Alash started their tour with a very special concert on January 11, 2008. Teaming up with a classical string quartet from the Chamber Music Society (CMS) of Lincoln Center, they played music arranged especially for the occasion by Ayana Samiyaevna Mongush, director of the Tuvan National Orchestra. The brilliant blend of igil, kengirge, violin, viola, cello--and of course throat singing--awed the audience. The concert was part of the CMS Student Producers series of Unconventional Concerts produced by and presented for high school students.

Popular performer of the unofficial anthem of the republic, the song "Men tyva men" (I am a Tuvan), teacher and composer, soloist of the Tuvan Orchestra of National Instruments Andrey Mongush at the end of the last year was honored with a government award. He was bestowed the title "People's Khoomeizhi of the Republic of Tuva".

Andrey Mongush has been on the scene for 17 years now.

Besides performing and composing he is a teacher. He prepared and presented live three generations of folkloric associations of secondary school # 5 "Salgal" (Heritage).

Nikolay Dubrovsky, Tuvan MP and president of the Tuvan State University accused of bribery will be tried in Kyzyl Town Court. The Tuvan Prosecutor's Office has sent the criminal case (Article 290 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) to court, as it is reported on the official Web site of the Russian General Prosecutor's Office.

Four people were injured in fire in a hostel in Kyzyl, Tuva Republic, in central Russia, the press service of the Russian Emergencies Ministry told Itar-Tass on Saturday. “According to preliminary estimates, four people – two men and two women – were injured,” the source said. The fire broke out at a two-storey wooden hostel of a construction plant at 20:00 local time (12:00 GMT). Fire fighting units are working on the site, but fire is still not put out.