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Artist
Ondar .
9+ albums
Mongolian Throat SingingRussiatuvamongoliaKongar-ol Ondar
about
Ondar, full name Kongar-ool Borisovich Ondar (Tuvan: Ондар Коңгар-оол Борис оглу, Ondar Konggar-ool Boris oglu, [ɔnˈdɑr kɔŋˈɡɑrɔːɮ bɐˈris ɔˈɡlu], Russian: Конгар-оол Борисович Ондар; 29 March 1962 – 25 July 2013) was a master Soviet and Russian Tuvan throat singer and a member of the Great Khural of Tuva. Ondar was born near the Khemchik River in western Tuva, in the village of Iyme. In the Central Asian tradition of self-fulfilling child naming, Kongar-ool literally translates to "loud boy." In 1983 Ondar was drafted into the army, but was discharged due to a neck injury. After this, in the 1980s, he was twice thrown into prison (the first time for fighting and the second for a stabbing), serving several years in Siberia. By 1990 he was touring Europe as a member of the Tuvan State Ensemble "Sayani." In 1992, he won an international throat-singing contest, which brought invitations to perform in Europe and the United States and began his singing career. Considered a living treasure by the Republic of Tuva, Ondar was granted a stipend and an apartment for the musical skills he possessed. Jovial and personable, Ondar is probably the best-known face of khöömei (Tuvan: хөөмей) throat singing to Westerners, appearing on the Late Show with David Letterman, the Oscar-nominated documentary Genghis Blues, and in interviews for CNN and other networks. Ondar was also a teacher and opened a Center for the Development of Tuvan Traditional Arts in Kyzyl. Ondar is also known outside Tuv
