis of Shanghai. At the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, she studied the Yangqin (Chinese dulcimer). It was during this time that Urna started her career as the featured singer in Robert Zollitsch's Gaoshan Liushui ensemble, one of China's first and most interesting World Music projects.
Urna performs her own compositions in concert, combining her classical music education with experience in traditional Mongolian music. Each piece is crafted from equal parts of tradition and innovation. Her mastery of mixing elements of Mongolian Folk music with influences from other cultures creates a fresh, new sound with a familiar undertone. Urna's lyrics reflect her love for the poetry of her native Mongolian language. The natural immediacy of Urna's strong voice is striking.
The melodies of her improvisations seem to soar endlessly and the dynamic of her voice ranges from the tenderness of a moonlit night to the merciless force of a Mongolian sandstorm. Combining charisma with artistic perfection, she leads her audiences on a journey through landscapes never seen.
Urna is backed by an ensemble, many from other cultures, perform on various instruments and sensitively contribute their own musical language to this inspired music. The result is a colourful and exciting mixture of intimate tranquillity, deeply moving expression and eruptive power.
Urna