October was Ondar Month
Kerry Yackoboski
weekend! :-)
Kerry
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October is Ondar Month
October is the tenth month of the year, a number quite appropriate for
Kongar-ool Ondar (whose last name means "tens" in Tuvan) to visit the US
and Canada. Officially appearing in New York to represent AT&T and its
new DISQ recording system at the Audio Engineering Society convention,
Ondar and his 9-year-old student from the Lyceum of Tuva, Bady-Dorzhu
Ondar (no relation), also found time to appear on the Chevy Chase Show
(no, they were not the reason for the show's demise!), and to sing in a
benefit concert for Tibet that featured Tibetan monks and Kitaro. (That
program was broadcast in Japan, and the Ondars' appearance may form
another segment in The Tuvans Invade America -- see item B in the Tuva
Trader -- if logistics can be overcome.)
The Ondars also appeared at the Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto for a CBC
Radio documentary, to be aired on "Ideas" next year. The Toronto Globe
& Mail wrote, "The Ondars' performance lifted the enthusiastic audience
out of western notions of what constituted 'beautiful singing.' It gave
an intriguing glimpse into a rich central Asian culture that has managed
to survive industrialization, Stalinism, and so far, westernization."
When the Ondars returned to Tuva, they took with them two shortwave
radios donated by a ham radio club headed by Patrick Barthelow. Don't
worry: MTV is already in Tuva, so the shortwave ratios will do little
damage by comparison!
This news comes from the Friends of Tuva Newsletter and is
posted with the permission of the author. The Newsletter is
published by Friends Of Tuva, Box 70021, Pasadena CA 91117 USA.
(Fax: (213) 221-8882). To receive your very own copy, send a
stamped self-addressed envelope (yes, it's free!). Outside of
the USA, "stamped" means 2 International Reply Coupons or $1 cash.