Olonkho is the Sakha people’s major cultural heritage, that was later proclaimed by UNESCO as the world’s oral & intangible masterpiece. It is a heroic epic tale that might narrated by up to 20,000 verses. It is told by a Olonkho singer or story-teller.

In the previous post «Olonkho, Sakha heroic epos, in Timofei Stepanov’s painting The Upper World«, I wrote that the famous Yakutian artist, Timofei Stepanov, appeared to be the first, who depicted the Sakha heroic epic «Olonkho» in the series of paintings.

See Olonkho-related posts

I noted, «Timofei Stepanov was named as a Olonkho story-teller in fine arts. Indeed, one painting is like one big tale with many small stories.» After, I offered to see my iPhone photographs of fragments of one art piece called «The Upper World.» In the end, I promised to continue the topic.

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Mira Maximova is a talented Sakha composer, who currently lives in China. Many might know her as a YouTuber ExUmira2. On her channel there are a lot of songs written and performed by her. A few years ago China closed the access to YouTube and now she can’t upload her new songs.

Recently she sent me the song Osuokhay, Sakha Round Dance Beyond Time & Space and asked, if I can post it on the website. Sure, Mira. That’s what I am doing now. Moreover, I made a slideshow with my photographs.

Further find information on the song dedicated to the Sakha traditional round dance known as Osoukhay.

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The photographs were taken on the road between Oymyakon and Khandyga in the mountain part of the Kolyma Highway known also as Stalin’s Road of Bones.

When we were driving, the outdoor temperature was as low as -55C. In the beginning of the way, i.e. in the village of Tomtor in the Oymyakon area, we registerd -57.3C. Extremely cold. Not surprised that the Kolyma road is considered by many as the coldest one in the world.

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Never stop admiring Albina Degtyareva, the Ayarkhaan female ensemble, who is doing all the best to promote the Yakut knomus music around the world. And it’s so sad she’s doing all that for free.

Enjoy!

Juliana in her video Uhuktuu. Performed by khomus, a Yakut musical instrument.

This is Juliana. She performs music by the Yakut musical instrument called Khomus.

Juliana is well known in Yakutia, Siberia / Russia. By the way, she started her career in the first team of Albina Degtyareva’s Ayarkhaan female ensemble.

At present, she performs solo and sounds powerful and looks effective.

Watch her video clip «Uhuktuu» (Awakening), listen to mp3 and see screenshots in high resolutions. Read the rest of this entry…

Last weekend, friends of mine, Oe Karpov and Andrey Dyakonov, arranged the great event. It was a BIG city event, but done in a TINY manner. They rented a wooden house in the wooden part of Yakutsk City, invited close friends and let the rock music sound in all power and authenticity.

Yeah, it was the «103″ rock band performing the unique ethno Siberian heavy music. It was utterly awesome!

Frankly, I am a big fan of «103″. Like its story. It is a little group of young people, who arrived into the city from a little Yakutian village called Khatassy by the public bus «103″ a few years ago. This village is mainly known as the producer of pork & beef. Nothing special could appear over there, apart from the delicious meat.

And here they are. Authentic ethno rock music! Delivered by guys, who learned to play musical instrument themselves in a little wooden village hall. By the way, they use the sound of the khomus, Yakut Jews-harp instrument.

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Ayarkhaan

Albina Degtyareva’s AYARKHAAN female ensemble is giving three concerts in London, UK, on October 21-22, 2011. Learn more about the group and concerts’ time & locations. Read the rest of this entry…

Good news for world music admirers and fans of the Ayarkhaan trio. July 24, 2011, Albina Degtyareva‘s Ayarkhaan Trio performed at the BBC Proms (Royal Albert Hall) in London, UK.

«Three Sakha women from Siberia blew the audience away with their unearthly sounds of jew’s harp and animal imitation. It was truly amazing,» Misha Maltsev reports.

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Enjoy khomus (Yakut Jew’s harp) music and images of Yakutia in the amazing video slideshow created by Marianna Leontieva in 2008. The author lives in Moscow and she called the video «Khomus… A Yakutian’s Nostalgia…» Think, no additional info is required.

By the way, Yakutsk will host the 7th International Jew’s Harp Society Congress on June 23-26, 2011. It will be held right before the Yasyakh national holiday celebration in the area of Ys Khatyn near Yakutsk. My god, my fingers are crossed, don’t want to miss this must-be-awesome event.

Download the Congress Program (pdf, 525 Kb).

Look at what type of fur clothes the Sakha people had in the past. A play staged by the Sakha Theater in Yakutsk, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Russia.

More videos, photos and posts about Sakha Theater.