Indigenous Siberian Music
Buryat shaman of Olkhon, Lake Baikal in eastern Siberia PHOTO BY Аркадий ЗарубинIndigenous Siberian music, rooted in the diverse cultural traditions of the indigenous peoples of Siberia, plays a significant role in the preservation of their heritage, history, and spiritual beliefs. The vast and varied landscape of Siberia, from the Ural Mountains to the Pacific Ocean, is home to numerous ethnic groups, each with its own unique musical traditions. Some of the most well-known groups include the Yakuts (Sakha), Buryats, Evenki, and Tuvans.
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Ancient Traditions
Indigenous Siberian music dates back thousands of years and is deeply intertwined with the daily lives and spiritual practices of these communities. It often reflects the harsh natural environment, animistic beliefs, and shamanistic practices. Music accompanies various rituals and celebrations, such as seasonal festivals, hunting rituals, and life-cycle events (birth, marriage, death).
Shamanism
Shamanic rituals, central to many Siberian cultures, heavily influence the music. Music is an essential component of shamanic ceremonies, aiding in healing, divination, and communication with the spiritual realm. Shamans use music as a medium to connect with the spirit world, employing instruments like drums and Jew's harps, and incorporating throat singing, chants, and rhythmic patterns.
One genre is olonkho, sacred epics sung by a narrator who differentiates between characters by alternating song and recitative. The texts traditionally describe a cosmography of lower, middle, and upper worlds, with the sacred tree, or tree of life, characteristically a larch, bridging across the layers. In the recordings, you will hear the khomus (also known as a mouth harp or jawharp), the diungiur (shaman’s drum), and the bayan (button accordion).
CHANGE
The repression of indigenous Siberian identity and music by the Soviet government was part of a broader campaign to homogenize and control the diverse ethnic and cultural landscape of the Soviet Union. This period, particularly from the 1920s to the 1980s, was marked by intense efforts to suppress and assimilate indigenous cultures, which had profound impacts on their traditional ways of life. Indigenous music, particularly that which contained spiritual or religious elements, was censored.
Shamanistic practices were labeled as "superstitions" and "backward," and performers faced persecution. Traditional instruments, which were integral to indigenous music, were often confiscated or fell into disuse. The making of these instruments, usually passed down through generations, also declined.
The Soviet regime imposed the Russian language in education, administration, and public life, marginalizing indigenous languages. For example, Sakha (Yakutia) is the largest sub-national entity in the world. It is a circumpolar region, half of which lies above the Arctic Circle. From the 1960s through the 1980s, publication of materials about the rituals of indigenous cultures was suppressed. The Yakut language is now considered a “vulnerable” language, according to the UNESCO Interactive Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger. Because indigenous music is traditionally passed down orally, the suppression of languages and cultural practices interrupted this transmission, leading to a significant decline in the knowledge and practice of traditional music.
A woman with two children. 1927. Photo by Tyurin
Nenets Child Photo by Øyvind Ravna
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In the regions of Siberia and the Far East, people still talk about the expulsion they experienced in the 1950s. At that time, Moscow pressured many Russian and indigenous inhabitants of the region to move to larger settlements with state-built housing. People were explicitly encouraged to "modernise" their lifestyle. They did try to link their traditions to the same myths and legends that had been passed down through many generations, but these efforts were not always successful. Another problem: traditional folklore is disappearing as fast in the 21st century as it did in Soviet times, "thanks" to ubiquitous globalization that is leveling cultural differences, complains Daryana Antipova.
CONTINUITYOtyken is a Russian-Siberian indigenous music group that mixes elements of local folk music with modern pop, incorporating traditional instruments, lyrics, and languages. 'Otyken' is a word that is used in Chulym and other Turkic languages for a sacred land where warriors would lay down their arms and talk. The band was formed in 2015 by Andrey Medonos in order to preserve Chulym folklore, traditions, and songs which are nearing extinction. The band members are of Siberian ethnicities and live in tiny villages along the Chulym river in the taiga of Krasnoyarsk Krai.
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The group's career began by performing traditional songs representative of their culture; later, modern elements of rock and pop were blended over this folk foundation to create greater appeal for global audiences. Their homemade costumes also incorporate historic and modern design elements for this same reason. Otyken's music is performed with traditional instruments such as the komuz, igil, jaw harp, rattle, tambourine, and leather drum, although modern instruments such as the keyboard, bass guitar, and saxophone have been used. Throat singing is also frequently implemented. Many of the group's sounds, both instrumental and vocal, attempt to mimic the sounds of nature and animals, while the lyrics try to capture the practices, beliefs, and spirit of the indigenous people. The language is mostly in Chulym Tatar, which had only 44 speakers in 2010 and about 25 speakers in 2020, making their music integral to the preservation of their language and heritage.
The group's career began by performing traditional songs representative of their culture; later, modern elements of rock and pop were blended over this folk foundation to create greater appeal for global audiences. Their homemade costumes also incorporate historic and modern design elements for this same reason. Otyken's music is performed with traditional instruments such as the komuz, igil, jaw harp, rattle, tambourine, and leather drum, although modern instruments such as the keyboard, bass guitar, and saxophone have been used. Throat singing is also frequently implemented. Many of the group's sounds, both instrumental and vocal, attempt to mimic the sounds of nature and animals, while the lyrics try to capture the practices, beliefs, and spirit of the indigenous people. The language is mostly in Chulym Tatar, which had only 44 speakers in 2010 and about 25 speakers in 2020, making their music integral to the preservation of their language and heritage.
Themes of nature, spirituality, and community are also important for OTYKEN, who value a close emotional connection to their fans: “Some of our songs have a truly magnificent effect on our listeners. The music touches many people, regardless of their nationality, location, and age. We get these messages sometimes on our social media, where people write to us, shedding their tears out and saying some moving things to us about the songs they heard. It’s the best reward for us to know that someone felt our song through them. Nothing can be compared to it.
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