The Chicago-based Mongolian folk-fusion trio Tuvergen Band performed on Sunday, May 17, at Flushing Ton Hall. They were joined by Flushing Town Hall Teaching Artist Ling Tang, who conducted a dance performance.
Photo by Alice Moreno
Search our comprehensive guide to things to do in Queens for more local events — or submit your own!
On Sunday, May 17, Tuvergen Band – a Chicago-based Mongolian folk-fusion trio – rocked Flushing Town Hall in honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. Tuvergen – which is Mongolian for galloping – is comprised of Tamir Hargana, lead vocalist, folk lute and morin khuur player; Naizal Hargana, vocalist and morin khuur player; and Brent Roman, percussionist and didgeridoo player.
Tamir Hargana. Photo by Alice Moreno
Naizal Hargana. Photo by Alice Moreno
Brent Roman. Photo by Alice Moreno
Following nomadic practices, the Tuvergen Band’s sound mixes traditional throat singing with horsehead fiddle and instruments that mimic typical natural causes, such as rain and lightning. Their genre can be described as a combination of bluegrass, blues and rock.
Photo by Alice Moreno
“Our main goal is to promote the culture,” Tamir Hargana said. “Our music is all about the horses and the tradition. And we are also giving an idea of how we demonstrate a new style, which is our traditional element from the Mongolian folk to fusion. We hope people can acknowledge that and get more people to listen to our music [and] share the culture.”
Photo by Alice Moreno
Most of their songs are related to horses and their movements, feeling as if one were galloping alongside the horses. Tuvergen also uses the throat as an instrument, where a person could use two or three notes at the same time.
Photo by Alice Moreno
“Basically, one person can play harmonics,” said Tamir Hargana, as he explained how throat singing works. “Like really high frequency sounds, imitation of the skies or the river sound, or there’s low frequency sound imitation, like the forest.”
Ling Tang, Flushing Town Hall’s teaching artist, joined Tuvergen on stage, dancing along to their songs. At the end, the audience gave a standing ovation, prompting Tuvergen to do an encore, performing a song that serves as a toast when drinking.
Flushing Town Hall Teaching Artist Ling Tang danced along to the Tuvergen Band’s music. Photo by Alice Moreno
Photo by Alice Moreno