Help Us Support an Excellent Cause
Most guests at the Three Camel Lodge in recent years are familiar with “Melody of Gobi,” even if they don’t know it by name.
A musical group comprised of students from the high school in nearby Khankhongor, “Melody of Gobi” has delighted lodge visitors for years with regular performances of traditional Mongolian song and dance.
The performing arts education program at Khankhongor High School began in 2000, with 80 students and 17 teachers participating in the program annually. Graduates of the school have gone on to the Mongolian Music Conservatory, the University of Arts and Culture in Ulaanbaatar, and related dance and circus jobs in Japan and Korea.
Over the years, Nomadic Expeditions and Three Camel Lodge have supported the local school’s arts program to ensure that Mongolia’s rich culture is preserved. Its students learn to play traditional musical instruments–such as the horsehead fiddle, zither, flute, Mongolian horn, four-stringed fiddle or huuchir , sanxian, and dulcimer–and are taught to perform ancient songs and dance.
The Antalya International Youth Festival in Antalya, Turkey is an annual event that has showcased cultures and talents from across the globe for nearly 30 years. The Arts Council of Mongolia (ACM) exists to ensure that the art and culture of Mongolia are sustainably developed, promoted, preserved, and shared with the world, a purpose very much in line with that of the festival.
When the Three Camel Lodge hosted the council’s 15th anniversary retreat and its board saw the group perform, the idea of sending these talented kids to Antalya was born.
What better venue than this festival to further carry out the council’s mission?
The organizers of the event, the FOMGED Youth Club, an NGO dedicated to instilling the values of sharing, friendship, love, and respect in young people worldwide, have accepted ACM’s application and invited “Melody of Gobi” to participate in this year’s festival and share the ancient customs and culture of Mongolia on an international stage.
Nomadic Expeditions and Three Camel Lodge are committed to sending the group’s 10 members–four dancers, four musicians, and two singers between 15 and 17 years of age–to the event held from May 14-20 of this year in Antalya.
Many of our guests have expressed interest in supporting these young kids in the past and this is an excellent way to do so and help make this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity a reality for the members of “Melody of Gobi”.
If you would like to learn more about this project, please feel free reach out directly to Undraa Buyannemekh at 609-860-9008 or by email at undraa@nomadicexpeditons.com for more information.
To join us directly in supporting the project, please visit the Arts Council of Mongolia’s website http://www.artscouncilofmongolia-us.org/take-action/. At the end of the donation process, under “Special Requests,” please indicate that these funds are meant for “Melody of Gobi.”
Thank you for your kindness,
Jalsa Urubshurow
