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When I think of heavy metal-friendly concert venues, Carnegie Hall is not one of the first 10 Manhattan venues that came to mind for me. And when I think of Mongolian folk instruments, I hardly think of heavy metal music. In turn, the Mongolian folk-metal band Tengger Cavalry — which plays an “unplugged” show at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall on Dec. 24 — is original, surprising and inspiring.
Tengger Cavalry frontman Nature Ganganbaigal formed the group in 2010. Rave reviews would ultimately come from outlets as diverse as MTV, The Guardian, Noisey, Metal Hammer and the Chicago Reader. Nature — who studied at NYU — relocated from China to New York City earlier this year. Along with the relocation came changes in band members, with drummer Yuri Liak, bassist Alex Abayev and ethnic fiddler Robert McLaughlin joining the lineup.
The latest release from Tengger Cavalry is 2015’s Blood Sacrifice Shaman, as released on Metal Hell Records. As will be showed at Carnegie Hall, what separates the quartet from other metal bands is the album’s usage of Mongolian nomadic instruments. These instruments, as played by Nature, include the Morin Khuur (Mongolian horse-head fiddle), Mongolian flute, Tibetan horn, and Tovshuur (Mongolian guitar). Nature is also on vocal duties for Tengger Cavalry, as he is well-versed in the Mongolian throat-singing tradition known as Khoomei.
Nature kindly answered some questions for Downtown, and he was a great sport for handling all of these Mongolia-oriented questions. For more info on Nature and band, click on over to www.tengger-cavalry.com.
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Your band originated in Beijing and now is based in New York City. What made you decide to move to New York?
Nature Ganganbaigal: I decided to pursue my film score composition career back in 2012 and I applied to a bunch of schools. Then I heard back from New York University and was excited that they accepted my application. The music industry in China overall is not good. I think I made the right decision so far.
What has been the most surprising thing for you about New York?
N: More acceptance of different cultures, I think. New York is a cool place and everyone respects the difference in dressing, talking and way of thinking. Not always, but most of the time. Also the street and subway are extremely dirty which REALLY surprised me. (laughs)
Of all the New York venues for a folk-inspired metal band to play, how did you choose to play at Carnegie Hall?
N: I think it is the most well-known one in NYC and people highly respect the musicians who performed there. So it is a good start for the band’s future career. Also a good challenge for us to push ourselves hard and set up a higher standard in our music industry.
Where did you play your first-ever concert in New York?
N: Oh, it was on Oct. 17 at Blackthorn in Queens. This is seriously our very first show stateside ever, but we brought about 60 people and the bar was very surprised. I think we have a good fan base in the U.S. We released our first album in the U.S. back in 2012, so we have been already slowly building our fan base since then.
What do you wish that more people knew about Mongolia?
N: I would like people to know more about the culture and the spirit. People mostly have this connection of cavalry riding around the world and conquering, but actually Mongolian people always have very emotional and soft side. We’ve got grassland, horses, nature. People take care of their animals and respect the natural environments around them as sacred lands.
I remember being surprised when I learned that comedian Jon Stewart was on Mongolian descent. Do you often run into people of Mongolian descent in New York?
N: Not really. But there are hundreds of Mongolian people from the actual country Mongolia living in New York and some of my good friends.
I’ve met a lot of Kalmyks in New York and New Jersey. From which Mongolian tribe are you?
N: Actually I am a descent of Mongolian people in China. Genetically I am mixed with Chinese and Mongolian. The Mongol invasion of Chinese history. But I follow Mongolian traditions and respect them. That’s more like my cultural identity.
What is your favorite Mongolian delicacy?
N: Mongolian lamb, best food ever. No extra sauce, just the meat itself tastes awesome enough.
Is there a place in New York City that you can recommend for its Mongolian cuisine?
N: There is one called Xiao Fei Yang Hot Pot in Flushing, but that is technically a Chinese restaurant. The idea of “hot pot” is Mongolian, but the sauce and all the other stuff they served there are all Chinese-style. Well, I cook Mongolian milk tea at my apartment, so maybe that’s a good place? (laughs)
Besides you, is there another metal-inspired Mongolian artist?
N: I listen to Tuva folk-rock band Yat-Kha. They have great riffs and do throat-singing in English as we do now. Check them out and you will dig it.
Was there a particular artist or album that inspired you to pursue a career in music?
N: Not really. I listen to new stuff all the time and every song and album I listened to inspires me overall. The idea of expressing yourself through music inspires me all the time.
When you’re not busy with your career, how do you like to spend your free time?
N: I ride horses in Brooklyn sometimes. I do boxing. Also watching serious TV and movies. I’m not a party person, but would love to meet new people all the time and learn about their unique life experience.
Do you have a favorite album of 2015?
N: There is a metal band called Melechesh and their 2015 album Enki is totally badass. They combine Middle Eastern folk tunes with thrash metal riffs, which is totally creative and epic as hell.
What do you have planned for 2016? Are you currently scoring any films or video games?
N: We are planing to do a U.S. tour and a European tour next year, but we don’t have many details yet. I am not working on any film and game projects.
Finally, Nature, any last words for the kids?
N: If you are interested in Mongolian folk-crossover American-style heavy rock, check out Tengger Cavalry and you won’t be disappointed!
-by Darren Paltrowitz