Kongar-ool Ondar has a son

Today at 6 AM, Tuvan throat-singer Kongar-ool Ondar's son was born. The famous khoomeizhi received the  joyful news in Moscow, where he was on a business trip. He had already made a decision to name his third son in honor of his father Saiyn-ool. Remember that yesterday Kongar-ool Ondar  participated in a conference of  Dmitry Medvedev with arts activists, where he successfully  brought the fate of an astonishing phenomenon - Tuvan throat-singing - to the President's attention.  Khoomei is super-popular in the West, therefore after the news about the President's meeting, and performance of throat-singing there hit the media, the throat-singer was swamped with numerous phone-calls not just from  Russian journalists, but from foreign ones as well.  "Even the head of the American association "Friends of Tuva in America" , Ralf Leighton, called to say great, now such pearls as throat-singing are beginning to be appreciated even in Russia, not just abroad!" - said Kongar-ool Ondar on the phone. Today he will take part in an awards ceremony for the winners of the "Grani Teatra" contest; Tuvan Theater of Music and Drama is on the short-list. He will also perform khoomei.

Note:

Kongar-ool (translates as "Little bell") Ondar was born on 29 March 1962. He learned throat-singing in childhood from his own uncle. In 1983 he was drafted into the army, served on the Far East fleet, but he soon was discharged from the army because he seriously injured his neck during loading bags of sugar. He finished the pedagogic institute in Kyzyl, and worked as a teacher of Russian language and literature.

At the end of the '80's, he became a member of the first ensemble of throat-singing performers "Tyva". Later he came to prefer a solo career, and now he participates in various festivals, contests, and he tours - mostly in the West.

He has six albums recorded in the USA on his account.  Many famous musicians participated in these recordings - "Kronos-Quartet", Frank Zappa, Mickey Hart, Paul Pena. Since 1992 he teaches throat-singing at the Kyzyl school of arts. He created the group "Alash" from his students, which received the Grand-Prix at the First ethnic festival "Sayanskoye Kolco" (The Sayan Ring); this festival took place in 2003 in Shushenskoye.