Genghis Blues, Essay Example

As I was watching the documentary, it occurred to me that music is really a universal language. Paul Pena was able to teach himself the Tuvan throat singing without any external help while he had to consult two dictionaries to learn Tuvan language. The documentary also explains why some forms of music are more popular around the world and others are not and the reason is that some forms of music merely get more exposure in the media. Since American popular media is hugely popular in the world, American singers are globally popular and if artists in lesser known parts of the world would get more exposure, they may enjoy the same popularity as well. These unequalities in media exposure deprive the world of many beautiful forms of music of which Tuvan throat singing is one.

One of the lessons of the documentary is that artists can take the charge in promoting lesser known music around the world. Even though Ralph Leighton was also promoting Tuvan culture through Friends of Tuva, Paul Pena ended up playing a greater role in promoting Tuvan culture through throat singing and this documentary. Thus, artists yield huge influence and they can choose to use that power to promote other cultures and forms of music.

The Tuvan landscape and people reminded me of Mongolians in looks and culture. Their simplistic lifestyle and strong adherence to traditions may be one reason why Tuvan music is still alive. This also reminded me that modernism does threaten traditional forms of music by severely reducing the number of their audience. This video also disproves the myth that traditional groups shun interaction with the modern societies because they perceive them to be a threat to their traditions. Tuvans embraced Paul Pena and his friends as if they were part of their own family because Paul Pena showed genuine interest in their culture and music. Thus, respect and sincere interest do win us friends, even among cultures that proudly hold on to their ancient traditions and lifestyles.

I was also impressed by the curiosity displayed by Tuvans of all ages including children when the American visitors played their musical intruments. One could see their desire to learn more about a foreign culture. This is another proof that genuine respect and interest increases cultural exchange between two different societies whether they are modern or still holding on to older traditions and lifestyles. I was also surprised that Tuvan culture even fascinated a scientific legend, Richard Feynman.

Paul really emerged as a grand performer on the stage. Not only he performed throat singing but even sang a song in Tuvan. Paul left me speechless that he even learnt a language that could not have been any more different from English, in such a short period of time. He is really one of the most fascinating artists I have come across who didn’t let his blindness get in the way of his passion and interests.

This documentary demonstrates the power of music to bring people from different cultures closer. As I researched on the internet, I discovered that this documentary received ample coverage at the time of its release but the low number of views on YouTube did disappoint me. I wish this video gets more exposure because it is one of the most beautiful documentaries I have ever seen on a relatively unknown culture.