Anda Union - China

Describing themselves as music-gatherers that dig deep into Mongol traditions, Anda Union is a 10-piece group dedicated to unearthing bygone music from across the ancient Mongolian tribes. Formed in 2000, the band comprises members trained in traditional Mongolian music from a young age, many coming from musical families and sharing a fierce passion for their cultural heritage. Appropriately, their name translates to a band of blood brothers.

As with all nomads, the Mongols have an oral culture largely passed through generations by songs; Anda Union therefore sing of their nation’s history.

The primary instrument used by the group, the morin huur or horse head fiddle, pays homage to Mongolia’s most revered animal, the horse. The acoustic group also embraces the range of traditional Mongolian instruments – tobshur, morin huur, hoomei, urtyn du, moadinchur, hoomei, with drums and percussion – and the majesty of throat singing.

Keenly aware of the threat to age-old Mongolian culture, Anda Union has attached a strident political edge to its art and declares, “Our culture is broken and needs to be mended”. Through keeping the essence of the old music alive, the group is influencing a young generation within Mongolia to embrace traditional music, which is now flourishing in the Mongolian capital, Hohhot.

With the support of the Chinese Ministry of Culture.

www.andaunion.com

DON'T MISS THE MOVIE

Anda Union: From the Steppes to the City has been confirmed for the World Cinema Showcase. The film follows the group of young and inspiring musicians through Inner Mongolia, and is a celebration of the group’s passion for their music and culture. The film has screened at the bFI London Film Festival and IDFA in 2011, and after seeing them live at WOMAD you’ll want to see this indepth documentary. The World Cinema Showcase screens in Auckland (29 Mar – 11 Apr), Wellington (5 – 22 Apr), Dunedin( 19 Apr – 2 May) and Christchurch (26 Apr – 9 May).

WORLD CINEMA SHOWCASE

From the organisers of the mighty NZ International Film Festival, ‘NZIFF selects the World Cinema Showcase’ as an annual collaboration between the NZ Film Festival Trust and enterprising exhibitors in Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin and Christchurch. Now in its 14th year, the Showcase screens an important mix of intelligent features and documentaries to head you out of the summer blockbuster season – and into the season of Festivals.

www.worldcinemashowcase.co.nz