http://www.soundtransformations.btinternet.co.uk/Mongolianvocalmuscipage.htm
This website introduces the many different types of Mongolian vocal music. The first style introduced is the Mongolian long song, My Beautiful Hangai Land being an example of this type of music. The various situations where these songs are performed are explained and the features of this kind of song are examined. Other types of Mongolian vocal music are also explained including the short song, the praise songs, and the Khöömii, or overtone, type of singing. Song examples accompany listings of recordings available for each type of singing mentioned.
http://www.mongolianculture.com/about.html
This page focuses on the impact of the environment and culture of the Mongolian people on the forms of music found in the area. The nomadic nature of many of the Mongolian people along with the great appreciation for the land has helped form the Mongolian vocal music. Songs are composed expressing a love for the countryside or for the horses that are so important to the nomadic lifestyle. The most famous long song performer and the most well known Mongolian instrument are also briefly covered. Links to other Mongolian music websites can also be found on this page.
http://www.face-music.ch/catalog/tumbashvol_3songs.html
This website offers brief descriptions of the various categories of the long song and of three of the instruments that are popular in Mongolian music. Melody type and ornamentation are used to distinguish between these categories. Other cultural aspects, notes that are held longer are better appreciated and practice mostly occurs while riding alone, are also discussed. The thing I appreciated most from this website was the listings of four different long songs along with their meanings. These meanings help further explain the cultural significance of these songs while also giving the reader more insight to the Mongolian culture.
http://www.face-music.ch/instrum/mongolia_instrum.html
This page has information on both the vocal and instrumental aspects of Mongolian music. The page starts out giving descriptions of nearly twenty different instruments used in Mongolian music. Type of instrument (string, wind, etc.), material of the instrument (metal, wood, etc.), and comparable sound (for example, the morin khuur sounds like a cello) are listed for these instruments. Descriptions for the popular singing types, such as praise and epic, follow the instruments. These descriptions are brief but include a decent amount of information on each of the styles.
http://www.mongolia-attractions.com/mongolian_long_song.html
This website provides an in depth study of the meanings behind the lyrics to various long songs. Songs are dissected in order to show the deep connection between the people, the land, and the emotions and feelings of the people. The development of the Mongolian long song is also discussed. Different aspects of the songs were developed in different topographical areas within Mongolia; the long songs get their drawn out quality from the singers awaiting a returning echo from the distant mountains while those in the mountains developed singing styles using throat sounds. This site is useful for trying to fully understand the background to this type of music.
http://www.chinatoday.com.cn/ctenglish/se/txt/2010-04/06/content_260164.htm
This is a culture article from a Chinese website that focuses on the Mongolian long songs. I appreciated many aspects of this article. The article provides a useful translation of Urtiin Duu (eternity song), which is what long songs are referred to in Mongolia, as well as descriptions of the vocal qualities of the singing. The article also makes a reference to a documentary “The Weeping Camel” which is a movie I saw at my father’s house just a few months ago. The long
song is used in that documentary as a way to help save the life of a young camel.
http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?RL=00115
This web page focuses more on explaining the impact of the long song in modern times and vice versa which is an aspect to the music that is not focused on in any of the other websites I have listed here. The situations where the long song would be appropriate are listed. In modern times these situations include Mongolian festivals where other traditional arts are also featured. While the long song is still an important part of the lives of the nomadic Mongolians, modern societies are drawing many away from the nomadic lifestyle.
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/mongolianfolk
This is a site where an album of Mongolian long songs is available to be purchased but the site also provides a good amount of information on the music as well. The album notes provide information on the cultural heritage of the Mongolian long songs. Mongolian long songs were nominated in 2005 by UNESCO under the “Declaration on the Representative Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity” to represent a historically significant type of music to be preserved. Numerous quotes and opinions regarding the music are available to read and clips of 18 different long songs are available to listen to.
