Singer of The Epic of Janggar

By+staff+reporter+JIAO+FENG

JANGGAR is a traditional epic of the Mongolian Oriat ethnic minority. Together with Tibetan King Gesar and Manas of the Kirgiz people， it is regarded as one of the three great epics of Chinas ethnic minorities. Widely performed in different regions and constantly improved by the Jangarchi， Janggar has grown in both content and length over past centuries.

Bada has rosy cheeks and bright eyes. The man who has spent most of his life playing and singing Janggar shows a bold and uninhibited character， punctuating his speech by stomping his feet or laughing aloud.

Youth

Bada was born into a Janggarchi family. “We didnt have television when I was little and we had few entertainment activities in the winter evenings. So every day we drank milk tea， ate mutton and sang Janggar together，” Bada said.

There is a rule among the Janggarchi – only those who can sing five chapters are qualified Janggarchi. Bada could sing seven chapters by the time he was five， and when he sang， his friends would stop playing and sit around to listen. The children enjoyed the stories of heroes， which added color and excitement to their poor and drab lives. Little Bada had inherited his familys performing style， with exaggerated facial expressions and body language， alternating pitches， changing speed， and humorous quips. Since then Bada earned the respect of his peers.

When he was 17， Bada became an independent Janggarchi and performed at weddings and home parties. “Janggar can alleviate fatigue for travelers when played on the road， entertain the family at parties when played in the yurt， and disperse evil when played at rituals. In a word， Mongols cannot live without it，” Bada summarized.

Heroes on the Grassland

“A good voice makes a good singer，” Bada told us. In order to protect his voice， Bada never drinks alcohol or smokes. He adds that there are no strict rules on the time， location and occasion to perform the epic； however， there are some long-held customs. Traditionally， Janggar is performed during the long nights in winter； but there may be exceptions， as when a famed Janggarchi comes by during the daytime. Once the performance starts， it cant stop until the whole epic is finished； the audience also has to stay for the whole performance.

Wearing a long Mongolian gown and sitting beside his bed， Bada began to sing. He started in a slow rhythm to suit the cadence of the music. As he reached the climax， he became completely enraptured. He sang with emotion， completely immersing himself in Janggar. His singing captivates the listener， making them “see” the heroes with their own eyes.endprint

Janggar recounts the story of 12 heroes who conquer many tribes and found a prosperous state. The leader， Janggar， has outstanding wisdom and amazing physical strength， and excels in martial arts. After annexing 42 neighboring tribes， he is elected khan by his subjects. The brave soldiers， led by Janggar， defeat constant invasions and gradually grow in power and wealth. Eventually they establish their own homeland， where people live peacefully and in prosperity.

So far there have been over 60 versions of the epic， and each has dozens of chapters that recount a complete story. “People on the grasslands consider Janggar an ideal way to kill time and fight depression， whether they are herding， tending horses， in the military or even in prison. The stories give people the courage and confidence to overcome difficulties in their lives，” Bada said.

Kindling Love for Janggar

“I will pass on the culture of Janggar to the future generations and introduce it to more people，”Bada swore. His life is devoted to the performance.“Over the past years more and more people have come to learn Janggar， the publics awareness of preserving traditional culture has grown， and the local government has stepped up efforts in this regard. These mean more opportunities for the Jangarchi，” Bada said.

In 2006， officials from the local cultural authority approached Bada， offering him a performance venue and sponsorship. The government also helped Bada to start a Janggar class. He now has over 200 young novices who are still studying at schools， as well as over 100 adult students. “I have spotted some gifted students with strong voices and good memories. I will pick my successors from among them，” Bada said happily. “My outstanding apprentices can thereafter in turn teach other amateurs.”

The No. 2 Mongolian Middle School in Bortala Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture has launched a Janggar class and regularly invites Bada to teach. Bada is considering adding some modern elements to the traditional performance art. “I plan to play the morin khuur， or horse-head fiddle， accordion and electronic keyboard to better attract the audience，” he said.

An oral performance passed down from generation to generation， Janggar conveys the long nomadic history of Mongols. For Bada， the epic brings happiness and hope. In 2012， he and his family participated in a talent competition in Usu City， and won an award for their Janggar performance. Locals therefore call them “the Jangarchi family.”

Bada is delighted that Janggar has been adapted into an animated feature Young Hero – Janggar， aired by the U.K.-based Propeller TV and promoted in many European countries. Although Bada has adhered to presenting Janggar through traditional singing， he approves of modern media. “The animated version of Janggar is appealing to young audiences， so they will want to further explore the culture，”he said.endprint