The First Nomad

The two-day 2015 Hulun Buir Nomadic Music Festival combines traditional music artists of Mongolia with contemporary artists from all over China, as well as several from other points in Asia and even an American singer. There will be one stage for “traditional ethnic culture” and another stage for “modern culture,” according to a statement from event organizers. The purpose is to showcase the “profound history and culture of China’s northern peoples and pop music of different styles from around the world.”

More than 20 conventional pop music artists will complement the “intangible cultural heritage shows and folk songs and dances with a strong ethnic flavor of the minorities of northern China.”

Grammy award-winning producer Daniel Ho will also “organize on-site teams to interact with singers and bands.”

Chinese scholars will host “cultural forums to discuss the development trends of modern music and the issue of cultural capitalization.” Xu Qingzhi, the former general manager of Beijing’s Rock Records, will hold discussions with several of the artists about the “internalization of folk music.”