Sibérie 9: Buryatia – Rites, Celebrations and Dances Around Lake Baïkal

Buryat folk music is the traditional music of the Buryat people of Siberia, centered in the Republic of Buryatia (Russia) and bordering Mongolic regions. It blends ancient shamanic ritual song, epic recitation (uliger), Buddhist devotional elements, and steppe song traditions shared with Mongolian cultures. Characteristic features include pentatonic melodies; long, melismatic vocal lines reminiscent of Mongolian “long song” practice; occasional overtone/throat-singing techniques; and the use of instruments such as the morin khuur (horse-head fiddle), khuuchir (spike fiddle), limbe (end-blown flute), jaw harp (khomus), frame drums, and various rattles used in ritual contexts. Social dance songs, notably for the yokhor circle dance, emphasize call-and-response and steady, communal rhythms. Themes frequently celebrate the steppe, horses, kinship, and spiritual life, with lyrics that may invoke nature spirits in older shamanic pieces or reflect Tibetan Buddhist poetics introduced from the 18th century onward.