CANCELLED: Chirgilchin & the Lian Ensemble

Ever since their first stand-out performance at the 2006 ¡Globalquerque! Festival, Albuquerque has become a regular stop on the annual US tours by Chirgilchin, the 4-person throat singing ensemble from the small Central Asian republic of Tuva. Tonight, in a special collaboration, Chirgilchin will join forces with the Los Angeles-based Lian Persian Music Ensemble. “Throat singing” is the music produced by resonating low sounds in the throat, while simultaneously creating a second middle note and a third flute-like, haunting harmonic. Chirgilchin (meaning “mirage” or “miracle”) sings ancient folk songs in the Tuvan language also playing hand-made instruments. “To hear Chirgilchin live is to experience a revelation of another reality—the reality of the mountains, the horses, the nomadic peasant way of life…” (Asian Week) Chirglichin is Igor Koshkendey and Mongoun-Ool Ondar, vocals; Aidysmaa Koshkendey, vocals, khomus (Tuvan mouth harp), tenchik (bells), percussion; and Aldar Tamdyn, byzaanchy, morin-hour (spike-fiddle). The Lian Ensemble is a Los Angeles-based group of virtuoso performers and composers of Sufi Persian music from Iran. The ensemble employs traditional Persian instruments as well as western instruments to fuse the Persian musical heritage with the contemporary sensibilities of postmodern jazz. Their repertoire draws from classical Persian music and compositions by members of the ensemble. The Lian Ensemble comprises world-renowned musicians from the Persian music community:  Houman Pourmehdi, percussion; Pirayeh Pourafar, tar (lute); Mani Bolouri, kamancheh and cheychak (fiddles); Brahim Fribgane, percussion; and Khosro Ansari, vocals.