BROOKINGS – Anda Union, a world-renowned ensemble from China’s Inner Mongolia, will visit Brookings later this month as part of Arts Midwest World Fest.
The visit will include a public reception from 5-6:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 27, at the Children’s Museum of South Dakota and workshops throughout the week at area schools. A public workshop will also be held from 10-11 a.m. Thursday, March 2, at the South Dakota Art Museum.
The week concludes with a community concert Friday, March 3, at V.A. Bell Auditorium at Brookings High School. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the concert beginning at 7:30 p.m.
Advance tickets cost $7 for students and $12 for adults and can be purchased online at www.brookingsartscouncil.org. All tickets sold at the door will be $15 apiece.
Anda Union’s music comes from the vast grasslands of Inner Mongolia, where various ethnic nomadic tribes have lived for centuries. Its music includes a fascinating combination of instruments like horsehead fiddles and vocal styles like throat singing in a performance that Genghis Khan himself would have been proud of, BAC Executive Director Heather Kuhlman said.
Anda Union formed in 2000 and is committed to preserving its way of life and the music which is so important to it. The group members describe themselves as music gatherers, digging deep into Mongol traditions to keep familiar songs alive while also unearthing forgotten music. They are on a mission to stimulate their culture and re-engage young Mongols, many of whom no longer speak their own language.
“Most of the band members have been playing together since childhood,” said Nars, a member of the group. “As adults, we studied professional vocals and instruments together. We are like a family. Ten years ago, Anda Union was forged and we haven’t looked back.”
Anda means a “blood brother or sister.” For Mongolians, an anda is more important than a birth brother as one chooses a person to become an anda – a lifelong blood brother. Anda Union is a brotherhood of andas.
Anda Union offers audiences a rare opportunity to experience and enjoy music the world has only recently begun to know. The ensemble has toured widely with stops at major universities and cites across the United States.
Brookings has already hosted three Arts Midwest World Fest groups: Baladino from Israel, Le Vent du Nord from Quebec, Canada, and most recently, Lorraine Klaasen of South Africa.
“We’re so fortunate to have these groups coming to our community,” Kuhlman said. “The groups not only perform a public concert, but most of the week they are in the schools and other community locations sharing their culture through workshops.
“I’ve listened to Anda’s CD and watched a fascinating video about the group and can’t wait for them to get here. It’s not often smaller communities like ours have the chance to host international ensembles like Anda Union at all – let alone for a full week," Kuhlman added. “The music and culture Anda Union will share is so different from what we normally experience. You won’t want to miss this incredible opportunity.”
Brookings typically would not have the resources to host weeklong residencies of the kind Anda Union will offer, Kuhlman noted.
Arts Midwest, one of six U.S. regional arts organizations, partners with program sponsors like The National Endowment for the Arts and 3M to cover a substantial portion of the program cost so that communities throughout the Midwest can enjoy this rich arts experience. Brookings was selected as one of only nine Midwestern cities to host the 2015–2017 Arts Midwest World Fest and is the only partner community chosen in South Dakota.
“It’s a real honor to be part of this program,” Kuhlman said.
