Echoes of the Steppe: Nomadic Roots and the First European Throat Singing Festival

As soon as I leave town and enter the open countryside - the vast, boundless steppes, something extraordinary happens: my heart physically releases. At first, I believed this sensation came from homesickness, the joy of returning to my homeland after living abroad. But I soon realized it was far deeper than nostalgia or emotion.

It was not simply about memory. My heart literally begins to decontract, to open, as though an invisible weight is lifted. The sensation is so tangible, so powerful, that it feels miraculous. In that moment, there is no need for words or thought. It simply is. Timeless, eternal. Wherever I go, this deep connection stays with me - a living part of who I am.

Roots in the Altai

This feeling began in my childhood. I grew up in the small town of Gobi-Altai. My grandmother was a nomad in the southern Altai mountains, and every summer we traveled to live with her for three months.

Those summers were pure freedom. I climbed the Altai mountains, ran across the open steppe, played by wild rivers, and breathed in the untamed life around me. At night, my grandmother told us folk tales as we lay beneath the stars, their light spilling through the roof of our yurt. Outside, the wind and rain created their own music, blending with the silence of the vast land.

My childhood in the nomadic world felt like a fairy tale. My grandmother taught me lessons that I only fully understand now. She spoke to plants as if they were living beings and taught me that the earth itself is alive, conscious, interconnected, inseparable from the universe. Through her prayers and rituals, she showed that humans are small before the immense power of nature and the cosmic laws that govern existence.

“We are here,” she would say, “to experience the rhythm of the universe and to grow in virtue.”

Her words have stayed with me ever since.

Carrying the Legacy Forward

Life took me to the city and later abroad. Twice a year, I would return home, living between two worlds, modern urban life and the ancient rhythms of the steppe.

I chose a life devoted to working with nomads: wool production, Mongolian handicrafts, and later, art and performance. In doing so, I carry forward the legacy of my grandmother, my family, my culture, and the nomadic philosophy, reimagined for the contemporary world.

Nomadic philosophy runs deep within all Mongolians. As an anthropologist, I have come to understand its philosophical, esoteric, and cultural depth, not only in Mongolia but throughout Central Asia.

This summer, my journey brought me to Romainmotier, where I experienced the first-ever European throat singing festival. It became a profound meeting point of ancient tradition and contemporary artistic exchange.

The Voice of the Steppe

The human voice is where breath becomes life. Physically, emotionally, metaphysically, instinctively, and intuitively, the moment a sound is born, something stirs in the world.

Khuumii, or Mongolian throat singing, is one of the oldest and most profound forms of this expression. Singers produce two or more tones simultaneously, a deep, resonant drone beneath high, flute-like overtones. Traditionally sung outdoors, khuumii echoes the sounds of nature: the whispering wind, flowing rivers, galloping horses, the vast mountains. It is a dialogue between humans and the natural dimentions, used to calm animals, bless journeys, and honor ancestral spirits. Its role has always been both practical and sacred.

Today, khuumii is performed with the morin khuur (horse-head fiddle) and celebrated globally. Recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage, it continues to bridge ancient harmony and modern expression. It is practiced not only in Mongolia but also among Mongolian and Central Asian ethnic groups worldwide. The Tuvan tradition, in particular, is renowned for its diverse techniques, reflecting the landscapes and ways of life from which it emerged.

A Journey from Mongolia to Europe

In 2024, two musicians, Lucas Vétési and Lea Jossann, deeply inspired by Mongolian music and khuumii, traveled to Khovd, Mongolia, the birthplace of this ancient art. There, they studied under Baatarsuren Chadraabal, a master throat singer.

To truly learn khuumii, it is not enough to master its technique. One must live within its culture, breathe the freedom of the steppe, and feel the grounding force of Mother Earth. Without this, it remains only a skill, not a living art.

Transformed by their experience, Lucas and Lea returned to Europe with a dream: to unite throat singers and musicians from around the world in a festival of shared passion and exploration, in collaboration with the Association Henosis and Loïc Rego. They connected with Mongolian musicians Mandaakhai Davaasuren and Nemekhbayar Yadmaa, and began planning the first European throat singing festival. Others soon joined, including Rowan Hartsuiker from the Netherlands and Dalaijargal Davaasuren.

The festival was built on dedication and love. Artists even paid for their own travel. Henosis covered performance and logistical costs, while ticket prices remained remarkably low, making the event accessible. It was not a commercial venture, but a collective act of devotion. Sustainable funding will be essential to ensure the festival’s future.

A Celebration of Sound and Spirit

The festival featured 36 competitors from 14 countries, highlighting the global reach of this ancestral tradition. The competition was judged by legendary masters: Baatarsuren Chadraabal from Mongolia and Igor Koshkendei from Tuva, who also performed live, demonstrating the spiritual and technical depths of throat singing.

Workshops offered deep engagement with Mongolian art forms: the ancient long song (urtiin duu), traditional dance (biyelgee), and the tsuur, a traditional wind instrument. Each session connected participants not only to the music but to the philosophy and worldview behind it.

Concerts were hours of live, acoustic music, free of electronics. Audiences experienced performances by renowned groups including Khukh Mongol, Tenger Ton, Argusan, the Ensemble of Tuva, and Duplessy & The Violins of the World.

The experience was transformative. Through sound and story, we were transported to the Altai mountains, the endless steppes, and the nomadic way of life. The music carried the philosophy of the steppe, mingled with Celtic legends and universal human emotions, drawing us inward to the deepest valleys of our being and outward to the living heart of Mother Earth.

The Long Song: A Journey Through Landscape and Voice

Narandulam Altantsetseg traveled from Mongolia to open the festival and share the profound art of Mongolian long song. In her workshops, she guided participants to connect with their own voices through breath, the vital force linking us to the rhythm of nature and the patterns of our own heartbeats.

She revealed how long song reflects the landscape itself. In the Gobi Desert, melodies stretch wide and boundless, echoing the open horizons and deep stillness. In the mountainous Khangai region, the songs rise and fall with rhythmic ornamentations, mirroring the dance-like movement of the land.

The experience was extraordinary. Some participants were moved to tears, speaking afterward of how the music touched their innermost being. Through her voice, Narandulam awakened something ancient and essential in each listener.

Art as a Bridge

To enrich the festival, Mongolian artisanal crafts were presented alongside contemporary art that carries the spirit of nomadism into modern expression. Artists from OIR Art Hub and the Blue Sun Mongolian Contemporary Art Center curated the exhibition, creating a visual dialogue between past and present, between ancient rhythms of nomadic life and the dynamic creativity of Mongolia today.

A Living Continuity

Amidst the voices, art, and stories, I felt profound continuity, between my childhood in the Altai, my grandmother’s teachings, and this gathering of artists and seekers from around the world.

Through voice, rhythm, and story, we were transported to the Altai mountains, the endless steppes, and the nomadic philosophy itself. The music wove together Mongolian spirituality, Celtic legends, and universal human emotions. It carried us inward, into the deepest valleys of our collective consciousness, and outward, into the living heart of Mother Earth.

In that moment, I understood my place more clearly. I am a thread in a vast tapestry, carrying forward the legacy of nomadism while weaving it into new forms for the future. The steppe lives on, not only in Mongolia, but in every breath, every song, and every heartbeat touched by its boundless spirit.

Conclusion: The Winds of Echoes

No matter where we are in the world, we are all part of the same current, the wind of echoes.

These winds live through sound, voice, and breath, giving us life, joy, and purpose. They teach humility and conscious love, binding us to Mother Earth and to one another.

Through this shared breath, we remember that our existence is not separate but part of a vast, living harmony, an eternal song moving through us all.

Ulziibat Enkhtur / Review Writer

Photo credit: Association Henosis, 2025