▶ Sainkho Namtchylak Interview 2013

1. During your amazing musical career so far, you have released lots of records across different musical genres, and many have been collaborations with different artists. What made you prefer collaboration as a way to express yourself, rather than solo performance?

SN: Interesting question. You are probably the first one who ask me such question. Preferences I have is based on the Idea and the Aim. 

What is behind   the music, that listeners will have to listen and what will be in their imagination? Each time it is different story or different chapter of all human history or my own story as an example. In if we take perspective in time and space that have been captivating the process of recording all my albums,   it is one long, long story if we play all of them one after the other. Like epos or endless song.

  To say shortly it is depend on project. All are in preference when you work on the project. 

 

2. What do you look for in a musician that makes you want to collaborate with him or her?

SN: Some collaborations are like happening coming suddenly to my mind, some are needing long time to think, to research, to create. But all of them are made with love, even if it was happening by chance or was long time waited. Listening back to all my very first albums I think it was great luck to have chance to work with very experienced musicians that had already builded their audience and special atmosphere, something that was awaited by audience. Now this albums are in the collection of best music. It was also great chance for me.

Important to understand, to have same taste in specific things, but this is very deep in work. Very difficult to define in words.

 

3. When you first started collaborating with other artists, you seemed to only work with avant-garde jazz musicians, but then after a period you began to work with electronic music producers as well, which is quite rare in the European jazz scene. What made you make such a transition?

SN: I think it is wrong. Already in 1993   I was publishing song album where some elements of electronics was already used. There was so called avant-guard projects about same time that have been with electronics don. For example album " Out f Tuva" by Crammen Wordl, Belgium 1993 and the album " Lost Rivers" by Free MusicProduction, Berlin was both produced at the same time. Out of Tuva is album with only songs in world music style with elements electro pop,

"Lost Rivers" is purely improvised music, so called " prenatal" form of music.

 

4. Since you’ve traveled all around the world during your own musical journey, it is actually very interesting to talk about your record called ‘Nomad,’which you released in 2007. In what ways do you think being a cultural nomad can be inspiring to a musician or an artist?

SN: Profession to be an artist, writer or singer is mostly about traveling. You have to get to your listeners in reality and in an imaginary space too. People need to see art and artist in real life not only through CDs or video. Imaginary journey or real journey is always very important part of music life.

 

5. You’ve come to China many times now, and it seems that every time you bring something different. Do you still remember the first time you came to China? And what has made you to keep coming back to China?

SN: Most of my audience in China are Asians. In some way I can say we are brothers, our ancestors for sure. It s interesting to share experience with the same nature people, to see their reaction, to receive their understanding. Believe me, it has some difference in receiving such music as I do. 

In Europe for example my audience like different thing then in Asia and it is not only on how much I play avant-guard or world music. I am still playing both styles in Europe, their way of receiving and understanding of my music is different then when I am presenting avant-guard or world music program in Asia. My feeling are also different when I am performing in Europe or in Asia. 

 

6. This time at the Wood+Wires Festival is no exception, - you will once again perform with a different line-up with a really exciting “Celtic-Tuva Tribal Sound Art Project.” Can you tell us a little bit about how you came up with such a idea and how you came to know your collaborators in the project (Maart and Jerry and Dickson) and what the audience can expect to see/experience during the show?

SN: With Maartin Allcock and Jerry Cutillo we met on 20 years OAK band at "Statione Birra"- a club that is near Rom, Italy. Then we have been meeting several time. Learning some songs from Tuva- my home country. They have been very interested specially in overtone singing and language. I was translating the text of songs and helping to learn songs in original language.

Both musicians Jerry and Maartin are very experience high profiled musicians. Knw a lot about blues, a lot about rock music, paying perfectly and singing soulful. Dickson I know from 2003. We met at art gallery in Shanghai. I have been coming to pay in trio my song program. We had very first small tour in China, Macao, Taiwan. Relation between me and Dickson had different phases from very very strange to very great experiences. He is the only musician I can share my practice of paying world music program and avant-guard. He play both programs with me in very   different events and festivals like big and small art galleries, open air world music festivals, TV shows, small private events. We played concerts in front of 14.000 students

In Chongqing university and in small apartment in Taipei where was possible to get inn only 20 people maximum. In both situations Dickson was doing his best to play with me and not only playing music, but organizing and translating. It is a bit sad for me that he is to busy man and having many other projects. If we would have more time to pay together, we would make very interesting performances at the art galleries and even big shows. But unfortunately he s to busy with many other projects and there is to little time to realize new ideas.

This time we are lucky we have invitation to Shanghai and all of us had chance to find days free came from different part of world to create a program that can be giving very interesting aspect in to world music. Ancient roots of nomadic culture. Culture that has very old and deep relation. 

 

7. Your main instrument is your voice and during all the years releasing records and performing live concerts you have never stopped exploring the limits of vocal performance. Does that mean your perception or understanding of what it means to sing or to be a singer is always changing?

SN: I am professional that means I will be always researching to understand human voice in general and in personal case it is my skills to know my own voice, possibilities of voice better and better. You know some singers   are singing till last day. Cesaria Evora, Combai Segundo ( excuse me if I am spelling their name wrong) 

I am not only singer, I am composer, poet, song writer. That means I am able to work in different formats. Even Mozart or Beethoven was cInterview 2013

1. During your amazing musical career so far, you have released lots of records across different musical genres, and many have been collaborations with different artists. What made you prefer collaboration as a way to express yourself, rather than solo performance?

SN: Interesting question. You are probably first who ask me such question. Preference is on the idea and aim. What is behind   music that listeners will have in their imagination. Each time it s different story r different chapter. In all it is long, long one story if we play all albums one after the other. Like epos or endless song. To say shortly it is depend on project. All are in preference when you work on the project. 

 

2. What do you look for in a musician that makes you want to collaborate with him or her?

SN: Some collaborations are like happening coming suddenly to my mind, some are needing long time to think, to research, to create. But all of themare made with love, even if it was happening by chance or was long time waited. Listening back to all my very first albums I think it was great luck to have chance to work with very experienced musicians that had already builded their audience and special atmosphere, something that was awaited by audience. Now this albums are in the collection of best music. It was also great chance for me.

Important to understand, to have same taste in specific things, but this is very deep in work. Very difficult to define in words.

 

3. When you first started collaborating with other artists, you seemed to only work with avant-garde jazz musicians, but then after a period you began to work with electronic music producers as well, which is quite rare in the European jazz scene. What made you make such a transition?

SN: I think it is wrong. Already in 1993   I was publishing song album where some elements of electronics was already used. There was so called avant-guard projects about same time that have been with electronics don. For example album " Out f Tuva" by Crammen Wordl, Belgium 1993 and the album " Lost Rivers" by Free MusicProduction, Berlin was both produced at the same time. Out of Tuva is album with only songs in world music style with elements electro pop,

"Lost Rivers" is purely improvised music, so called " prenatal" form of music.

 

4. Since you’ve traveled all around the world during your own musical journey, it is actually very interesting to talk about your record called ‘Nomad,’which you released in 2007. In what ways do you think being a cultural nomad can be inspiring to a musician or an artist?

SN: Profession to be an artist, writer or singer is mostly about traveling. You have to get to your listeners in reality and in an imaginary space too. People need to see art and artist in real life not only through CDs or video. Imaginary journey or real journey is always very important part of music life.

 

5. You’ve come to China many times now, and it seems that every time you bring something different. Do you still remember the first time you came to China? And what has made you to keep coming back to China?

SN: Most of my audience in China are Asians. In some way I can say we are brothers our ancestors for sure. It s interesting to share experience with the same nature people, to see their reaction, to receive their understanding. Believe me, it has some difference in receiving such music as I do. In Europe my audience like different thing then in Asia and it is not only on how much I play avant-guard or world music. I am still playing both stiles in Europe, their reaction is different then when I am presenting avant-guard or world music program in Asia. My feeling are also different when I am performing in Europe or in Asia. 

 

6. 6.This time at the Wood+Wires Festival is no exception, - you will once again perform with a different line-up with a really exciting “Celtic-Tuva Tribal Sound Art Project.” Can you tell us a little bit about how you came up with such a idea and how you came to know your collaborators in the project (Maart and Jerry and Dickson) and what the audience can expect to see/experience during the show?
   

Sainkho Namtchylak ist Sängerin aus der russischen Republik Tuwa. Die Stimme von Sainkho Namtchylak reicht über sieben Oktaven (mit Ober- und Untertönen). Sie erhielt ihre musikalische Ausbildung in Moskau und gibt seit 1987 international wichtige Konzerte in unterschiedlichen Musikrichtungen wie Volksmusik, traditionelle sibirische Musik, improvisierte Musik, freier Jazz, akademische Avantgarde, Kehlkopfgesang, Weltmusik, Elektronik und nahm an den wichtigsten Jazz- und Weltmusik-Festivals teil. In ihren Konzerten und für ihre zahlreichen Veröffentlichungen arbeitete sie mit der höchsten Riege Musikschaffender weltweit zusammen. Sie reist sehr viel seit dem Beginn ihrer Karriere in den 80ern und hat sowohl in Wien als auch in Moskau für längere Zeit gelebt.

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