Shubiao Quartet was born from a meeting in France between Shubiao, heir to Mongolia's musical tradition, and Vincent Tournoud, a singer who trained in overtone singing under a master in the Altai region. They were soon joined by percussionist Florent Diara (Djemdi) and guitarist and producer Yoan Richard (Hadra Records), who embrace the traditional repertoire while bringing it into the 21st-century European context.
The wide variety of instruments used by Shubiao Quartet contributes to their highly distinctive sound. The mörin khuur, a horse-headed fiddle, produces captivating melodies, while the tovshuur and dombra, two-stringed lutes, provide a galloping rhythm. The tsuur flute, made from a simple reed, expresses nostalgia for ancestral lands, while khöömii, or overtone singing, pays tribute to the lives of shepherds, the sounds of the wilderness and the spirits that inhabit it.
Within the quartet, traditional instruments meet contemporary and ancient percussion instruments, such as the bodhrán, alongside guitar, electric bass and bouzouki, creating a fascinating fusion that captures the magic of the moment. Sound design, used with elegance, plays a crucial role in their musical approach, adding a rich sonic dimension that transports listeners into a cinematic world. Close your eyes and you can almost see yourself galloping across the steppe, surrounded by the sacred beauty of this arid land.
Shubiao Quartet reinterprets traditional music from the nomadic peoples of Central Asia – Mongolia, Tuva, Altai and Kalmykia – drawing inspiration from the favourite themes of their bards: tributes to Nature, pastoral life, their homeland and family ties, as well as epic songs.
