In 1992 Kaigal-ool Khovalyg, Alexander Bapa, his brother Sayan Bapa, and Albert Kuvezin founded the quartet Kungurtuk, as a means of concentrating on the presentation of traditional songs of their homeland. The musicians later decided to rename the ensemble Huun-Huur-Tu. After the first album 60 Horses in my Herd (1993), Kuvezin left the band to form the more rock-oriented Yat-Kha. Kuvezin was replaced by Anatoli Kuular, who had previously worked with Khovalyg and Kongar-ool Ondar as part of the Tuva Ensemble. In 1995, Alexander Bapa, who had produced the first two albums, departed the band to pursue production as a full-time career. He was replaced by Alexei Saryglar. In 2003 Kuular quit the band and was replaced by Andrey Mongush.
The name Huun-Huur-Tu (sometimes spelled without hyphens) translates literally to "Sun Propeller," a Tuvan term referring to the special kind of light you can see streaming down through the clouds at dawn or down through densely leaved trees at noon.
The most distinctive characteristic of Huun Huur Tu's music is throat singing, in which the singers sing both the note (drone) and the drone's overtone(s), thus producing two or three notes simultaneously. The overtone may sound like a flute, whistle or bird, but is solely a product of the human voice.
The group primarily uses native Tuvan instruments such as the igil, khomus (Tuvan jaw harp), doshpuluur, and dünggür (shaman drum). However, in recent years, the group has begun to selectively incorporate western instruments, such as the guitar. While the thrust of Huun Huur Tu's music is fundamentally indigenous Tuvan folk music, they also experiment with incorporating not only Western instruments, but electronic music as well.
Their website is http://www.hhtmusic.com
Remembering Ulaatai River
Huun-Huur-Tu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ulam badyp chydyr la boor
Urug ejim bodaarymga
Ulam saktyp olur la boor
Khorletini saktyyrymga
Kholchok badyp chydyr la boor
Kholchyng karam bodaarymga
Kholchok saktyp olur la boor
When I’m far away, I’m thinking about the Ulaatai River,
and it feels as if it’s flowing even stronger.
When I’m far away, I’m thinking about my lovely one,
and it feels as if she’s missing me even more.
When I’m far away, I’m thinking about the Khorleti River,
and it feels as if it’s flowing even farther.
Thinking about my lovely one,
and it feels as if she’s missing me even more.
Au loin, quand je songe à la rivière Ulaataï,
elle me semble couler encore plus vite.
Au loin, quand je songe à mon aimée,
mon absence semble encore plus cruelle.
Au loin, quand je songe à la rivière Khorleti,
elle semble s’étirer à l’infini.
Quand je songe à mon aimée,
mon absence semble encore plus cruelle.
The lyrics of "Remembering Ulaatai River" by Huun-Huur-Tu speak of a longing for home and loved ones that is common to many people. The singer is far away from the Ulaatai River and their loved one, but when they think about them, it feels as if they are even closer than before. The imagery of the river flowing stronger and farther, and of the loved one missing the singer even more, creates a sense of yearning and desire to return home.
The song is also a tribute to the natural beauty of the Ulaatai and Khorleti rivers, which are located in the Tuva region of Russia. The Tuvan throat singing style used in the song gives it a haunting quality, as if the voices of the singers are echoing across the vastness of the river valleys. The repetition of the verses underscores the sense of longing and creates a hypnotic effect that draws the listener into the singer's emotional landscape.
Overall, "Remembering Ulaatai River" is a powerful expression of nostalgia and homesickness, as well as a celebration of the beauty and power of the natural world. It is a song that speaks to the universal human experience of longing for connection and belonging, and it does so with grace and elegance.
Line by Line Meaning
Ulaatainy saktyyrymga
When I’m far away, I’m thinking about the Ulaatai River, and it feels as if it’s flowing even stronger.
Ulam badyp chydyr la boor
When I’m far away, I’m thinking about my lovely one, and it feels as if she’s missing me even more.
Urug ejim bodaarymga
When I’m far away, I’m thinking about the Khorleti River, and it feels as if it’s flowing even farther.
Ulam saktyp olur la boor
Thinking about my lovely one, and it feels as if she’s missing me even more.
Contributed by Kaelyn G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Smiljana
on Saryglarlar
by the Tambourine Boulders.
Dismounted people get held up,
because of the beauty of Saryglarlar maidens.
Travelers slow down by the Shangyr place.
They are slowed down
by the beauty of Saryglarlar maidens.
Noble bandits at the amazing Khovuzhuk place.
The Part of my soul it's this song
Hoping to Learn
on Exile's Song
I appreciate the translation very much, thank you. It’s been hard to find any english lyrics.