Fate, like a stubborn untamed horse, tried many times to throw him to the ground, but the rider never let go of the reins and conquered the racehorse.

Today he is proud of his titles: Meritorious artist of Russian Federation, National khoomeizhi and Meritorious worker of education of Republic Tyva. He is known to world idols of rock-music, Tuvan, Russian presidents and American ranchers.

But, regardless of apparent openness, Kongar-ool Ondar is a man of mystery. Behind the artist's wide smile shows no hint of his difficult fate: hard childhood, burden of years spent behind barbed wire, and the secret of his birth, which torments him to this day.