How does one write about the scope of Mongolian pop culture? In brief, you don’t because there’s just too much to cover. I found this article from 2018 that covers a variety of contemporary Mongolian musical artists and styles. It’s very informative and gives a fairly broad overview of the scope of the musical scene, albeit it’s a few years dated (pop culture moves fast, y’all!).

That said, I wanted to look at a couple of artists in particular who have a modern sound but have incorporated traditional Mongolian culture into their work in different ways. The first one I want to look at is Uka and her music video for the song Margaashiin Nar Luu Hamt Ayalah Uu. Uka, formerly of the girl group Kiwi, has a poppy sound, but what I love about this music video is how she blends modern fashion and architecture with traditional clothing and beautiful shots of the countryside.

Another band I’d like to look at in this post is The Hu. Perhaps you’ve been wondering when I would bring up this band, as they’ve recently become something of a global phenomenon. The Hu are a Mongolian metal band who plays music on traditional instruments and whose lyrics are often glorifying the past, especially in regards to the Mongolian Empire and the great leader Chinggis Khaan.

What are your thoughts on contemporary Mongolian music? Is there a band or solo artist that you think everyone should hear? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!