The Wandering Microphone

Stories about heroes from Altai.

This time, sounds and voices from Altai, the mountain region in South-Central Siberia. Altai is divided by Russia, Mongolia and Kazakhstan. This region is seen as the cradle of the Turkish civilisation. From here, the Turkish people spread out to all corders of the world to settle in different parts of Eurasia. The Altai kizhi, the native inhabitants of the current Altai region, has about 70,000 people. This small ethnic group guards the cultural treasures of the ancestors.

Uch-sumer, highest mountain of Altai
The heroic stories batyrlar and the epic throat singing kai are much appreciated. In the oral tradition these are important forms of handing down knowledge and cultural identity. Alexej Kalkin (1925-1998) was a famous storyteller from the twentieth century in Altai. His deep throat singing had a healing effect on the listeners, and that is why he is regarded as a shaman. We will listen to the epic story Bodai-Koo, performed by Alexej Kalkin and recorded in Tasjkent in 1973. He accompanies himself on topshuur, the Altai lute with two strings, which serves as a horse on which the singer runs through his story.
With our thanks to Nogon Shumarov

Alexei Kalkin

1. Tanispai Shinzhin – Praising the topshuur
2. Alexei Kalkin Bodai-Koo (part 1)
3. Alexei Kalkin Bodai-Koo (part 2)
LP Мелодия  M30 44063-64
4. Tanispai Shinzhin – Jangar (fragment)

Alexei Kalkin in Paris