Bid Neg Moroodoltoi

While my Ithacan and Cornellian chums were basking in the Grassroots goodness this weekend, I was feeling a little bummed that I wouldn’t be able to share the experience. I spent most of the weekend working on my research paper as I’ll be departing for the States on Sunday and am trying to finish as much as I can before I leave. On Saturday I came home from the French bakery, where I do most of my work (real espresso…’nuff said), around 6:30 to make myself some dinner.

As I was waiting for my buckwheat to cook I heard the World Cup “Wave Your Flag” song from the street below. Now normally I wouldn’t think twice as along with the rest of the world this summer, Mongolia had caught the World Cup fever and played the song endlessly (interruptions permitted only by Shakira). But World Cup ended several weeks ago. Granted, many Mongolians have yet to lose the spirit, the city’s mass amplification of games, recaps, and songs has, for the most part, ceased. So I thought twice, opened my window and saw a huge stage set up in front of The Beatles monument with four Mongolians proudly singing to an attentive albeit unenthusiastic crowd.

A large TV screen had been set up at the back of the stage which had the words “Бид Нэг Мөрөөдөлтөй” (Bid Neg Moroodoltoi / We Have One Dream) in big red font. When the World Cup song had ended two emcees came up onto the stage and tried to get the crowd to cheer, applaud and otherwise be involved. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but this was obviously a big ordeal (stages like this don’t get erected in UB every day) so I removed my buckwheat from the stove, grabbed my camera and went down to investigate.

I later found out from a friend that the event was held to promote music as an activity for youth to keep them out of trouble. The evening was intended to showcase Mongolia’s musically talented as an inspiration and what a showcase it was!

I may not have been in Ithaca for Grassroots, enjoying the regional talent of the greater New York area, but for all I know I got to enjoy something better: a musical world tour! I didn’t get video of all of them, but here’s the itinerary with respective links.

It all started in South Africa, of course, with the Mongolian adaptation of “Wave Your Flag.” We then visited Switzerland to spark the Mongol hills alive with the sound of yodeling by an impressive young singer.

Switzerland was followed by a taste of Latin America and the (in)famous reggaton. This was sung by a young Mongolian woman who, performing like a 13 year old in a home-made production, swung her hips and flipped her hair with a face that showed her self-consciousness, but intense effort.

Off to Italy for a taste of classical opera. Followed by a Mongolian pop boy band akin to the Backstreet Boys sans screaming pre-teen girls (though the young females in the crowd seemed to have a suppressed desire to wear the lead singer’s face on their t-shirts and cry when he looked into their eyes and sang, “Bi chamd khairtai” (I love you).

A hip-hop performance was up next. After getting an introduction to the budding Mongol hip-hop scene in the film “Mongolian Bling,” I wasn’t entirely impressed. Perhaps it was contextual though as there were only four mics available for the five rapper group which meant that one of them was left to awkwardly bounce to the beat.

My favorite group came out next. A Mongolian-Italian trio in matching sea foam blue, iridescent, satin suits with silver glitter ties that sang an operatic montage with a few supplemental disco and rock beats thrown into the mix.

An indie, acoustic group of teenage kids came up to the stage to perform an original. I've become accustomed to this music, as said indie kids hang out in circles next to The Beatles monument every night at dusk singing songs like The Cranberries' "Zombie" over and over and over again. I admit that I thoroughly enjoyed the "Zombie" performance, myself.

A young woman came out next and a cappella-ed “You Make Me Want to Pray” by Christina Aguliera which was quite impressive. She was later joined by a young pop singer to duet a Mongolian song. At the time I was about 90% sure half of it was lip-synced (the half being the other pop-singer) as he didn’t look like he was exuding any air during his solos, but I could easily have been wrong.

And the whole thing ended with a rave, no less. After the emcees came up on stage and encouraged the crowd to chant “Bid neg moroodoltoi,” even inviting a little girl up on stage to lead the chant, they introduced the DJ in the sound booth and invited everyone to stay dance the night away.

While I’m not one to turn down trance, I was starved and so returned to my apartment, opened my windows and enjoyed my buckwheat while watching a dozen Mongolians techtonik.