Anda Union

 Tsetsegmaa is a long-song singer descended from the Buriat people. She grew up near Hulun Buir in the northwest of Inner Mongolia near the border of Russia and Outer Mongolia. Hulun Buir is one of the remotest areas of the region and home to both Ewenke and Buriat people. An award-winning singer she recently sang on the blockbuster 2015 film Wolf Totem. She has written a number of very beautiful Buriat songs, which she performs with Anda Union. Tsetsegmaa is based in Hohhot.  Chinggel grew up in Ongniud Chi in a traditional herding family. His passion for music led him to music college in the city of Chifeng, where he met other members of Anda Union. He is one of only four musicians in Inner Mongolia who can play the moadin chor, an ancient flute instrument made from a single reed. This special reed grows only in the Altai mountains of Northwestern china. Chinggel is an accomplished flute maker and crafts all his own instruments.  Saikhannakhaa is from Horchin grasslands, a region rich in Mongolian culture. As a child she spent summers on the grasslands with her family. She learned music from a young age from her paternal grandparents. As a young student she won a prize as the most talented female Morin Hor player and was invited to join the Inner Mongolia Song and Dance Troup where she met other talented musicians, who formed Anda Union. Alongside her music Saikhannakhaa runs 2 successful businesses: a Mongolian music bar, and a traditional clothing atelier. She lives in Hohhot with her husband and 2 children.  Urgen grew up in the grasslands of Ar Horchin close to his childhood friend Nars. His family are traditional herders and as a boy his job was to take the sheep into the fields to graze. When he was 10 his older brother, Bagana, a music student was tragically killed by a drunk driver. Urgen, deeply affected by this loss, determined to fulfil his brother’s dream to become a top musician. He lives in Hohhot with his wife and 2 daughters.  Uni grew up in Ar Horchin and met Nars and Urgen at high school, where they became close friends and went together to Chifeng Music College, where they met Chinggel. He later became a member of the Inner Mongolia Music and Dance Troupe and was a founder member of Anda Union. He lives in Hohhot with his wife and son and owns a restaurant specialising in Buriat food.  Biligbaatar is from the grasslands Heshigten. Based in Hohhot with his singer wife, Hong Mei, his natural habitat is the wild grasslands his family, traditional herders who live in yurts. He is an award winning long-song singer and learnt to sing as a boy from his mother. An expert horseman, Billigbatar loves to roam the mountains like a Mongolian cowboy.  Chinggeltu is from the Ar Horchin region from a herding family. The youngest in the band, Chinggeltu studied the Morin Hor from a young age, later going on to study the bass Morin Hor at University in Ulanbaatar, Mongolia. He is based in Hohhot.  Aurgen grew up in Ar Horchin with his parents, both teachers. His father is director of Mongolian music at the Mongolian University in Hohhot and is responsible for Aurgen’s passion and virtuosity. Not only an excellent drummer Aurgen also plays Morin Hor, guitar and piano. He lives in Hohhot with his wife and daughter.

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