Episode 38 The Altai Harp

The Altai Harp

1,500 Year Old Instrument Discovered in a Cave

📍Mongolia

Their Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/churemusic 

Thoughts and Reflections

This episode is noticeably an old one. I filmed it in June of 2024, almost 2 years before I've published the video. Though talking about this delay is a story of a growing channel and learning difficulties. This marked one of the first episodes I filmed. The 3rd, to be precise. I was travelling in Mongolia with my (now) wife and a fairly new tour guide. This tour guide, to her credit, pulled strings to get me a visit to Ganpurev (this researcher and promoter of the Altai Harp), though in a kind of cultural manner (Mongolians are a bit spontaneous and plan on things just kind of working out), she didn't really explain to me who this individual or instrument was, which was problematic for me, because I didn't do any research on this instrument or guy (who is fairly famous in the Mongolian music community), and she didn't explain to him that I was there to film an interview. So Ganpurev was honestly a bit peeved and bothered that I just showed up to take up his time. 

Additionally during the interview, I learned that firstly, he doesn't actually make these instruments, but rather a master in the West of the country, something he seemed reluctant to mention or share more about. And secondly, I began to question him (not maliciously) if the instrument was Mongolian. He's formulated the image that it was a truly Mongolian instrument (as it was found in Mongolia's modern day borders), when in reality, the Mongols had not occupied that area, and the instrument was clearly of Ancient Turkic origin. I made sure to toe the line carefully in this video. 

The final piece I needed to complete this video, as it is a channel about instrument-makers, was that I needed just a little bit of B-roll of any of the making process, which Ganpurev promised he'd send to me right away.

So while I was there, which I never really do when visiting instrument makers (because I already have too many goddamn instruments at home), is that I bought one of his harps. It wouldn't be a problem, but the thing was like $900 (I don't remember the exact amount). I did this as a gesture of good will: so he'd send me the footage, and a token of appreciate for taking his time. 

Over the next weeks, and months I bothered him to send me the footage, and I always ended up ghosted or empty-handed. Once, he mentioned that he was waiting for the maker to send the footage. I kept pushing off editing this video: firstly, because of the lack of construction b-roll, but secondly, as it was an early-filmed episode, the quality of the video, audio, framing, and structure frankly wasn't all that good. It was fine to put it off, as I had a long list of other episodes I needed to edit in the meantime. 

I also want to thank my friend Kevin Morice, who lives in the Mongolia now, and had mutual friends who could get in contact with Ganpurev to secure the footage, but with no dice. But he was able to get the actual maker's name.

What actually caused me to dig up this footage and edit it into an episode, was purely logistics. I had run out of other episodes to release, and figured that this instrument still deserved an episode, even if it wasn't polished. 

At the time of writing, I'm on a big trip in Singapore and Indonesia to film an epic documentary for the channel, so when I return, I will not have a lack of episodes after this. 

Anyways, armed with the maker's (Bayartsaihan) name, I dug into research to find any available online B-roll, and was able to finish the episode. But right when I finished the draft to send to Ganpurev for his approval, and blessing, only then did he follow through with sending some fantastic footage. So while I don't enjoy doing it, while travelling, I had to slice open my completed episode, and find a way to incorporate this new footage.

I have no ill will towards myself (for many technical blunders in filming), my guide for not communicating effectively, or Ganpurev for being irresponsible in not getting me the footage, but rather taking this experience and learning from it. Right now, as I'm travelling in Indonesia, I'm taking a lot of notes, communicating clearly with my guide to ensure I can do my research and have the makers/musicians be prepared for this time and patience. 

Even though, this experience was long, I have great appreciation to Ganpurev, and everybody who helped make this episode come to fruition.