Sound of the steppes

Tradition goes global

A significant moment in Ulji's career occurred in 2008 during the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games, where the renowned musician Chi Bulag performed on one of Ulji's instruments.

Accompanied by a band of 120 musicians, which included Naren Mandal, Ulji's elder son, playing another of his instruments, Chi Bulag captivated the global audience with his passionate performance.

Ulji first encountered Chi Bulag in 2005 and was struck by his dual mastery as both a virtuoso performer and a skilled craftsman of the morin khuur, boasting an extensive collection of instruments.

About 50 days before the Olympic Games opening ceremony, Chi Bulag called Ulji, inviting him to make a morin khuur for his performance.

"I was very excited. We had lots of discussions about the instrument. I worked in my workshop day and night for a month. I forgot to eat and sleep, but I didn't feel tired until I finished making it," Ulji recalls.

For him, each of the instruments he has made is like a child.

Despite the dozens of meticulous steps involved in the process, he never grows weary. "When I'm in my workshop crafting an instrument, my sole focus is on executing each step flawlessly," he says.

His dedication has had a great impact on his children.

Tulguur, Ulji's younger son, reminisces about his childhood spent observing his father craft instruments in his workshop.

"His hands bear the marks of dedication. He imparted to me the art of making the morin khuur and taught me how to play it. It's a family tradition that runs deep within me," says Tulguur, 40, whose name means "pillar of the family" in Mongolian.

"Despite the ease that technology brings to the crafting process, my father remains committed to handcrafting. He always emphasizes that only through the hand can we truly sense the instrument and produce the desired sound."

The elder son, Naren Mandal, also learned to play the morin khuur as a child. "Its melody evokes memories of home, akin to a cherished family member," says the 42-year-old.

Now, Naren Mandal focuses on overseeing the workshop's management. Alongside the morin khuur, the workshop is dedicated to revitalizing various traditional instruments of the Mongolian ethnic group and advocating for its folk music.