Y. Nemekhbayar & J.CURTET

MONGOLIAN KHÖÖMII: TIMBRE, MELODIES AND REPERTOIRE

Teachers : Johanni CURTET and Nemekhbayar Yadmaa

PURPOSE

To learn and improve :
• the timbre of Mongolian diphonic singing,
• a cappella diphonic melodies,
• repertoire sung in both throat singing (pressed voice and kharkhiraa) and diphonic singing.
• the instrumental accompaniment of traditional Mongolian songs

Teacher : Johanni CURTET and Nemekhbayar Yadmaa

GENERAL CONTENT

Did you know that anyone can produce several sounds with a single voice? A khöömiich (Mongolian diphone player) can, on his or her own, emit a vocal drone and simultaneously produce a melody of harmonics surrounded by various resonances. This vocal acrobatics may seem virtuoso, but it’s accessible to everyone if we’re given the keys. Anyone can be introduced to diphonic singing (khöömii).

Johanni Curtet will be accompanied by Mongolian soloist Nemekhbayar Yadma in order to tackle the khöömii technique in its entirety. Over the course of the course, they will be contributing theoretical and practical elements from their complementary approaches: ethnomusicological for Curtet and as close as possible to the tradition of the Mongols of Altai for Yadma.

With this method, everyone can leave with a background that will enable them to develop the art of khöömii seriously, while remaining as close as possible to traditional practice.

Nemekhbayar‘s approach is rooted in a family tradition in the Mongolian Altai, enriched by contact with many creative experiences in traditional music.

CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION

All ages (18 and over). Younger participants: please contact us.
The Master-Class is open to beginners for the first 2 days, and throughout the period for the more advanced.

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BIOGRAPHY

Nemekhbayar Yadma

Born in 1991 in Naran bulag in the Uvs province of Mongolia, he studied traditional music on his first instrument, the khuuchir fiddle (the Mongolian equivalent of the erhu) at the Zavkhan College of Music and Dance for 4 years. He worked as an orchestral musician at the Uliastai Drama Theatre from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2010 to 2015. Meanwhile, he performed the same role with his fiddle at the Khovd Drama Theatre from 2007 to 2010. It was during this period that he met Sengedorj Nanjid, director of the theatre and one of the greatest professional khöömii masters, and learnt this vocal technique with him. Since 2015, he has been performing in Europe with the Hosoo-Transmongolia ensemble, and from 2019 with Argusan, his main ensemble in which he is diphone soloist, alongside Mandakhjargal Daansuren, a teacher at the IIMM.

Nemekhbayar and Johanni will be offering an introduction to Mongolian khöömii:
– exercises suitable for both novices and experienced musicians.
– learning the technical and advanced fundamentals

a focus on developing a typically Mongolian vocal timbre
learning melodies and a new throat-singing repertoire for the more advanced.

Links :
https://soundcloud.com/capsule-master/master-argusan-band-notre-ame-2021

https://soundcloud.com/search?q=argusan%20band

Johanni Curtet

Born in 1981, year of cock in Décines-Charpieu, and resides in Rennes, Johanni Curtet is a musician, overtone singer and ethnomusicologist. He learnt classical guitar with Jean-Loup Gautret (La Flèche Music School) and Hervé Merlin (Conservatoire of Rennes) while training himself in the chamber music with the guitar quartet Merienda. Following this, he turned into the musical practices of orality, influencing his play from Asia and Africa.

For 10 years, Johanni immersed himself in studying musicology and ethnomusicology at the University of Rennes 2, and specialized in the khöömii (Mongolian overtone singing). Since 2004, he has won several scholarships such as Aegis, International Foundation Nadia & Lili Boulanger, Cultural Aires International Doctoral College in Brittany, American Center for Mongolian Studies and Assistance for Fieldwork of the French Society for Ethnomusicology that allowed him to conduct his research in Mongolia and learn the Mongolian language and culture.

First initiated by Tran Quang Hai, he learnt khöömii from Tserendavaa Dashdorj in the mountainous steppes of the Altai and then Odsuren Baatar at the University of Culture and Arts in Ulaanbaatar.

Artistic director of Routes Nomads Association, Johanni organizes and produces the concert tours of Mongolian overtone singing, and accompanies his master Tserendavaa and his son Tsogtgerel on stage at many festivals.
The African influence in his music comes from his long stay in Cameroon. By participating as a trainer and organizer of the first two editions of Voice of Sahel Festival in Garoua, Cameroon and N’Djamena, Chad (Trans-Saharan Azalaï program initiated by CulturesFrance), Johanni shared music stage with Camel Zekri, Yacouba Moumouni, Alpha Barry, Mounira Mitchala, and also many local musicians from Cameroon (South Team, Douala, bards of North Cameroon) and Chad.
This crossroad of culture he experienced is synthesized in the compositions of Meïkhâneh, a trio in which he plays and continues training himself. Johanni’s play has a major influence of Thierry Robin, with whom he attended two master classes organized by DROM in 2013 and 2014.

Johanni teaches khöömii at the cultural and educational institutions as University of Rennes 2, Théâtre de la Ville, Kreiz Breizh Akademi (DROM), The Philharmonie de Paris and Centre for the Heritage of Instrument-Making; for festivals as Les Orientales or Les Suds à Arles; and for various associations and groups of amateur overtone singers (Tortue Écarlate) or runs individual courses in Rennes.
In the study of khöömii, Johanni focuses on the origin, history, spectacularization, heritagization and transmission of this vocal technique in Mongolia. His researches are accessible through his PhD dissertation entitled The transmission of höömij, an art of vocal timber: the ethnomusicology and history of Mongolian overtone singing (2013, University of Rennes 2), and several academic articles he wrote.

In 2009, at the request of the Mongolian National Commission for UNESCO, he participated in the elaboration of the khöömii nomination for its inscription on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. In 2014, he taught Mongolian language grammar, Mongolian culture and civilization at INALCO, the National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations in Paris.

Discography:

Best of Khukh Mongol Folk Art Ensemble (self-production)
Khukh Mongol, Minii nutag (LC 12455, 2004, 5Special)
Khukh Mongol, Chinggis Khaan (self-production, 2002, Germany)
Une Anthologie du khöömii mongol, (2017, Buda Musique/Routes Nomades)

Filmography:

Voyage en Diphonie, de J.-F. Castell (2018, Les Films du rocher)