UDU

UDU is the holy water of our earth, connecting us all together.
Our bodies are water vessels that carry the genetic codes of our ancestors. Folk song is a way to dive deeper into yourself, into your roots. What language does your soul sing? Musical group of two nations, uniting the musical heritage of Buryatia and Lithuania. Throat singing connected with the Baltic songs of pagan times, when man and nature were one.
Our goal is not to identify or show similarities and differences of our nations; rather, it is to share our music composed from the heart that is very dear to us. We often sit down and look for similarities in
our cultures, stories or song texts, which grows the respect for all nations of the world in our hearts and brings our ancestors closer to each other. Since we met at one of the festivals in Kazachstan,
“The Spirit of Tengri”, we have become a music family. We compose together, travel, eat, share stories, visit late into the night and use music to escape from negative experiences. Tasks about songs in album:

Zulayashie – Dūno upė. A Wedding Song.
In the old days, when a daughter was being seen off to the new family before her wedding, there were certain songs sung by the Buryat people. This song was part of every wedding. In the Lithuanian language, which is one of the oldest languages in the world, with ties to the ancient Sanskrit, there is a word teka, meaning “flows”. This word has multiple meanings. For example, in the morning the Sun “rises” (teka), the river “flows” (teka), the time “passes” (teka), a woman “flows” when she is on her moon time (menstruation) or when she is given away in marriage.
In Lithuanian folk songs a woman is like a flowing river from which generations come. She is a river that connects us with our ancestors – through our blood, nation, and the magic codes of folk songs.

Tūta – Khaldyn khursa nogoondo
Khaldyn khursa nogoondo is a a song about the respect of the Buriat nation to their rich nature. Tūta is a Lithuanian sutartine (rounds). Both songs come from the times when a man, while working the earth, used songs and rituals to express respect and gratitude to Mother Nature.

Jovaras – Altargana
Altargana – a Buryat folk song about the steppe shrub. This plant has very strong and resistant roots, which is why it is considered a representation of the Buryat people.
Jovaras is a Lithuanian folk song representing the entire wealth of the Baltic nation. The jovaras tree can be considered a symbol of the tree of life and the archetypal three-level structure of the
world. The roots of the tree are full of sounds of kanklės (a Baltic zither) which, through the ancient songs, bring us closer to our origins and ancestral knowledge. The bees buzzing in the middle is a
symbol of a nation and unity and an example of a society where all individuals are working for the common good. The crown is full of falcon baby birds, and birds in many cultures were mediators
between this world and the spirit world; they bring messages and symbolize ancestors in both Lithuanian, and Buryat traditional songs. As both songs become one, a human being becomes part of nature, equal to it, as a plant or a tree. The deeper and stronger our roots, the higher the crown reaches. The most ancient folk songs are like fresh water for our roots.
Even if our two nations are very different and located far away from each other, our oldest songs express a deep connection with nature. As the two melodies are joined into one, the music reaches
their common “roots”.

Eiliom susėdom
We Sat in Rows. A Lithuanian sutartinė (round) performed by a Buryat singer. Sutartines, archaic polyphonic songs, are on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Izban bliuz
Izban is an element of the homemade vodka distillation machine, which resembles a wooden bucket fastened by iron rings. An izban with seven rings can serve about 70 years, but if it serves
longer, pass it down to you descendants. The wise words in this song call on the younger generation to preserve their traditions and to pass them down to their children and grandchildren.
A Lithuanian folk song about sisters harvesting rye. This type of song reminds us of the old traditions that are passed from generation to generation. A song facilitates the passing down of a skill to perform various tasks, make tools, hunt, process flax or weave. Today, when our daily bread has a lot easier way to our tables, we can seek a better understanding of the spirituality of our cultural traditions.

UDU – Buryatia/Lithuania world music band
Alexander Arkhincheev (Buryatia) – vocal, throat singing, morin khuur, guitar
Konstantin Tokarsky (Buryatia) – drums & percussion
Tadas Dešukas (Lithuania) – violin, mandolin, guitar
Laurita Peleniūtė(Lithuania) – vocal, drum, shruty box