Tsogtgerel solo

Biography

Tsogtgerel Tserendavaa

Born in 1990, year of the horse in Chandmani district in Khovd province, Tsogtgerel lives in Ulaanbaatar. He started learning khöömii when he was 13 years old, from his father Tserendavaa in the pastoral life. Moving from 5 to 6 times a year between the Mount Jargalant Khairkhan and Khar-Us lake and keeping the family herd, Tsogtgerel listened and imitated his father and gradually mastered his overtone techniques. At the age of 16, Tsogtgerel was sent by his father to the University of Culture and Arts in Ulaanbaatar to learn khöömii with another master, Odsuren Baatar. Tserendavaa wanted his son to go beyond enriching what he learnt from him, but above all, to get a professional degree of overtone singer to ensure himself a good career.

Tsogtgerel also plays horse head fiddle morin khuur, flute tsuur, lute tovshuur and mouth harp tumur khuur. He first learnt the fiddle with his father, and then with Duvchin, one of the last teachers kept the Western style of play of this instrument in Mongolia. Tsogtgerel currently works as an overtone singer at Mongolian National Song and Dance Academic Ensemble in Ulaanbaatar. Despite his intense soloist activity, he is regularly invited in Inner Mongolia (China) to teach khöömii.

Discography

• Tserendavaa et Tsogtgerel : Chant diphonique de l’Altaï mongol (RN01, Coulaines : Routes Nomades, exhausted, limited to 400 copies, 2006)
• Tserendavaa & Tsogtgerel, chants diphoniques de l’Altaï mongol (3017742, Paris : Buda Musique, coll. Musiques du monde, 2008)
• Ts. Tsogtgerel, Mongolian Throat Singing (Ulaanbaatar : Self-production, 2010)