Shono

Unheard sounds from Buryatia: Shono revive the ancient rituals of the vast Eurasian grasslands. The autonomous Russian Republic of Buryatia is located in the far east of the country, bordering Mongolia and encompassing the eastern shore of Lake Baikal. Today, less than one million ethnic Buryats live in the republic. Under Stalin’s rule, many Buryats were persecuted and murdered.

Shono (translated as wolf, by the way!) was founded by Alexander Arkhincheev in 2014. The Buryat musician lives in Irkutsk, is a master of throat singing, is considered an expert on Buryat legends and epics, and masters many different traditional Buryat and Mongolian instruments. He is also active as a teacher. The four-member ensemble Shono combines his love for traditional Buryat music with a passion for western rock’n‘roll. The first album “Hunters” convinced with a variety of different styles of throat singing. Arkhincheev also contributed original songs to the album.

“For many years, the tradition of Buryat throat singing had been lost. But recently there are more and more people who want to revive it. With our music we promote throat singing and the use of traditional instruments. The roots of throat singing reach far back into the past. We believe that throat singing is our religious heritage, a part of our shamanistic tradition,” says Alexander Arkhincheev.

“The spirit of the centuries-old rituals of the nomads of Inner Asia creates an intense atmosphere that almost makes us shiver. Shono use Buryat instruments like the horse-head fiddle, but are not afraid to use modern rock music instruments like bass, guitar and drums. The driving rhythms and their irresistible drive make Shono one of the leading bands among Siberian, Tuvan and Mongolian ethno-rock bands”, praises the trade press.
On the second album “Kolkhozov Traktor”, Shono were in search of a new sound. Most of the tracks are songs Alexander Arkhincheev heard from his grandparents as a child. “The album is a tribute to tradition, to preserve the great heritage of Buryat culture and pass it on from generation to generation. All these songs are about nature and animals, the homeland and the values of the Buryat people,” Arkhincheev says about the background of “Kolkhozov Tractor”.