When we think of Asia, we visualize hot weather, lush forests and tropical beaches. But there are parts of Asia that in the winter offer a different scenario: ice! While places in Asia that get a fair amount of cold, snow and ice are several, there are two particular countries that stand out for their original way to celebrate the cold season: China and Mongolia!

Tips for Running in the Cold, Snow, and Ice

Be ready to face this scenario

Cool temperatures can offer relief to runners if they are well prepared for the environmental circumstances. You have to keep in mind that there’s an added level of danger to jogging around in cold, snow and ice unless you take the necessary precautions, and this goes even if your regular track is in a decidedly urban environment. If you want to double-check whether you are prepared well for winter jogs, here are tips for running in the winter.

Is there any danger?

Naturally, the first question that will spring to your mind pertains to the dangers of running in the cold. There is also a matter of other accompanying weather conditions: such as snow, ice rain, and fog. Logically, these elements introduce a level of physical, mechanical dangers to your body. For example, if you’re jogging down the ice-covered asphalt, there is a danger of slippage, ankle sprains, or worse.

You’ll notice that many frequented running trails around the cities have specially fashioned surfaces that don’t become slippery – they usually involve some mix of gravel and rubber, but not exclusively. Stick to those trails and, if there are no other choices, snow itself, just to be sure that you don’t sprain your ankle.

Let’s discuss winter clothes

Amazing freedom at the expense of cold

One of the ultimate winter running tips is to dress in thin layers. This is a significantly better option than thick layers because you can easily feel like you’re indisposed with cumbersome luggage. Think clothing solves two problems for you.

One, you’ll retain your agility while you jog, and two, the natural body heat you’ll emit on the run is more likely to stay between the layers. If it is particularly freezing outside, you can don a singular thick layer – possibly a duffel jacket – but keep others thin, airy, and elastic.

Also, head and hands are especially sensitive zones that shouldn’t go unaddressed. Gloves with exposed fingers are fairly easy to find these days. Always keep your sinuses, temples, and ears tucked in, whether, with a headband or a cap, it doesn’t matter as long as the excessive heat isn’t released via your head.

Don’t stop while you run

Winter running grants you amazing sceneries

You are certainly aware of the fact that you’ll sweat during the run, and the temperature doesn’t play into it all that much. The longer you run persistently, the higher the chance of your sweat soaking the running garments become. The key is to keep on running. Don’t stop no matter how compelled you feel to catch a breath.

Of course, it is perfectly permissible to pause for a second or two, but resting beyond that invites dangers for your health. If you feel as if you are in no condition to run for long intervals in the winter, rearrange your trail accordingly. Make it so that you arrive in front of your doorstep as soon as you feel the tiredness is getting the better of you.

Purchase an extra wind-proof jacket and gauge temperatures

An extra wind-proof jacket can be your safety net on those regular outdoor occasions in the winter when the wind becomes particularly harsh. This is usually when the reported ‘temperature’ is far from how you’d feel subjectively on the run. Such a jacket will come in handy if the winds blow too hard.

Also, keep in mind that you will subjectively feel that it is a lot hotter after you’ve warmed your muscles and ligaments up. Add ten to twenty degrees to the temperature and you’ll know how your body will behave according to the temperature you get. With this simple equation in mind, it’ll be a lot easier for you to regulate your perspiration and avoid colds.

Conclusion

Winter running may mea bad weather too

If you pay attention to certain tips mentioned here, there’s no reason you should avoid winter running. In fact, if you dress well and take time to warm up, you can even dare to jog when sub-zero temperatures hit. Still, pay extra attention to local weather conditions just so you’ll know if there’s a particularly nasty storm incoming. Otherwise, you are golden.

Winter Running in Asia

There are two fairly famous winter festivals or events that include running on ice: the Lake Khuvsgul Ice Marathon in Mongolia and the Amur Ice Marathon in northeast China‘s Heilongjiang Province.

The post Winter Running appeared first on Asian Itinerary.

Ferrara Buskers banner

In my life, I have planned a trip to Mongolia several times, and for one reason or another I never got to make it into reality. But I have learned in life that most of the time, when I cannot go to a location, the location comes to me… For this reason I was so pleased to discover that at the Ferrara Buskers Festival 2014 (in Italy – http://www.ferrarabuskers.com), which I covered thanks to an invitation by the organizers, I found not one but three Mongolian groups part of the line up. One of those was called Sedaa.

Mongolia was in fact guest of honour at the 27th edition of Ferrara Buskers Festival 2014; the groups coming all the way from the land of Gengis Khan were Sedaa, Khukh Mongul and Hosoo & Transmongolian. There were lots of groups and artists at the colourful festival, yet it was very easy to distinguish the Mongolians: gaudy dresses full of tassels, carved instruments with strange and distinctive names (Morin Khuur, the horsehead violin. Bischgur, the Mongolian oboe. Dombra, a two string plugged instrument. Ikh Khuur, the doublebass), unusual archaic sounds and harmonic and guttural singing (called höömii).

Omid Bahadori skilled drumming

And so, in order to better get to know these unusual presences, we have found out more about Sedaa. Nasaa Nasanjargal, Naraa Naranbaatar and Ganzorig Davaakhuu are all music graduates from Mongolia capital Ulan Bator, are professional musicians and have been living in Germany for a number of years

Sedaa has incorporated Omid Bahadori, an Iranian multi-instrumentalist, in order to create a genuinely exotic connection between Orient and Mongolian steppe. Sedaa in Persian language means ‘voice’, and this describes the amazing singing techniques, with vibrating undertone vocals, multi-tonal voices and the amazing harmonic singing. The base of their modern composition is formed by natural sounds which are produced with traditional instruments coming from their nomadic ancestors together with the melancholy sounds of the horse head violin. It is in this way that Sedaa mesmerized the audience in Ferrara: with an innovative sound – dubbed ‘Mongolian Funk’, wild rhythmic songs and tender played ballads that take the listener on a journey in the wide landscape of nature, upon which they build their modern compositions.

Ikh Khuur the Mongolian doublebass

Sedaa members confessed that being in Europe is a great experience for them, one that give them the chance to meet musicians from all over the world, to play in indoor small locations that attract an audience whose taste is trained for this kind of performance.

Sedaa have been playing together and touring in hundreds of concerts all over Europe, and have produced three albums so far, and their latest one, ‘New Ways’, skillfully expands traditional sounds with danceable rhythms. The virtuosity of these musicians has allowed them to evolve into a seasoned and confident quartet, honing their virtuosity in the various instrumental and vocal traditions.

Sedaa full formation

Sedaa are available for bookings all over Europe throughout 2015 and 2016, as a quartet or a quintet with a drummer. For booking issues you can contact Omid Bahador, Fröbelstraße 15, 30451 Hannover, Germany, Tel: 0049 174 – 78 500 25, email: info@sedaamusic.com – omidbahadori72@googlemail.com – WWW: www.sedaamusic.com

Like them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sedaamusic

For more on Mongolian traditional music, read http://asianitinerary.com/epi-and-the-secret-behind-mongolian-throat-singing-2/  or watch Epi video on http://asianitinerary.com/epi-at-the-rainforest-world-music-festival-2015/

The post Sedaa – Mongolian Funk appeared first on Asian Itinerary.

VIDEO POST: Mongolian throat singer and fiddle player EPI performing at the Rainforest World Music Festival 2015!

Read about Mongolian throat singing: http://asianitinerary.com/epi-and-the-secret-behind-mongolian-throat-singing-2/ and http://asianitinerary.com/sedaa-mongolian-funk/

The post Epi at the Rainforest World Music Festival 2015 appeared first on Asian Itinerary.

Back during my high school time, sometime in 2005, I was told that Mongolians sing perfectly with loud, strong and great voices, and that they can sing with their throat… Everybody urged me never to miss a show if I had the chance to see a Mongolian throat singing performance, whether here or if I was to travel to Mongolia. When I asked why, I was told Mongolian tribes are amazing, unique and different. I then asked why would they sing so good, and this fellow informed me that Mongolians have great voices thanks to the environment of their unique country, covered in mountains and nature.

Epi and his fiddle

With that kind of distinctness, Mongolians sing from the top of mountains and their sounds reach their cattle, mainly composed of lambs or camels. Ever since, I have been curious about this story, about these tribes and their singing. I wanted to know how far this story was true; or was it just a myth? With this in mind, I started to develop a wish to, one day, travel and visit these tribes in their homeland, Mongolia.

Imagine the great surprise when I learned that a Mongolian was going to perform at the Rainforest World Music Festival this year, showcasing this traditional art of Mongolian throat singing. It was to be a great opportunity for me to go and see the performer, as well as a chance and an honour to ask about that little story I had been told.

Epi friendly face

It was on the first day at the festival, after the artists’ press conference where he had been a guest too, that I met Mr. Enkh Jargal Dandarvaanchig, also known as Epi. He was so friendly and talkative, with a constant smile on his face, that I had the impression he was younger than his actual 47 years of age. I felt privileged to be able to talk to him, and his exceptional presence stimulated me to ask about that old story and also about his traditional music. So I did, and the answer was, “the story is only 25% true”…

“In Mongolia, people have lots of animals, so most of the time it is hard for the owner to know which animal belong to him. By singing to them, the animals recognize the owner’s voice”. Epi explained that Mongolian herders sing to their animals since they are puppies, and the animals always relate to the particular songs they hear all the time.

Epi with his fiddle

“Also, Mongolia is a land with lots of mountains and valleys, so Mongolian people sing or talk as loud as they can in order to communicate. Their voices are so loud that can be heard at a 10 to 20 kilometers distance. If you are in Mongolia, do not be surprised to hear people singing in the streets. This is a practice we inherited from generation to generation: in the local language we call the throat singing khoomii”.

So, that was the big secret behind the throat singing; my curiosity was satisfied, but that was not all. Epi shared the story of his life with me. He started singing at the age of 12, when he sang along with his parent and siblings. As he later found out that Mongolian traditional songs were so different from others, he went further and deeper into singing.

This passion prompted him also to playing traditional Mongolian music instruments like the Mongolian Horse Dead Violin, or Fiddle, also known as morin khoor. Epi told me he firmly believes in the importance of learning the traditional music of his country, which he finds fantastic, unique and deeply rooted in nature. This is one of the reasons Epi decided to perform at the Rainforest World Music Festival: for the spirit of the music played throughout the festival, and for the festival relation to nature! In the end of the interview, he wanted to give a message to all the people attending the festival: “Please respect nature, the natural resources, the animals and the Earth”.

Epi’s performance

But let me tell you about Epi’s performance: it was amazing, the theatre was packed with people all patiently waiting for his songs, waiting to hear his magic voice. He is a solo performer, and the moment he started playing his violin and singing, the audience was all of a sudden silent, like kidnapped. I personally watched dazzled, his passion was unbelievable and the performance spectacular.

He is alone on stage, yet if feels like more people are singing: he can sing in different voices, all sounding perfect, and his violin can imitate a horse’s cry. I never expected it to be that good. By the end of the concert, everyone stood up and gave him several rounds of applause. His show really satisfied my initial curiosity. I may not be able to travel to Mongolia to see a great performance, but by covering the Rainforest Water Music Festival, I achieved what I wanted.

I must say thanks to Rainforest Water Music Festival for making me discover Epi. I am aware I cannot really travel to Mongolia this time in my life, yet I had the chance to see an amazing traditional music performance nonetheless. Don’t miss the chance to discover world and tribal music: attend the Rainforest Water Music Festival next year. You can learn about music but also culture and environment. What do you say?

BIO

Epi shows Catohrinner the Mongolian throat singing

Epi was born 1968 in Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia). He grew up in a little village near the russian border. He studied at Music-Conservatorium of Ulaanbaatar from 1990 to 1992 and his teacher was the most known and best Moorin Hoor (Horsefiddle) player in Mongolia.

During his studies, Epi already played in a Moorin Hoor quintet also in the Mongolian television to keep traditional Mongolian music traditions alive. Because of his familiar background, Epi is deeply rooted into the traditional and nomadic way of life that his people live in Mongolia (Epi’s father went into the steppe to raise horses, where Epi also lost his heart). In 1993 Epi went to Germany for the first time. He went there with Altain Orgil. During this first visit Epi and Rüdiger Oppermann met for the first time. Together with Rüdiger Oppermann, Epi played not only in Germany but also in a lot of other European countries and the USA. The last huge concerts brought Epi to the Expo 2002 in madrid, Gran Canaria and Paris… and a lot more…

Besides, Epi is a beloved guest musician and/or singer in different music projects: together with Peter Gantzmann he celebrates the Mongolian Hip-Hop, in a Duo Rainer Granzin he enjoys showing his jazzy side. That way he was able to prove his ability to improvise in a world of modern music.  His interpretation of the Mongolian folk music lets him step between two worlds and wherefore his solo CD is named “Hoirr Öngö” (between two worlds). Epi was a guest musician on different CD studio recordings. Epi the miracle voice from Mongolia is a wanderer between cultures.

Epi talking at the Press Conference

With his play on the Moorin Hoor and the perfection of his Choomie singing, Epis loves to melt his traditional roots with the modern and western cultured music in a brilliant improvisation.

After some tacts and tones Epi offers the smell and the beauty of the Mongolian steppe to the ears and the eyes of the audience. Epi lives in Karlsruhe (Germany) and is travelling a lot to share his passion (music) with the audience of Europe and the whole world.

Anyone who knows the funny, lovely, cheerful way Epi is, knows that he regards also the small things in life and those obviously small things can take great effects on happy living.

Check out his video at http://asianitinerary.com/epi-at-the-rainforest-world-music-festival-2015/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/enkhjargal.dandarvaanchig

Epi bio: http://rwmf.net/performer/enkh-jargal-dandarvaanchig-epi/

Rainforest World Music Festival: http://asianitinerary.com/the-18th-rainforest-world-music-festival-2/

More about Mongolilan traditional groups: http://asianitinerary.com/sedaa-mongolian-funk/

The post Epi and the secret behind Mongolian throat singing appeared first on Asian Itinerary.